Official State Car of India
The Official State Car of India, in which the President of India, travels, is a black Mercedes-Benz S600 W221 Pullman Guard stretch limousine. It is a custom-built, heavily armoured stretch limousine which meets the requirements of the highest protection class BR7-level. The President's motorcade also consists of the former presidential car, a black Mercedes-Benz armoured limousine, which is used as a spare vehicle. The presidential car displays the National Emblem of India instead of the number plates. They are protected and followed by the President's Bodyguard.
The President is escorted by the SPG in armoured black BMW X5s, and a few Toyota Fortuners and one Tata Safari equipped with a jammer.
The car is equipped with ballistic Protection (VR9 level) crash sensors in the doors for optimum deployment of the airbags in a lateral collision panic Alarm System automatic Fire Suppression System acceleration Skid Control electronic Brake Distribution (EBD) anti-lock Braking System (ABS) etc. . There’s supply of oxygen to protect occupants in case of a gas attack. On the inside, there are Automated Lock Controls and Preventive Shields. It is heavily fortified to withstand fire from small arms and grenades, and the air intakes on it could be shut off to escape a chemical attack. It is powered by a 5.5 liter twin turbo petrol engine, and uses run flat tyres. Powering the Mercedes S600 Pullman S-Guard is a 6.0-litre V12 that outputs 523 BHP and 830 Nm. The engine comes mated to a 7-speed Dual Clutch Transmission. The car gets an airmatic suspension. The tyres and wheels are bulletproof. The car can run on flat tyres for several hundreds of kilometres. Thanks to a high kerb weight, the car has a top speed of more than 200 KMPH. It can reach 100 KMPH from standstill in less around 8 seconds.
Vice President[edit]
The Vice President of India uses a black BR7-level armoured BMW 7 Series High Security saloon. It also has the National Emblem (Coat of Arms) instead of the number plates. thumb The current version costs ₹50 million (US$700,000) and has a 5,972 cc petrol engine, 544 bhp, with a top speed of 210 km/h. The car can accelerate from 0–100 km/h in 6.1 seconds and offers mileage of 4.5-7.46 kmpl. The car complies with VR7 grade ballistic protection, and some portions comply with VR9 grade. The vehicle's cabin is equipped with a back-up oxygen tank, and is resistant to gas attacks. The self-sealing fuel tank ensures that the tank will not explode under any circumstances. The car is equipped with a fire-fighting system, emergency exit, thick bullet-proof windows, and armour plates beneath to withstand mines and bomb. The car can travel several kilometres even with flat tyres. Heat sensors fitted on the vehicle help prevent a possible bombing or missile attack. It also has the same escort as of the President.
Prime Minister[edit]
The Prime Minister of India, the head of the government, uses two black, BR7-level highly modified armoured BMW 7 Series (F03)760Li Security Edition with one used as a decoy. These are escorted by the SPG in six armoured black BMW X5s, and a few Tata Safaris with one equipped with a jammer which are a permanent part of the Prime Minister's convoy. When visiting a foreign country, Indian leaders generally use vehicles supplied by the host country. It is also of the same type or of higher standard with security measures of SPG. The BMW 7-Series High Security is a high-end, bullet-proof armoured sedan. The car costs around Rs. 10 crores in India and uses three of them. While Prime Minister travels in one of the BMW 760Li High Security cars, the other one cars that look exactly the same is used as decoys and the other used as spare vehicle for emergency.
The armoured car gets a VR7 certification that means that it can withstand close range firing from AK47s, high-intensity blasts of up to 17 kg and roadside bombs. The sedan gets added reinforcements and heavy sheet metal making it weigh around 4 tonnes. It also gets its own air circulation system with an oxygen tank. The current version costs ₹50 million (US$700,000) and has a 5,972 cc petrol engine, 544 bhp, with a top speed of 210 km/h. The car can accelerate from 0–100 km/h in 6.1 seconds and offers mileage of 4.5-7.46 kmpl. The car complies with VR7 grade ballistic protection, and some portions comply with VR9 grade. The car can move at a speed up to 80 km/h even with punctured tyres. The self-sealing fuel tank ensures that the tank will not explode under any circumstances. The car is equipped with a fire-fighting system, emergency exit, thick bullet-proof windows, and armour plates beneath to withstand mines and bomb. The car can travel several kilometres even with flat tyres. Heat sensors fitted on the vehicle help prevent a possible bombing or missile attack. The car is equipped with more safety measures and heavily protected.
Prime Minister convoy has 8 black coloured BMW X5s that forms a security perimeter around the 7-Series when Prime Minister is on the move. The BMW X5s are also armoured and are used by SPG officials who travel with Prime Minister. The SUVs are unmarked so that they can blend into traffic easily, but they get camouflaged flashers that are used to clear the way when the convoy is moving. It is not known which engine powers the BMW X5 but even the entry-level variant of the SUV draws power from an inline 6-cylinder engine that generates a maximum of 258 Bhp – 560 Nm.
Apart from these cars the Prime Minister of India also uses the Land Rover Range Rover Vogue. This is seen as the ultimate luxury SUV. Prime Minister is using the SUV quite often as it is easier to get in and out of the vehicle. He also uses the sunroof of the SUV to get out and greet the public. It is an armoured SUV and just like all other cars in the convoy, it gets the stealth black colour.
There is one more car used by Prime Minister, the Toyota Landcruiser 200 is one of the new cars in which Prime Minister can be seen in recent times. The Toyota Landcruiser 200 is a tried-and-tested heavily armoured SUV version used for road shows and to greet people.
Trailing the motorcade of the President of India, the Vice President of India, and the Prime Minister of India is a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van that has been modified as a mobile ambulance. The Sprinter stays in close proximity of the convoy wherever the prime minister goes. The Sprinter comes with powerful engine options that allow it to stay near the high-speed convoy.
Image Gallery[edit]
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Convoy with Mercedes-Benz Sprinter
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Prime Minister Manmohan Singh convoy
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Land-Cruiser with SPG
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Pranab Mukherjee arriving at Rashtrapati Bhawan
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Convoy
References[edit]
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