The problem with armored vehicles is that they tend to be heavy and about as agile as a dumpster on trolley wheels. Which is presumably why the technical wizards at AddArmor, known for building mobile safe rooms, have developed a showcase for lightweight protective materials and techniques in the form of a ballistically resistant yet ballistically fast Audi RS7.

AddArmor started by adding its APR Plus Stage II system to the RS7 so that the 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 produces 760 horsepower with 800 lb-ft of torque. Before adding anything to protect the occupants outside of crashes, the APR upgraded RS7 sprints from 0-62 mph in 2.9 seconds.

AddArmor then set about trying to preserve that level of performance by using new developments in lightweight polycarbonate paneling and polycarbonate weave cocooning that's been shown to be ten times more resistant than ballistic steel while weighing 60% less. For the biggest weak points when lead projectiles start getting hurled about, the windows, AddArmor uses what they describe as a "multi-layer mixture of polycarbonate and ballistic glass, which provides a transparent layer of armor that can withstand prolonged attacks from blunt objects such as bats or cinder blocks." The end result is just 200 lbs of extra weight and the ability to withstand small arms fire to a European B4 level of protection.

For extra help when dealing with desperate situations, there's a 360-degree night-vision camera and a gas detection unit with onboard gas masks and air tanks to give the occupants clear air when things go completely sideways. On top of that, there's also a front barrier bumper that both protects the radiator and allows the RS7 to smash through ambush situations and a suite of electronic countermeasures that we're more used to seeing in imaginative spy movies. Those features include a rear blinding light system, electric shock door handles, pepper spray dispensers, a smokescreen system, and what's described as a "sonic sound cannon."

Of course, when you can't evade conflict, you have to turn and fight. When the worst comes to the worst, the trunk holds gun racks secured using biometrics and can hold a useful collection of sidearms and rifles. The good news is that for someone that needs that kind of power, handling, and level of protection, the price seems quite reasonable at $205,000.