The next time you see a Tesla on the streets of the UAE, take a closer look: it could be the "fastest bulletproof car in the world", as claimed by its maker.
A UAE-based businessman was the buyer of Armormax's 2018 Tesla Model S P100D, a car that in its factory-fresh form can hit 100kph from standstill in a mere 2.4 seconds – making it one of the fastest production cars on the planet.
The upgrades protect the car from high-powered rifle and handgun fire, and add about 225 kilograms in weight, but the Utah-based Armormax, a division of the International Armoring Corporation, says that these gains only negligibly affect performance.
The company uses synthetic fibre laminate armouring, which weighs about 80 per cent less than traditional steel armour, and has previously provided vehicles for 45 international heads of state.
Armormax, which also has a sales office in Dubai, noted that while the fully-electric Tesla "may be faster than a speeding bullet, it doesn’t need to be".
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Read more:
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Diplomatic drives: three ambassadors to the UAE talk about their cars
The ‘Ludicrous’ logic of Tesla’s supercar-beater
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