The heads of state: how Merkel, Putin & Co.

Whether Mercedes, Cadillac or Aurus: One thing is common for the bodies of all heads of state and government: they are luxurious- and extremely armored. The political leaders chauffeur themselves in these vehicles:

Angela Merkel was difficult to imagine in political everyday life without her beloved armored Audi A8 L. Apart from a few exceptions, the long -time Chancellor was in a black A8 Security in a few exceptions – chauffeured by the personal protection of the Federal Criminal Police Office. With the change to successor Olaf Scholz, another manufacturer came to the fore as the Federal Chancellor’s vehicle, because the former first mayor of Hamburg was mostly traveling with the then new Mercedes S 680 Guard.

BMW had to painfully abandon the past 7 generation as a tank and only put the new model again as an armored version almost two years ago-and that with V8 burner or an electrical version.

For decades, German premium manufacturers have been ting on the tone worldwide at the Panzer limousines and thus also offer a top politician like the German Chancellor a safe automotive at home. The triumvirate from Audi A8, BMW 7 Series and Mercedes S-Class is not only accessible to the Federal Chancellery and BKA accompanying protection for the normal luxury limousines of things, but also for the highly secured armored versions. So that none of the three brands are excluded in internal and economic policy, vehicles of all three brands are in the portfolio-everything is armored at a maximum in accordance with the specifications of the protection stages VR-9 / VR-10.

Chancellor Friedrich Merz uses vehicles from the Federal Criminal Police Office and is mostly on the road with a Mercedes S 680 Guard or a BMW 7 Service. The current model is only available with a long wheelbase and the 450 kW / 612 PS / 830 Nm strong V12 turbo engine of the Maybach. A specially extended XXL version such as the Pullman Guard of the predecessor does not exist as a so-called representative vehicle. For this purpose, Mercedes now also offers its armored S 680 Guard with all-wheel drive, which was only available from Audi with his A8 and the long-expired VW Phaeton as a favorite car from ex-Chancellor Gerhard Schröder. The protection class VR10 fulfills the highest ballistic test stage for civil vehicles and is not only secured against explosive charges, but also against the shot with assault rifles with steel hard core ammunition.

Audi provides the Austrian Chancellor an Audi A8 of the VR10 protection class. The 5.32 meter long Audi A8 L Security offers a comparable luxury like the Mercedes S 680 Guard inside. If the Chancellor climbs into this limousine armor, is also caused by sovereign propulsion. A four-liter V8 double turbo with 420 kW / 571 hp and a maximum torque of 800 Nm works under the hood for the four-ton vehicle. In the secured protective column, you can go over the highway for the next appointment with up to 210 km/h, while relaxed in the rear right is relaxed or worked on a fold -out table. In slices and exterior mirrors, flashing blue flasher at the push of a button and a blue light can be put on.

Markus Söder, Bavarian Prime Minister, likes to travel with a armored BMW X5 in everyday life. But more and more you can see it in an electrically driven BMW i7 protection, because the tank version of the 7 SER is not only represented with a potent eight-cylinder turbo, but also as an electrical version in the fleet. In contrast to the 530 hp V8 petrol engine, the armored BMW i7 with its two electric motors (400 kW / 544 PS / 745 Nm) is sealed at the front and rear axles at 160 km / h and has a range of less than 350 km. Therefore, it is not for the quick permanent use on the highway, but just right to be on the road with the VR9 / VR10 protection class and to roll as silently as it is luxurious to the next appointment. The combustion version of the BMW 7 Series Protection has an exhaustive fuel tank and can also be upgraded with body protection tanks according to VPAM 10, which should protect against the fire with explosive loaders and firearms of various kinds.

Unlike some think, US President Donald Trump is not always on the road with the Cadillac, which everyone only “The Beast” to name. With the STS Luxus limousine of past times, this has “beast” In any case, only the exterior design in common, because there are massive pick-up technology under the centimeter-thick armor panels.

Trump often climbs into the fund of a Chevrolet Suburban. As a tank version, the XXL SUV is the backbone of personal protection in the USA and large parts of South America. While the lavishly dimensioned Chevrolet Suburban has been recovered by special companies in countries such as Mexico or Brazil for years, the big brother of Chevrolet Tao has also been manufactured by General Motors as an armored version for decades. Among other things, the US President uses official appointments in which the “Beast” Used, mostly a whole fleet of heavily armored Chevrolet Suburban. A large number of these vehicles are represented in the Secret Service fleet as well as in the diplomatic service of foreign messages.

The French President Emmanuel Macron recently received the DS No. 8 A new magnificent sedan. DS wants to be a real luxury brand and thus even outperform the established premium competition. In the past, claim and reality have been apart in the past; But with the mysterious-looking and courageously drawn-out assembly vehicle No.8, the French finally want to make an impression outside the home country. Whether Emmanuel Macron is sufficient as an image -prone figurehead may remain on it, but the DS No. 8 always ensures an imposing appearance. Although the STLA platform and a comparatively manageable length of 4.82 meters probably make the electrical model become the smallest state sedan in the world, which has an oversized roof hatch instead of the glass roof instead of the glass roof. Inside, the No.8 is a typical DS – different, exclusive and always extravagant enough to inspire in Paris. The air -conditioned leather seats are comfortable at the front and back and the space is as lavish as you can expect from a model around 4.80 meters long.

The Russian President Vladimir Putin was chauffeured by Moscow by Moscow until a few years ago in a particularly secure Mercedes 600 SEL of the W 140 series before switching directly to a Pullman of Type, which he sometimes controled himself. In the meantime, the president is on the road in an Aurus Senate, of course with a heavy armor. The 6.63 meter long luxury body with a monstrous radiator grille enables more than imposing appearance on public dates. A 4.4-liter eight-cylinder turbo with electrical support and VR10 armored.

The North Korean dictator Kim Jong-UN was also traveling with armored Mercedes S-Classes of the W 221 series and in Maybach models for many years. In the meantime, like Vladimir Putin, he likes to travel in an Aurus Senate; A gift from Russia.