If armoured versions of the Mercedes-Maybach S600 and the Audi A8L make your cheque book cringe, you might want to have a look at this – a fully armoured Toyota Fortuner, which can be had for INR 63 lakhs (cost of conversion over existing donor vehicle). Displayed at the ongoing 2016 DefExpo in Goa, this Toyota Fortuner receives its armoury by Minerva Special Purpose Vehicles (MSPV), a Nasik based outfit, which specializes in appropriately armouring up vehicles in times of crisis.
MSPV’s Armoured Toyota Fortuner is available with either B4+ levels of protection (Kalashnikov AK47 7.62×39 FeC ammunition) or B6 (7.62×51 M80 and 5.56×45 SS109 ammunition). All four sides of the passenger compartment and the roof of the vehicle are protected using high-quality armour steel and glass. The floor of the vehicle is protected against explosive threats such as two DM51 hand-grenades or two HG85 fragmentation grenades, with optional protection against land-mines such as the DM311.
The armouring is integrated inside the vehicle’s cabin and forms complete self-supporting structure so as to avoid excessive stress on the vehicle’s original structure. The interior armour-frame provides overlap for the large-surface armour components such as the door armour-plates and the windows. Hinge mounting points are reinforced both in the pillars and in the doors in a way that the armouring of the door is supported by the armouring of the pillar. Other highlights include heavy-duty hinges with in-built door-stops, run-flat tires and a steel-armour plate protected fuel tank, while the battery and control module of the engine are protected to the same level as the opaque areas.
The Armoured Toyota Fortuner is also available in VIP, CIT and Personnel transport configurations. As you might have guessed, all this heavy armoury has taken a toll on the Fortuner’s weight, which, when stock, tips the scales at 1,880 kg (kerb). The armoured Toyota Fortuner weighs a kerb cracking 3,700 kg. What’s more, its 900 kg payload takes the gross weight close to 5 tons; 4,600 kg to be exact. While suspension components have been stiffened to counter the added weight, the armoured Fortuner’s engine and transmission options remain unchanged. While MSPV says that the 3.0-litre diesel engine, rated at 171 PS and 343 Nm (360 Nm via AT), is enough, we’d say stick to the big Mercedes when its time to make a quick getaway.
via RushLane
