Rolls Royce announces armoured Phantom

Rolls Royce will begin offering a new armoured version of the Phantom to customers, offering the highest level of ballistic protection in one of the most luxurious cars on the market.

Engineered to VR7 level, the Phantom Armoured is virtually indistinguishable from the standard version, inside and out. The car features high-tech fibre composites and special purpose steel to provide protection for the bodywork, while the glazed area is constructed from sheets of thickened glass. In addition, a polycarbonate layer is fitted to the inside for extra passenger protection.

To be certified for VR7 protection, the car must be independently tested to withstand armour-piercing bullets and underbody grenade resistance. The Phantom’s aluminium spaceframe chassis and suspension components have been strengthened to cope with the additional weight of the modifications. However, the powertrain remains unchanged, providing 453bhp and a phenomenal 720Nm of torque.

Rolls Royce builds the original Phantom, which is then shipped off-site to a coachbuilder for modification. The growing Middle East market will be one of the first to receive this car.