Say hello to the €1.4m armoured Maybach

Maybach-loving heads of state, we have some good news. The twin-turbo V12 Mercedes-Maybach S600 is now available in super-long, armoured ‘Pullman Guard’ spec. The price? A cool €1.4million - €900,000 more than the non-armoured Pullman.

For that you get 6.5 metres of steel, glass and leather, armoured to withstand pretty much anything you can throw at it. Not that you’d know, because it’s all under the skin. It’s rated VR9, which is the highest level of ballistic protection, and can withstand decent-sized explosions.

The Pullman Guard weighs 5.1 tonnes, and the rear doors are so heavy Merc has had to add force-multiplying electric motors. And like the 600 Pullman of 1965, the polycarbonate-coated windows are hydraulically operated – and presumably quite thick.

Out back there’s seating for four (two face frontwards on plush recliners, and two backwards on flip-down jobs), behind an electrically-operated partition separating rear-seat passengers from front. There’s all the equipment you’d expect of a Maybach, and because this one’s a ‘Guard’, you can get extras like sirens, flashing lights and an external loudspeaker.

The engine delivers 523bhp and 612lb ft, but the top speed is limited to 100mph.