When you’re wealthy and in power, people want to kill you. So, how do you get out of the mansion or office without fear of being shot up or blown up by a roadside bomb? You ride in something like the car you see here, the Mercedes-Maybach S 600 Pullman Guard. The S 600 Pullman Guard is based on the S600 Guard but has been extended to accommodate four rear passengers. The S 600 Guard was the first non-civilian vehicle to be rated with ballistics protection level VR10, but due to the extended length, the Pullman Guard is only rated at VR9. Be that as it may, it’s still certified for blast resistance in accordance with Directive ERV 2010 and, at ballistics rating VR9, it can sustain multiple shots from high-powered weapons such as the M60 machine gun, M14 rifle, or FAL FN chambered in 7.62 x 51mm NATO (.308).

To go along with this protection, the occupants of the S 600 Pullman Guard ride in the definition of luxury, comfort, and exclusiveness. There are two executive seats in the rear for the man of the hour and his VIP guest and two fold-down seats for the less-important – you know military advisors, translators, etc. With healthy doses of leather inside as standard, and extended length and height, there’s lots of open space for conducting business.

The world is a crazy place, and high-profile people need the utmost in protection. That’s why cars like the Audi A8L, BMW 7-Series High-Security, and the S 600 Pullman Guard exist. The bombs can go off, and the bullets can fly, but chances are that if you’re inside, you’ll be just fine. And, if not, at least you’ll die comfortably, right? Either way, let’s dive on in and take a closer look at the new Mercedes-Maybach S 600 Pullman Guard.

Continue reading to learn more about the Mercedes-Maybach S 600 Pullman Guard.

2017 Mercedes-Maybach S 600 Pullman Guard

Specifications
  • Make: Array
  • Model: 2017 Mercedes-Maybach S 600 Pullman Guard
  • Engine/Motor: V12
  • Horsepower: 530
  • Torque: 612
  • [do not use] Vehicle Model: Array
Pros
Cons

Exterior

Looking at the outside of this massive limo, it’s pretty clear that it’s based on the S 600. The biggest difference is the car’s overall length. With a significantly longer rear door, and a large extension panel between the two doors, this beast is incredibly long. In fact, it measures approximately 21.325-feet long, making it nearly 3.5-feet longer than the standard Mercedes-Maybach S-Class. It’s also almost four inches taller which means more headroom for passengers inside. The real news here, however, isn’t the size or look of the car, but what makes it safe.

For instance, the rear window isn’t armored, but the steel bulked just ahead of it is. The side windows are blacked out to prevent others from knowing who is inside and are bulletproof for added protection. During assembly, special steel is implemented between the body structure and the car’s outer panels. The side glass is coated with polycarbonate on the inside to prevent splintering should the car come under fire, while panel overlapping helps to provide further resistance against shrapnel and bullets. Underneath, the entire undercarriage is covered by armor to protect passengers in the event of a roadside explosion.

All of this extra steel and ballistic technology adds a considerable amount of weight to this stretched out S 600. Tipping the scales at some 11,000 pounds, it’s quite heavy for a vehicle on four wheels. The doors are so heavy that they are fitted with electric motors to make opening and closing much easier for passengers. The windows are opened and closed hydraulically to help support the excessive weight of the glass. Despite all of this, the car looks nearly identical to the standard S-Class Pullman.

Interior

Inside, this bullet-proof ride is about as luxurious as it gets. The door panels, interior trim, headliner, center console, and seats are all wrapped in the finest of leather. The rear most seats are for the owner and his VIP, while the seats farther ahead can fold down to provide seating for two other passengers. The executive seats offer full adjustability while the folding seats each have an integrated display screen when they aren’t being used. The backrest angle can be adjusted between 19 and 43.5 degrees, while the seat cushion and footrest can also be adjusted independently. Thanks to the extra height of the car, headroom has increased by an extra 2.36 inches over that of the standard Mercedes-Maybach S-Class.

On the roof, riders have access to three analog instruments that offer up information like outside temperature, the speed of the car, and the time. The partition wall that separates the driver from the rear passengers features adaptive glass that can be lowered or raised electrically but can also be changed from transparent to opaque for different levels of privacy. There’s an 18.5-inch display mounted to the partition wall as well. It can be extended electrically on demand.

Just look at all of the legroom for the rear passengers. You could almost lay out on the floor if you really wanted to. The center console gives passengers on the left and right side their own space while also providing ample room for storage. There’s one storage area between the two folding seats and two storage areas between the two executive seats. Wood grain panels embrace the top of the door trim panels as well as the face of the center console. There are multiple HVAC vents in the roof as well as two in the center console that faces the executive seats. Speakers can be found in the door trim panels and the roof. The curtains over the windows can open or close.

All told, this thing is like a panic room on wheels. It’s luxurious, comfortable, and worthy of the world’s wealthiest.

Drivetrain

With a curb weight of 11,000 pounds plus passengers and luggage, it takes a lot to motivate a vehicle of this caliber. That’s why there’s a 6.0-liter, twin-turbo, V-12 under the hood that delivers 530 horsepower and 612 pound-feet of torque. Peak torque is delivered at as low as 1,900 rpm. Top speed for a vehicle such as this is limited to just 99 mph, so don’t expect to outrun anyone in it. There’s no word as to how fast it can hit 60 mph or how fast it can get to 99 mph, but as a tank on four wheels, I can’t imagine that it makes it there all that quick anyway. At the end of the day, this thing is about luxury and protection, not going fast. You might not be able to make a fast getaway should something pop off, but at least it offers plenty of protection.

Pricing

With the non-armored version of the S 600 Pullman fetching around a €500,000, it shouldn’t come as any surprise that the armored version comes at quite a premium. Pricing in Germany starts out at €1.4 million including a 19-percent VAT, which computes to about $1,561,462 at currency exchange rates as of September 2016. As is the usual case with Mercedes-Maybach vehicles, each one is highly customizable, so that pricing could very easily increase by the time the ordering process is complete.

Conclusion

As far as armored limos go, the Mercedes-Maybach S 600 Pullman Guard pretty much stands alone. Sure, there are vehicles like the Audi A8 L Security, the BMW 7 Series Security, and even the Hyundai Equus Limousine Security, but none of them really compare to this excessively long armored limo. With seating for four people and ample room to go around, it’s really unparalleled by anything offered from other automakers at this time. Obviously, you have to be extremely wealthy and have a constant target on your head to justify actually owning something like this, but if you’re one of those people and enjoy the utmost in luxury appointments, this s 600 Pullman Guard is for you. And, as part of the ordering process, the car can also be equipped with things like two-way radios, external communications, flashing lamps, and even sirens. It might be expensive, but how much is your life really worth?