Bulletproof BMW 5-Series ‘Security’
September 17, 2008 by Alborz Fallah
Following the release of a similar X5 model recently, BMW have stretched its security umbrella to cover the 530i and 550i sedan and is claiming that these new models easily conform to the occupant safety class of ‘VR4’.
What is this army techno talk I hear you ask? VR4 translates to ‘resist the penetration from a .44 Magnum, .357 Magnum, or a nine-millimeter Luger’. Good for those who are perhaps a little worried about shopping in Lygon St after watching ‘Underbelly’.
While BMW have been vague about specifics, we know that every body panel has been reinforced with special ballistic resistant armoured fibre that was developed in the Netherlands, and as you would expect the windows are upgraded to 22mm thick security glass.
Along with ‘Aramid’ fibre mats on the floor pan to resist explosions, an internal camera system with intercom keeps the occupants aware of which underworld gangster is attempting to make you ‘disappear’.
Cars have been tuned to handle the extra weight with engine, suspension and brake upgrades. The BMW 5 series ‘Security’ is offered with either a 274kW, 4.8-litre V8 that can sprint to 100km/h in 6.5 seconds or a 203kW, 3.0-litre inline-six that can do the same in 7.5 seconds.
BMW Security models availability extends to select dealerships through Africa, Latin America, the Middle-East and South-East Asia.
Print it: 
22mm glass?!!! Hell, the window winders would be powerful enough to run a prius!
Thats cool. One step closer to a real life bat-mobile
It is cool that there is a production car out there that is literally bullet proof, but at the same time its pretty sad that there is a global market for such a car.
What if some one throws a grande through the sun roof??
BOOOM!
Should be a hit in S/W Sydney thats for sure….
Why is the picture have a bloke tring to punch the glass? Good luck buddy.
Stav: Good point, this would be the perfect car for the executive who laid off all those Al Qaeda Starbucks staff ;)
The guy punching the window doesn’t look like a crim at all.
He’s wearing ankle freezers…..nobody looks tough in ankle freezers.
At least it will protect people from those morons who throw rocks from overhead bridges. Maybe our buses in Adelaide should have 22mm glass as well – hopefully the bricks and rocks will bounce back and hit the little bastards right between the eyes.
Holy Crap! Its windows are supposed to be resistant to magnum handguns! But I wonder how well the glass would do if shot by a large centre-fire rifle bullet, such as a .30-06 or even a much larger .50 calibre? Probably go right through it because I remember the narrator of the Mythbusters saying a 30-06 round can go through 2 sheets of safety glass, or I think he might of said it takes 2 sheets of safety glass to stop it, I’m not sure. But they would have to of been more than 22mm thick. So you wouldn’t be completely safe driving it in war zones, especially if the sunroof’s open as Stav said.
But still, that’s incredible security for a car! You could leave a $100 note in clear view and I don’t think many thieves would be able to get their hands onto it. Although I wouldn’t recommend doing that because they will still put scratches all over your car from trying to break in.
ah the above comments had me in stitches ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha
give them all fuel vouchers CA ;)
whats the actual weight increase by the way??
it’s taken BMW 8 years to do what Q did to 007’s 7 series. Next they’ll get an iphone to steer it! As you need to watch Mercede Benz to see what the Koreans will have in 10 years, just watch 007 to see what bimmers will have.
Built from their James Bond concept ;)
Wow what a car to come out of BMW, once again they have delivered. Car security has become something of vital importance especially in this day and age with the increase of car theft and hi jacks