Armormax, the company well known for its luxury vehicle armouring, has just taken the wraps off its latest project- a VW Golf 8 GTI armoured to a B4 ballistic level. As with the release of the Jaguar I-Pace recently, this is the first armoured Golf 8 GTI both in South Africa and globally. While it may seem misplaced to have a bullet-proof hatchback in their offering, the demand for such a vehicle is quite high.
Armormax are very familiar with armouring Golf’s. An entire fleet of Golf 7’s was armoured in 2018 by Armormax with great success, ranging from the entry 1.4 TSI model to the range-topping R model. Because the Johannesburg based company uses the lightest synthetic armour available globally, the armouring conversion adds less than 180 kg to a vehicle such as the Golf. For this reason, economy and performance are largely unaffected.
This particular armouring package includes replacement of all standard glass with Optima ballistic glass that from the outside looks no different to a standard vehicle. All doors, panels, pillars, rear seats and hatch are armoured with lightweight synthetic armour. The same ballistic protection is included in the roof and sunroof, the latter remaining operational just as the front windows are. A PTT intercom system finishes off the package giving you the safest performance hatchback on the road today.
‘The B4 Golf was a daring project back in 2018 but was met with immense interest and several orders were taken. There was never a question that we would develop the world’s first armouring package for the new model, knowing that there would be a high demand. Its most popular application remains in the private security sector as a chase, rapid response and principal extraction vehicle’ says Michael Broom, Marketing Manager for Armormax.
He adds ‘the first two vehicles were commissioned by our largest dealership customer- MMI Armoured Cars. This first unit is up for sale for R1 800 000 as a complete package off the floor, while the second vehicle finished in Black with a lower manufacturer options count will retail at R1 700 000’. Interested customers can contact MMI Armoured Cars on 011 555 3200 or www.mmiarmouredcars.co.za
