Mercedes Just Unveiled Its Ultimate Armored S-Class for World Leaders

Heads of State, Your Ride is Here

For decades, the Mercedes-Benz S-Class has long been associated with being a car for heads of state, movers and shakers aside, of course. Granted, SUVs have also crept into that space, but you're guaranteed to still see a couple of S-Class in presidential fleets in some countries. The company is well aware of that, hence the S-Class Guard models.

With the launch of the heavily updated S-Class, it's inevitable that there will be a Guard version. We just weren't expecting it to debut at the same time as the standard models. So, presidents, prime ministers, royalty, and plutocrats, say hello to the new S680 Guard.

Defense is its Best Offense

We'll go right to the main highlight of the S680 Guard, and that's its armoring. Mercedes-Benz claims it's the only vehicle of its type to come out of the factory with the highest civilian protection level of VR10. That means it's designed to withstand armor-piercing and incendiary rounds, as well as high-caliber bullets such as a 30-06, and to some extent, .50 caliber rounds. Not only that, but VR10-rated vehicles can also survive blasts from grenades.

Of course, Mercedes-Benz didn't mention how it armored the S680. It's fair to say that there are layers upon layers of ballistic panels, drums' worth of Kevlar, and glass thick enough to plink off small bullets like they were BB rounds. The company calls the collective protective measures its Integrated Protection System.

Options to Consider

If that's still not sufficient protection, one can install a fire-suppression system in the S680 Guard. There's also an emergency fresh air system to keep the vehicle's occupants unharmed in case of a chemical attack. One can also add a PA system, servo-assisted front and rear doors (we think it's worth ticking that option), and something called a Threat Alarm System.

S680 Guards are also tailor-made to suit the exact needs of their users. Lights and sirens can be added, as well as document storage compartments and flag holders, to name a few. The Guard team that will build the car will be in close communication with the customer throughout the whole assembly of the vehicle.

What Else Does It Have?

It's still an S-Class, albeit a heavily armored one. That means it still has all the luxury trappings one expects from a plutocrat sedan. There are acres of leather, wood, and high-end materials in there, along with other tech features already seen in the standard S-Class. Mercedes-Benz is rather proud of the fact that it comes with the MBUX rear seat entertainment system that includes a teleconferencing function, likely for world leaders to touch base.

With all that weight piled on by the necessary protection enhancements, it'll need an engine to move all that mass. The S680 Guard gets the biturbo 6.0-liter V12 engine producing 604 hp and 612 lb-ft of torque. That power is then coursed to all four wheels via 4Matic all-wheel drive. Don't expect it to be a rocketship, though, but it should be enough to get out of its own way and, more importantly, out of danger.

The price? It wasn't disclosed yet, but it'll surely be more than a Mercedes-Maybach S680. Based on the starting price of the pre-facelift S680 Guard, we're looking at about €450,000 €550,000 sans other upgrades. Still, at least this model showed us what a non-AMG Line S-Class looks like, and we have to say it still looks pretty neat.

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