Monday 3 October 2022

Your next car? A £900k armoured SUV: The Gold-plated Dartz Prombron Aladeen


The £900k armoured SUV with a safe to store cigars and one for an AK47: Gold-plated Dartz Prombron Aladeen Edition MMXXII is the craziest car you can buy

  • EXCLUSIVE: Latvian car maker Dartz Motorz to make 10 Prombron The Dictator Aladeen Edition MMXXII SUVs
  • Vehicles are based on the Mercedes-Maybach GLS luxury SUV but cloaked in carbon-kevlar body panels
  • Base models cost £660k and have bulletproof windows - for an extra £265k you get a blast-proof shield that will stop rifle rounds at a range of 30 metres, grenade and mine explosions and other heavy artillery fire
  • Lavish interior includes a safe for cigars and make-up as well as one for an AK47 and storage for a bulletproof umbrella

Prices for the latest limited-edition Prombron SUV start from €750,000 (£660,000), though if you want your gold-plated utility vehicle to be fully armoured you will need to fork out at least €1.05million (£900,000). 

Is this the craziest car on the planet? Latvian tank-maker Dartz Motorz has revealed its limited edition Prombron The Dictator Aladeen Edition MMXXII - an armoured SUV that can withstand rifle fire and explosions...but maybe not the WWF...

Is this the craziest car on the planet? Latvian tank-maker Dartz Motorz has revealed its limited edition Prombron The Dictator Aladeen Edition MMXXII - an armoured SUV that can withstand rifle fire and explosions

Dartz originally created three 'Aladeen Edition' SUVs for the 2012 movie The Dictator starring Sasha Baron Cohen as Admiral General Aladeen, the ruler of the fictional Republic of Wadiya in the political satire hit.

The original cars were commissioned by producers and created by Dartz's in-house 'Movie Vehicle Department', which has also built one-off models for 2013 film Another Day to Die Hard and 2014's The November Man featuring Pierce Brosnan. 

The trio of motors made for The Dictator proved such a success that it decided to build another seven for public sale, each costing in the region of £500,000.

The final two examples were sold only last year, one to the highest bidder at the esteemed Amfar Charity auction during the 2021 Cannes Film Festival. 

Underneath the unique gold-plated bodywork - which even features Wadiyan Badges and flag motifs - is a £170k Mercedes Maybach GLS limo. It uses the German luxury SUV's 4.0-litre V8 petrol engine, though tuned to develop a massive 800bhp

Underneath the unique gold-plated bodywork - which even features Wadiyan Badges and flag motifs - is a £170k Mercedes Maybach GLS limo. It uses the German luxury SUV's 4.0-litre V8 petrol engine, though tuned to develop a massive 800bhp

Dartz originally created three 'Aladeen Edition' SUVs for 2012 movie The Dictator starring Sasha Baron Cohen as Admiral General Aladeen, the ruler of the fictional Republic of Wadiya in the contentious political satire film

Dartz originally created three 'Aladeen Edition' SUVs for 2012 movie The Dictator starring Sasha Baron Cohen as Admiral General Aladeen, the ruler of the fictional Republic of Wadiya in the political satire film

The trio of motors made for The Dictator proved such a success - says the Latvian brand - that it decided to build another seven for public sale, each costing in the region of £500,000

The trio of motors made for The Dictator proved such a success - says the Latvian brand - that it decided to build another seven for public sale, each costing in the region of £500,000

To celebrate the final car changing hands and to mark the 10-year anniversary of the movie - which premiered at the Royal Albert Hall in May 2012 with Cohen in the Aladeen role arriving in his Lamborghini on the back of a tow truck having been clamped 'while shopping at British Home Stores' - Dartz Motorz is going to build another ten examples of its long-named successor.

Like the original, it is based on the armoured Prombron Iron Diamonds SUV, which Kanye West reportedly bought two of in 2013 at a total cost of $2.4million.

Underneath the unique gold-plated bodywork - which even features Wadiyan Badges and flag motifs - is a £170,000 Mercedes Maybach GLS limo. It uses the German luxury SUV's 4.0-litre V8 petrol engine, though tuned to develop a massive 800bhp and 1,000Nm of torque.

Dartz says it can accelerate from a standstill to 62mph in 3.8 seconds and has a top speed of 174mph.

It needs this level of performance as the car's target audience is the most famous people on the planet - those who need around-the-clock protection and bodyguards. 

With just the bulletproof glass option, the vehicle's weight is 2.2 tonnes. Fully-armoured versions are a hefty 3.1 tonnes, which will have a big impact on that sub-four-second zero-to-62mph time

With just the bulletproof glass option, the vehicle's weight is 2.2 tonnes. Fully-armoured versions are a hefty 3.1 tonnes, which will have a big impact on that sub-four-second zero-to-62mph time

On the back of the film success, Dartz Motorz built seven examples of the armoured SUV for customers. The final two examples sold only last year, one to the highest bidder at the esteemed Amfar Charity auction during the 2021 Cannes Film Festival (pictured)

On the back of the film success, Dartz Motorz built seven examples of the armoured SUV for customers. The final two examples sold only last year, one to the highest bidder at the esteemed Amfar Charity auction during the 2021 Cannes Film Festival (pictured)

As standard, all 10 cars have carbon-kevlar body panels and 'BR2' grade bullet-resistant glass. However, for an extra ¿300,000 (£265,000) you can upgrade yours to 'STANAG' Level 2 protection - STANAG being the official protection levels light armoured vehicles set out by NATO

As standard, all 10 cars have carbon-kevlar body panels and 'BR2' grade bullet-resistant glass. However, for an extra €300,000 (£265,000) you can upgrade yours to 'STANAG' Level 2 protection - STANAG being the official protection levels light armoured vehicles set out by NATO

The most armoured example adds extra blast-proof shielding that will stop AK47 rounds at a range of 30 metres, grenade and mine explosions and other heavy artillery fire

The most armoured example adds extra blast-proof shielding that will stop AK47 rounds at a range of 30 metres, grenade and mine explosions and other heavy artillery fire

Base cars get a fingerprint-operated safe to keep your hand gun (pictured), and also a separate storage area for your expensive cigars and another for your make-up

Base cars get a fingerprint-operated safe to keep your hand gun (pictured), and also a separate storage area for your expensive cigars and another for your make-up

The car even made an appearance at red carpet premieres when the film launched in May 2012. Seen here arriving at the Royal Albert Hall in London

The car even made an appearance at red carpet premieres when the film launched in May 2012. Seen here arriving at the Royal Albert Hall in London

A number of optional features are available at an extra cost, including a safe to keep an AK47, your own custom bulletproof helmet and even a compartment for a sword

A number of optional features are available at an extra cost, including a safe to keep an AK47, your own custom bulletproof helmet and even a compartment for a sword

Dartz says the hulking SUV can accelerate from a standstill to 62mph in 3.8 seconds and has a top speed of 174mph, though adding the extra armour protection will have a big impact on how fast it shifts

Dartz says the hulking SUV can accelerate from a standstill to 62mph in 3.8 seconds and has a top speed of 174mph, though adding the extra armour protection will have a big impact on how fast it shifts

There's a number of optional extras and choices to customise your Dartz Prombron...but each one has to be finished in gold

There's a number of optional extras and choices to customise your Dartz Prombron...but each one has to be finished in gold

Exclusive images show one of the original Dartz Prombron The Dictator Aladeen Edition vehicles produced by the company's specialist movie department on set for the 2012 film

Exclusive images show one of the original Dartz Prombron The Dictator Aladeen Edition vehicles produced by the company's specialist movie department on set for the 2012 film

Two of the three original Dartz Motorz Prombron The Dictator Aladeen Edition SUVs being transported for the film

Two of the three original Dartz Motorz Prombron The Dictator Aladeen Edition SUVs being transported for the film

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