A first-class Fort Knox on wheels: the bulletproof Knight XV armoured SUV - The National
Whatever one calls it, the armoured Knight XV is a curious crossbreed, merging the deluxe finishings of a Bentley with the doomsday practicality of a bulletproof SUV that’s impervious to AK-47 ammunition. The Toronto-based Conquest Vehicles is establishing an Abu Dhabi sales office in November, in a bid to capture the burgeoning Middle East market with the Knight XV (the XV stands for “extreme vehicle”). Indeed, the entire production run of its flagship armoured cars is just 100. Each bespoke truck takes eight to nine months to assemble by hand, the underpinnings sourced from a Ford F-55 Super Duty chassis and a 400hp V10 engine with a five-speed... The sticker price reflects the stratum of clientele that Conquest is courting. A base model with a skin of ballistic-hardened steel begins at US$629,000 (Dh2. 3 million), though most Knight XVs roll out of the plant costing as much as $900,000 (Dh3. 3 million), with add-ons such as retractable TVs, video-game consoles,... One upgrade option includes a “built-in oxygen survival kit” to protect against tear gas and other chemical attacks. As far as safety goes, the ironclad promise of its armouring is practically audible. You can hear it when you hoist open one of the 230-kilogram (500-pound) reinforced steel doors – each one bearing electronic touch handles – then swing it shut. When the doors weigh up to 600 pounds [272kg] each, you can’t just put a normal hinge on. Source: www.thenational.ae
