Dangerous South Africa: Company builds the world’s first ARMOURED VW Golf GTI

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[This company has built 2 such cars and they sell for almost twice the price of my house! But the company says there is a big demand for such cars. I suspect that wealthy Blacks especially will be interested in this. There's a lot of violence here. Jan]

Johannesburg-based armouring company, Armormax, has produced two bullet-resistant VW Golf 8 GTI hatchbacks which have gone up for sale at a price of R1,700,000 and R1,800,000, respectively.

According to the armourer, these VWs are “the first armoured Golf 8 GTIs both in South Africa and globally” and “demand for such a vehicle is quite high.”

The pricier model is on offer in white as “a complete package off the floor” while the less expensive one comes in black with a lower level of manufacturer options.

B4 conversion process

The B4 armouring conversion comprises the replacement of all standard glass with Optima ballistic glass that from the outside looks no different from a standard vehicle.

All the doors, panels, pillars, rear seats, as well as hatch door are further laden with lightweight synthetic armour, with the same ballistic protection extending to the roof and sunroof, the latter remaining fully operational just as the front windows are.

A PTT intercom system is also included, finishing off the protective package.

Thanks to the use of the lightest synthetic armour available globally, the complete conversion adds less than 180kg to a vehicle such as the Golf and for this reason, “economy and performance are largely unaffected,” said Armormax.

The B4 grade provides protection against handguns up to a .44 Magnum making it a good choice for “day-to-day crime encountered on our roads, like being followed home from the shops and being hijacked and robbed.”

Other popular applications for these hatches are in the private sector as chase, rapid response, and principal extraction vehicles, said Michael Broom, Armormax marketing manager.

Both GTIs were commissioned by MMI Armoured Cars in Melrose Arch, Johannesburg, and are now listed for sale.

Armormax is also the first company in the world to develop B4 armour for the all-electric Jaguar I-Pace which is now available to local customers.

Source: https://topauto.co.za/news/65907/what-it-costs-to-buy-the-1st-armoured-vw-golf-gti-in-the-world/?utm_source=newsletter