Jaguar XJ ARMOURED
You dont have to be spotted cruising the streets of Fallujah to be a target. These days, anybody of high net worth is an attractive prospect for kidnappers. Likewise, heads of state, high profile business people, politicians and diplomats all need more protection than a standard limousine will offer. In the old days this meant taking a car to a coach builder to be armoured.
Now you can get this sort of security off the shelf in the elegant shape of the long wheelbase Jaguar XJ.
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When the conversion has been complete, the Jaguar tips the scales at 2,780kg. This should give some clue as to the extent of the changes. From the outside it would take a trained eye to spot that this is an armoured edition. The tamper proof exhaust and run flat tyres will be clues for those looking a little closer but most of the changes are invisible to the naked eye.
Take the suspension system, for instance. The standard air suspension has been replaced by silicon alloy Eibach springs with specially tuned Bilstein dampers acting in concert. The brakes have also been beefed up to cope with the extra tonne plus with six-piston Alcon calipers up front and four-pot units at the back. A bigger power steering pump also ensures that the car remains agile even with this amount of heft.
These changes, backed up by the 300bhp V8 4.2-litre powerplant, may well be enough to keep you out of trouble in the first place. If trouble comes looking for you, youll be glad of the rest of the features over and above the standard long wheelbase XJ.
"Get shot in this car and youll be justified in asking for a refund"
The glass is often a weak point in armoured cars but the XJ uses bullet resistant borosilicate glazing designed to withstand a wide range of hand guns and assault rifles. Jaguar provide details of just how well this car will resist a volley from an Uzi 9mm, a .357 Magnum, an AK47 or an M16 amongst others. They claim that its protection will stop dead a high velocity, high calibre bullet anywhere in the cabin area.
The roof is lined with titanium and the underfloor area is wreathed in Kevlar (the same material bulletproof vests are made from), while beneath the sculpted flanks of the car lie plates of ballistic steel armouring. Go the whole hog and you can even get a dedicated oxygen supply for the cabin (in case of gas or smoke attack), an intercom system and a self-sealing fuel tank. Certification for this vehicle was performed by QinetiQ, a company with unrivalled facilities and expertise in this field. In order to achieve sign off, the XJ had to be able to withstand a blast from high explosives detonated a mere three metres from the vehicle.
This replicates an assault from the kind of Improvised Explosive Device (IED) much beloved by the modern terrorist. The armouring work itself was carried out by the worlds largest and most experienced vehicle armouring company, Centigon (formerly AMS), and as the first fully engineered and warranted armoured vehicle from Jaguar, customers enjoy the assurance of full factory support during purchase and throughout the vehicles life. Jaguars Global After Sales Support program includes a quarterly visit by a dedicated Jaguar technician to ensure the vehicle is maintained to the highest standard, even in the most remote parts of the world. Owners of the armoured XJ are even offered tailored armoured driver training programs, helping them or their employees to understand the differences in vehicle handling characteristics when driving an armoured car.
The rest of the long wheelbase package is a proven favourite. With 125mm grafted into the wheelbase, it seems improbable that the cars svelte lines could be retained but few would realise this is a stretched car. The conversion to the long wheelbase is a good deal more sophisticated than at first it appears, with the rear roofline being raised by 7mm. All of the additional length is accounted for by longer rear doors that make entry and exit effortlessly easy.
With 999mm (more than 39 inches) of available legroom, this XJ is one for those who routinely turn left upon entering a 747. Its only when you park the latest car next to its predecessor that you can see the stylistic tricks employed by the designer. The front and rear overhangs are shorter so that the wheels intrude less into the passenger cell. The bonnet has been made shorter but at the same time, the XJ has retained that raffishly sleek look by fitting a more steeply raked windscreen.
The doors are deeper too, allowing the stylist a bigger canvas on which to etch delicate strokes, an age-old piece of visual artifice that emphasises the cars length. Its a masterful job. Jaguar call this premium level of protection Life Support. Its an apt description.
Armour plated peace of mind starts at £199,000.
Facts At A Glance
CAR: Jaguar XJ LWB Armour Plated
PRICES: from £199,000 on the road
INSURANCE GROUP: 20
PERFORMANCE: not disclosed
FUEL CONSUMPTION: not disclosed
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front, side and curtain airbags / ABS with EBA / Dynamic Stability Control / Traction Control / ARTS / CATS / ACC
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Heightmm 5090/2108/1448
