THERE'S A NEW VR6! BUT IT'S FROM BMW AND IT'S A BULLETPROOF X5.
Things are rough out there these days, it doesn’t matter what country you’re in there’s an ever-increasing threat to your safety from crazies on weird drugs to protesters and even the weather. Some countries are worse than others though like right here in sunny old South Africa where we have some scary world records that are all crime-related. There are very few places on the planet where you’re at such a high risk of being hijacked, and with the flavour of criminal we have that risk extends to death too. Being shot because you’re in the wrong place, in the wrong car, you flipped off the wrong person, you cut off the wrong person or smiled at the wrong girlfriend is not uncommon here in SA. It’s why there’s a host of companies offering up aftermarket upgrades to make cars safer out there with hi-tech security systems and bulletproofing. Using an aftermarket company to do this doesn’t come cheap, and when you look past the bakkies that get this treatment, the other cars that usually have the bulletproofing upgrades are premium cars. Trusting someone to pull a luxury car apart and put it back together again is usually an exercise in trust. It’s a good thing then that you can buy a car from the showroom floor in a state ready to repel bullets and attacks. The latest comes from BMW who have added a new model to its Protection range of offerings aimed at the kinds of buyers who are targets for bad guys. Captains of industry can now buy the latest incarnation of the BMW X5 M60i under the name of the BMW X5 Protection VR6. The BMW X5 Protection VR6 is the most powerful, most dynamic and worldwide biggest-selling vehicle of its kind, and this new version keeps that trend going.
The new design of the exterior and interior ensures there is barely any perceptible difference between the BMW X5 Protection VR6 and the regular version, so bad guys will attack it nonetheless, but be surprised when 9mm rounds are ineffective. Inside there’s a four-seater layout and the boot has a capacity of 500 litres and the payload has increased to 475 kg. All the usual bells & whistles can be found in the cabin in all the usual luxury trim and spec as you’d expect, including standard sports seats. Standard in the Protection is the Surround View, Remote 3D View and the BMW Drive Recorder to provide precise and detailed information on the area around the vehicle in all situations. The Protection also features formed steel sections and safety glass to create a protective cell. There’s high-strength steel around the doors, side frame, roof and bulkhead with an armoured partition for the luggage compartment and an aluminium splinter guard for the underbody. Extended underbody armouring and additional armouring for the roof are available as optional extras. Standard spec includes a self-sealing fuel tank to prevent any loss of fuel. The VR6 also has an intercom system for outside communication with controls found in an additional panel of switches in front of the selector lever on the centre console. Flashing LED lights can be had in the radiator grille, at the rear and roof-mounted light beacons including an acoustic signalling system and a roof antenna with an additional receiver for digital two-way radio. Flag poles are also optionally available for official occasions.
Take a look at the YouTube video showing a walkaround of the imposing 2024 version of the BMW X5 in M60i guise. Now this is the regular version of the SUV and not the bulletproof Protection VR6 version, but everything will be pretty much the same besides the upgrades mentioned above - even the performance will be close after the added weight, a bonus thanks to the mild-hybrid powerplant's torque: 2024 BMW X5 M60i | Point Of View Start Up, Walkaround, Test Drive and Review | Bros FOURR Speed
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