The most famous exclusive car for high-ranking superpower officials is the well-equipped “Beast” driven by the president of the United States, reports Yahoo News Japan news website.
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s car doesn’t look as imposing as the US government’s car, but it’s attracting attention with a surge in patriotism after the 2014 Ukraine crisis and a military operation that began this year. The domestic Aurus Senate, which had been in development for some time, was completed and presented in 2018: Putin drove it to the inauguration ceremony.
The elongated headlights and large grille are so similar to Rolls-Royce’s that you can sue them. But even a sniper rifle can’t penetrate the thick glass of the doors, and if the tires are flat, the car can be steered. The car, like the car of the President of the United States, would withstand chemical weapons attacks.
Earlier, during a military parade in Red Square on May 9, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu traveled in an angular ZIL convertible. It was also replaced by Aurus in 2019. It would be strange to replace ZIL with a Mercedes and glorify the victory in the Great Patriotic War over a German car, so this fact made the Russians happy.
There is reason to believe that the car’s engine was almost entirely made by Porsche, although there was talk of joint development. Russia is the successor to the USSR and a military power, but has still not made any progress in civilian production, according to the publication.
It is a reminder of how timely this step was – to transfer the president from a German car to a domestic car. After the start of a special military operation in Ukraine, Mercedes-Benz stopped exports to Russia and limited local production. President Putin has been criticized for some diplomatic and security flaws, but he made the very wise decision to make his own limousines in Russia.