Because BMW doesn't want you to be kidnapped, shot, or blown up.
The Protection versions of BMW's premium vehicles are an important part of the company's global lineup, and the latest model is the new BMW X5 Protection VR6. It's designed for helping to protect private customers and diplomatic personnel at risk for violent attacks, kidnapping, or being targets of organized crime.
To build their armored vehicles, BMW goes beyond simply adding some bullet-resistant body panels and glass. The automaker took the fact it would be building a Protection VR6 version into account when designing the new X5. That means the protection package is comprehensive and also built to international testing criteria of the VR6 class.
It's also built to what BMW calls a "holistic safety concept." Don't worry though, that doesn't mean people will be trusting their lives from a violent attack in a car designed by wooly thinking, patchouli-loving, tie-dye enthusiasts that spend their lunch hours kicking around a hacky sack. By "holistic safety concept," BMW means its engineers build the passive and active passenger protection as a whole into the vehicle so the driver and passenger don't feel like they are in an armored vehicle.
Inside and out, the armored X5 is designed to look and feel like a regular X5. To that end, the molded armor-plating components and the security glazing are developed so the design and function aren't disturbed but can withstand attack from common handgun and long gun rounds being fired at it.
The armored passenger compartment can withstand lateral blasts of up to 15 kilograms of TNT from a distance of 13 feet. BMW's Post Blast Protective Technology protects the glazing so it can withstand secondary attacks after a blast. The armor-plated floor also features underbody reinforcement using fiber composite materials that will withstand attack from various types and strengths of hand grenades. Other features include a self-sealing fuel tank, an aluminum underbody splinter shield, and an armored luggage compartment partition.
BMW claims the agility and off-road performance in the armored vehicle is indistinguishable from the standard X5. Power comes from the automaker's 4.4-litre V8 that makes 530 horsepower, and more importantly when it comes to pulling extra weight, 553 lb-ft of torque. According to BMW the 0-62 mph time of 5.9 seconds makes the X5 Protection VR6 "by far the most powerful vehicle within the competitive environment."
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