Mercedes-Benz S 600 Guard: Bomb proof car that will burn your pocket

Is the Hulk your favorite Avenger? Do you focus on upgrading ‘armour’ while playing an RPG? Ever thought of buying a Hummer? The masters of automotive engineering Mercedes-Benz have launched something that might interest you. [caption id=“attachment_2258406” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] The Mercedes S 600 Guard. AFP[/caption] The S 600 Guard, a legitimate beast, is no short of either the Hulk or the Hummer.  But to own this beast you must  have a monster wallet. Priced at a mind-boggling Rs. 8.9 crore (ex-showroom Delhi), The Mercedes S 600 Guard is likely to put a dent on your savings. But be rest assured, it will be hard to dent your car. “This is the first vehicle in Germany to be offered with the highest class of ballistic protection (VR9), which can withstand rifle fire from military weapons and protection from grenades and explosive charges,” said Markus Rubenbauer, Head Guard Sales, who launched the ~car~ tank with Mercedes-Benz India, Managing Director and CEO, Eberhard Kern at the Buddha International Circuit in Greater Noida. A “fortress on wheels,” an Economic Times report quoted Kern as saying. The Sales Head said the S 600 Guard offers highest protection characteristics and is certified for the highest ballistics protection class. The S 600 Guard comes with airmatic suspension, a powerful V12 engine, intelligent driver assistance systems and fire extinguisher system with automatic activation. To put it simply, you would not be completely off the mark if you compared it to Nick Fury’s do-all SUV in Captain America 2: The Winter Soldier. All that muscle and it still looks like Mercedes’s Flagship S-Class sedan. A combination of beauty and brawn. The vehicle would be aimed at high profile customers, including high ranking officials and industrialists. The company said it has already secured a number of pre-orders for the new S 600 Guard. The Mercedes-Benz India ‘Guard’ portfolio now comprises S 600 Guard, E-Guard and M-Guard vehicles. Just one thing remains to be seen, this big daddy of armoured cars can shrug off grenades and rifle fire, but can it pass the ‘pothole test’?