Frequently Asked Questions

Armoured cars are built with only the best materials on the market. They make use of special tyres, defensive plastics, heavy metals and shatterproof ballistic bullet-resistant glass. These cars are meant to protect you from hijackings, shootings (hand guns and heavy guns), gas attacks and more.

The suspension on armoured cars is sometimes changed 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 cars could easily be recognized and were somewhat of a novelty that drew attention. However, today you can take any car and add the necessary equipment and roam around incognito with a car that no one would suspect is armoured.

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 no change in appearance of an armoured vehicle.

Fitting armour doesn’t come cheap but the benefits that it provides are priceless! The cost will depend on what level of protection you want. A base Level B4 build can start anywhere from R550 000 and go up to R 1 500 000 for a B6 build.

Level B4 protection will protect you from common street weapons like a 9mm Glock.

Level B6 protection will protect you from weapons like the AK47 assault 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 runflat 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 runflat steel bands.

Floor protection is offered as an optional extra.

Runflat tyres generally allow a vehicle to travel safely up to 80 kilometres (on average) after it has been punctured to allow you to get to a point of safety.

The runflat tyre bands are a new system that is fast becoming a must have safety feature. Bands are placed onto the rim and is meant to lock the tyre in place. Should a blow-out occur, a runflat tyre band will allow the driver to continue driving at a slow speed to get to a safe place. The steel band further prevents the driver from losing control over steering, braking and cornering during a blowout.

The time it would take depends on the kind of build required. It can take anywhere from 60 to 80 days. Armour components for an unpopular car may take an additional few weeks to acquire since materials are all imported. Builds can sometimes be delayed due to civil unrest and closed borders.

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 bullet-resistant vehicle. You can read more here.

In an armoured car the back windows are inoperable while front windows can be opened. Window motors are changed to accommodate the opening and closing of heavier glass. Some models may allow for a full window opening while some may be restricted to 70% opening. However, due to the weight, windows will operate a bit slower.

Ballistic glass ranges in thickness and will differ amongst the different levels of protection. A B4 windshield is usually around 18-20 mm thick and weighs roughly around 68 – 114 kg depending on the size. A B6 windshield is usually around 36-42 mm thick.

The sunroof is reinforced with armour and appears covered from within the cabin. Armoured sunroofs remain as operable as a normal sunroof.

You can wash it like a normal car, although there are a few restrictions that include not washing the car (or glass) when the car is hot or has been standing in the sun for a while. Also, chemicals are not to be used when washing the glass.

On average, an Armoured Mobility B4 build will add around 110 kg while a B6 build will add around 400 kg.

Since the additional weight doesn’t exceed the manufacturer’s Gross Weight Vehicle Rating, the armoured weight is well within the vehicle’s capacity for weight limit and will not majorly affect the vehicle’s handling. However, B6 builds add a sufficient amount of weight and the weight will be felt in the steering. The acceleration time and stopping distance is slightly increased due to the additional weight.

Driving an Armoured vehicle is like driving a regular car. Well, in essence, it still is a normal car with just a little protection added. We would advise against taking bends and turns at high speed because the additional weight may feel unsettling. It would also be helpful to learn taking turns, steering around obstacles, and driving through obstacles with such vehicles.

No additional licences or permits are needed for anyone owning or driving an armoured vehicle.