Whilst the Armoured Range Rover offers the pinnacle in protection on the road for those who require this kind of safety, I left the Brittany armouring facility understanding why it is chosen for so many other reasons.
On arrival at the plant, a line of newly-produced models stood outside as if about to set off in convoy. All finished in black, silver and bronzes they could have been ready to escort a presidential party yet, equally, each could have driven off through Mayfair without looking out of place. The astonishing achievement of what Land Rover has done is to create a vehicle that offers military-like safety and security in a car that, at passing sight, could be any other luxury Range Rover. People wanting a car with such a specification don’t want anything that draws attention to itself and this is clearly what is delivered.
Inside the facility various assembly areas were filled with hives of workers, each carefully performing their tasks by hand. The armouring was evidently a very labour intensive process, particularly since each part of the vehicle first had to be stripped back before the extra materials were laid and then carefully re-fitted to conceal the armour beneath. Inspecting the completed parts, the quality of finish was no different to that of a brand new Range Rover, with the only notable difference being the obvious bulking that the armour added. Thoughts of childhood ‘Meccano’ or ‘Technics’ assembly came to mind but, appreciating the complexity of what they were doing and the perfect finish they were achieving, the feat seemed staggering.
Beneath the plant, through several high-security, vaulted doors, I was taken to where the ballistics laboratory is located. Greeted by men in white coats and led in to see a display cabinet filled with hand guns, I was excited at the prospect of testing Land Rover’s armour myself. Sadly, after observing the ricochet marks on the walls at the firing end of the testing range, this was clearly something to be demonstrated by trained personnel. At this point, of greater interest, however, were the ‘trophies of testing’ which were littered around the room. Glass, inches thick, peppered with bullets but still un-breached and sheets of armour-plating that had repelled round after round of ammunition. The materials in use were clearly remarkable. A few shots were fired off to exhibit that they had little impact on the test target which was no real surprise.
Armouring is obviously a serious business, demanding the highest levels of quality control and every batch of material used is tested to make sure it meets stringent European and UK standards. If one test fails the whole batch is scrapped. In the field of vehicle ballistics and blast testing, few other independent organisations enjoy more global recognition than QinetiQ and they have validated the Armoured Range Rover as a full B6-Level Armoured Vehicle. Proving resistance to a comprehensive range of handguns and rifles, as well as side blast testing from high-explosive materials, it can be seen as nothing less than a fortress on the road.
Bullet resistant glazing, ballistic steel armouring and under-floor Kevlar protection are the principal installations of fortification in the Armoured Range Rover but several other features have been added to increase safety. In the event of emergency, run-flat tyres will keep you moving following loss of pressure, whilst extra protection comes from an under-bonnet fire extinguisher, tamper-proof exhaust, self-sealing fuel tank and an independent oxygen supply to ensure a continuous supply of fresh air to the cabin.
Complementing its remarkable safety specification, the Armoured Range Rover is a powerful performer with a 306bhp V8 4.4 litre engine and six speed automatic transmission. 4-channel ABS, Hill Descent Control, Dynamic stability control and Four-wheel Electronic Traction Control complete its capabilities for extreme terrains. Also included is a rear view mirror camera, providing a revealing second view outside the vehicle when reversing; navigation through a touch-screen DVD-based satellite system; Bi-Xenon adaptive front lighting system which reacts to steering angle, speed and vehicle movement as it follows the curve of the road and communications via a personal telephone system.
