In 2014, Narendra Modi grabbed the headlines when he was driven in his favourite armoured Mahindra Scorpio for the swearing-in ceremony at the Rashtrapati Bhawan. Rumour mills started working overtime suggesting that the Prime Minister will choose the made-in-India Scorpio over the official armoured BMW 7 Series. All this was quickly squashed as the BMW sedan’s security features were unparalleled with any other vehicle in India at that point in time.
The BMW 7 Series officially became the vehicle for the Prime Minister of India in 2002, when the Special Protection Group (SPG) decided to upgrade the vehicle from Hindustan Ambassador due to security reasons after the 2001 Parliament attacks. Returning to Narendra Modi, we look at Narendra Modi’s armoured fleet, built to be as safe as a fortress.
BMW 760Li High Security Edition
The BMW 7 Series was Prime Minister Modi’s first official car. The shell of the car is heavily armoured and can withstand attacks from a high-calibre assault rifle like the AK-47. With underbody armour, it can also withstand grenade attacks and an optional roof protection to shield any fragmentation charges. Apart from ballistic protection, the vehicle offers unparalleled comfort and class-leading driving dynamics. With specially designed tyres, the car can be driven up to 80 kmph if it’s flat or damaged. The 760Li is powered by a 6-litre V12 engine with an output of around 544bhp and 750Nm. It can do 0-100 kmph in 6.2 seconds and has a top speed of 210 kmph.
Range Rover Sentinel
Narendra Modi is known to be an SUV fan and he broke the mould as the prime minister’s official vehicle became the Range Rover Sentinel. These two custom-made Range Rover Sentinel get V8 ballistic protection. The SUV made its debut on the 71st Independence Day. Made by Land Rover, which Tata Motors owns, the SUV has the capability to shield its passengers from grenades, landmines and IED attacks. Like the BMW 7 Series, the Range Rover Sentinel has the capability to drive on flat tyres at the speed of 80 kmph and cover a distance of around 50 km. The Range Rover Sentinel is powered by a 5-litre supercharged V8 engine which produces around 375 bhp. It does 0-100 kmph in 10.4 seconds and has a top speed of 193 kmph. The SUV is estimated to cost in the region of Rs 10 crore.
Toyota Land Cruiser
Apart from having a swanky German sedan and the Range Rover, the prime minister also has one of the world’s most capable SUVs, the Toyota Land Cruiser. The massive off-roader is an armoured vehicle and it was first seen when the prime minister arrived at the Red Fort in 2019 to give his Independence Day speech. Modi was earlier seen in a Land Cruiser in Ahmedabad but only on his private visits. As expected, this SUV is the top variant from the Toyota stable and is powered by a 4.5-litre V8 engine with an output of around 260 bhp and 650 Nm of torque.
Mercedes Maybach S650 Guard
The Mercedes Maybach S650 Guard made its debut in 2021 when Prime Minister Modi received Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Hyderabad House in New Delhi. The armoured Maybach S650 Guard has the highest certification ballistic standard, the VR10. Due to the armoured shell and glass, the sedan can withstand armour-piercing bullets, TNT attacks up to 15 kg, seals the fuel tank so that it doesn’t catch fire, and satellite phones along with jammers and emergency oxygen canisters. The armoured sedan is powered by a 6-litre twin-turbo V12 engine with an output of around 630 bhp. The estimated cost of the Maybach S6650 Guard is around Rs 12.5 crore.
