BMW has presented a new version of the refreshed X5 SUV called Protection, which boasts VR6-grade ballistic armor straight from the factory.
The base car is an M60i spec equipped with a 530-PS (523-hp / 390-kW) internal combustion engine. Owing to a discreet armoring approach, the exterior looks almost indistinguishable from the standard version (see video). Specially designed armor plates are injected between metal and glass panes, as well as between the various body panels.
The glass dome all around is bulletproof, too, and there is a fireproof partition in the trunk. Thanks to this, the SUV can withstand sustained Kalashnikov rifle fire and shrapnel damage from hand grenades.
Power for the BMW X5 Protection is provided by its usual 4.4-liter V8 assisted by a 48V electric starter. The total sums up to the abovementioned 530 metric horsepower and 750 Newton-meters (553 pound-feet) of torque. Due to all the cladding, the SUV is slower on the uptake compared to its standard counterpart: sprinting 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) takes 5.9 seconds. The top speed is capped at 210 km/h (130 mph).