This
car is one which our Indian politicians would love to be driven in. Or as a
matter of fact every notorious gangster too!
Audi has launched the A8 L Security. The high-security version of the
luxury sedan meets the highest level of criteria that apply to civilian
vehicles. The car comes with an array of high-security equipment features along
with armour plating. The new Audi A8 L Security is available with two engines,
the 4.0 TFSI and the W12.
At
5.27 metres (17.29 ft) long and with a 3.12 metre (10.24 ft) wheelbase, the new
Audi A8 L Security is visually, barely distinguishable from the production
version. And like its mainstream counterpart, its sporty, elegant design is now
even more expressive: The hood, the single frame grille and the bumper have
acquired sharper contours. The headlights have been made flatter and the LED
rear lights have been modified too. The exhaust system is terminated by two
large trapezoidal tailpipe trims on both sides of the tail end.
LED
headlights are part of the standard specification in conjunction with the V8
engine; the W12 comes with Audi’s innovative Matrix LED technology. With these
headlights, the high-beam comprises 25 small, individual light-emitting diodes
per unit that can be switched on and off or dimmed individually as needed. The
headlight system can very precisely mask other road users out of the cone of
light, without significantly reducing illumination of the road. Complete with
its quattro permanent all-wheel drive, it is still the lightest luxury sedan in
the high-security segment
Its
basis is a modified production body made largely from aluminum according to the
Audi Space Frame (ASF) principle at the Neckarsulm plant, the home of the A8;
as a result, it weighs roughly 40pc less than an equivalent body made from
steel. The components that are specific to this version are made by hand in a
secure production zone. It takes specially trained workers about 450 hours to
fit them, before the body is sent back to the plant for final assembly.
The
new Audi A8 L Security has been officially certified by the German Ballistics
Testing Center in Munich; it complies with the requirements of the class VR 7
ballistic protection standard in accordance with the BRV 2009 guideline. BRV
stands for “Bullet Resistant Vehicles”. Class VR 7 imposes the strictest
criteria on civilian high-security sedans: The body panels and glazing of the
passenger cell must withstand firing with NATO sub-calibre ammunition. In
certain areas, the armour plating on the A8 L Security even complies with the
criteria for the classes VR 9 and VR 10. Resistance to explosives is tested in
accordance with the ERV 2010 guideline (Explosion Resistant Vehicles).
For
the door windows, windshield and rear window, Audi uses special glass with a
splinter-inhibiting polycarbonate layer on the inside. As an option, there are
electromechanical side windows that almost fully open the panes. A doorstop
function holds the door in any desired position.