2009 Mercedes-Benz E-Guard

To fend off the increased risk of a street attack, the new E-Guards have been designed with occupant safety in mind. To that end, the entire body work is effectively removed and a cocoon of protective steels, aramides and polycarbonates encase the passenger cell. The bodywork is then placed back over the top, hiding the protective shell.

According to Merc, the E-Class was already designed with the E-Guard option in mind, meaning the tooling was already done.

But here's where it gets really cool. High-Protection is divided into classes. Formerly B4, the new class the E-Guard fits into is now called VR4. What this means is that the E-Guard can stand up to .44 Magnum shots from a handgun at random angled shots, not just straight on.

Underbody armour is also available as an option, which means the E-Guard can withstand a DM51 hand-grenade attack. All this while being invisible to the naked eye.

There's also an emergency alarm button, and an intercom/PA system so you can shout to the world that you're in trouble.

Unfortunately for the land down under, if you're having dreams about winning Grammys and being involved in shootouts, you'll have to move to a different country. Mercedes-Benz Australia has told CarAdvice that there are no plans for bringing the E-Guard here.