Luxury car makers of India BMW and Mercedes Benz constantly receive inquiries for high end security cars that are bullet proof. The price of such cars is Rs. 2 crores and above. Toyota also receives requests for such vehicles in India but does not currently have any such offering. “If a customer does get a Toyota car bulletproofed by a third party, then we will revoke the warranty on the car,” said a Toyota official.
According to a luxury car dealer, most of the customers change their mind when they quote the price. Nevertheless inquiries keep pouring in and demand for such cars have doubled in past five years. “We received good response from this niche segment. Government and embassies, international delegations, politicians, celebrities and high-profile industrialists are some key customer groups,” said a Mercedes Benz India spokesperson.
Bullet proof cars, better known as Special Protection Vehicles, can withstand attacks from hand grenades, RDX explosions and gun fire. These cars are custom made at the factory and are imported as completely built units in India which makes them pricier owing to 105 percent import duty on CBUs.
BMW did not reveal actual details of such inquiries or its sales but it is estimated that at least 15-25 percent of BMW 7 series sold in India are actually SPVs.
