Frequently Asked Questions
The reason for getting an armoured vehicle is protection for the driver and passengers or valuable cargo. An Armoured car buys you time to get out of a hostile situation.
Armoured vehicles are built with the best materials on the market. They make use of special tyres, plastics, heavy metals and shatterproof ballistic bullet-resistant glass. These vehicles are designed to protect you from hijackings, shootings and rock throwings.
The suspension on armoured vehicles is sometimes upgraded to carry the heavier weight of all the materials used. However, with Armoured Mobility builds, lightweight materials are used to keep the weight down. The additional weight added from armour still remains beneath the manufacturer’s Gross Vehicle Weight Rating thereby leaving no need to change any of the mechanical components.
Previously, armoured vehicles could easily be recognized and were somewhat of a novelty that drew attention. However, today due to technological advances armoured glass is now concealed and it blends in like an ordinary vehicle.
Not at all. The vehicle is stripped and armour is fitted to the structure of the vehicle. Thereafter, all parts are fitted back over and restored in a very neat way so that the car will look as it did before armouring. There is barely any noticeable change in appearance of the armoured vehicle.
The cost will depend on what level of protection you want on your vehicle. A base Level B4 build can start from R425000 and go up to R 1 500 000 for a B6 build.
B4 Protection will protect you from Rock throwing and firearm rounds ranging from .22 up until a .45 calibre rounds. B6 Protection includes the above handgun calibres, as well as protection against high fire powered weapons including R1 assault Rifles, AK-47 Rifles and Sniper Rifles.
Base Level B4 armoury consists of ballistic bullet-resistant glass all around the car, armour/Kevlar is fitted into all the doors, as well as the A, B, C & D pillars, into the roof, integrated into the rear seats and boot divider. Tyres are secured with run flat tyres.
A higher Level B6 armoury has thicker ballistic glass and will cover all parts of the car as with B4 but has additional protection in the front fenders and the firewall. Tyres are secured with run flat steel bands.
Floor protection is offered as an optional extra.
A run-flat tyre is a pneumatic vehicle tyre designed to resist the effects of deflation when punctured, allowing the vehicle to continue to be driven at reduced speeds for limited distances. Runflat tyres generally allow a vehicle to travel safely up to 80 kilometres after it has been punctured to allow you to get to a point of safety.
Runflat steel bands are placed onto the rim and locks the tyre in place. Should a blow-out occur or the tyre being shot at, the runflat steel tyre band will allow the driver to continue driving at a slow speed to get to a safe place. The steel band specifically assists the driver greatly in avoiding losing control over steering, braking and cornering during a blowout.
The manufacturing of armour onto a vehicle through Armoured Mobility takes 10-12 weeks. It is a lengthy and intricate process whereby the vehicle is stripped to install the armour before restoring the vehicle back to its original form.
Much like a normal car, the windscreen of an armoured vehicle can be kicked out from within in order to escape should there be no other possible exit.
Any civilian can own and drive a B4 and B6 bullet-resistant vehicle following a internal vetting process.
In an armoured car, window movements are restricted due to security. Window motors are upgraded to accommodate the opening and closing of heavier glass. The functionality varies between vehicle makes. Some vehicle models may allow up to 80% functionality while others are limited to 20% window functionality.
Ballistic glass ranges in thickness and will differ amongst the different levels of protection. A B4 windshield is between 18-20 mm thick while A B6 windshield is 36-42 mm thick.
The sunroof is reinforced with armour plates and appears covered from within the cabin. Armoured sunroofs remain operational as a normal sunroof.
our Armoured vehicle builds do not generally exceed the manufacturer’s Gross Weight Vehicle Rating, meaning that the armoured weight is within the vehicle’s capacity for weight limit and will not affect the vehicle’s handling. For B6 builds, the added protective weight can be felt, but does not negatively affect the overall driving performance.
For B4 and B6 Armoured vehicles, there is no special licence or permit required
On average depending on vehicle size, an Armoured Mobility B4 build will add around 110 kg’s to 150 kg’s while a B6 build will add around 320 kg’s to 400kg’s
