Armored Cars in Great Demand By Dignitaries, High-Profile People by Alan B. Nichols New strong, lighter weight materials are being used in the design and construction of armored vehicles whose demand has increased dramatically around the world in light of 9/11 and the increased frequency of attacks on diplomats, heads of state and high-profile company chief executive officers. These new designs allow manufacturers to build cars able to withstand the impact of high-velocity, high-impact ballistics without adding significant weight or bulk to the vehicles. A new armored Cadillac DeVille, for example, is now in development that will have the look and feel of a regular Cadillac sedan. George Karas, a member of the sales staff at Moore Cadillac in Tysonís Corner, Va., said the car, currently in production, will be available some time this summer. He expects strong demand for the vehicle from customers worldwide. In a patented construction process, the car is spliced open and an armored steel shell is inserted to cover the roof line, doors, and the front and rear ends. The car is further armored by 3.2 mm thick overlapping ballistic steel panels. The one-inch thick glass surfaces consist of several layers of polycarbonite material designed to stop .44 or 9-mm bullets. The tires are made of reinforced rubber that greatly enhances road handling during run-flat conditions. As Karas noted, would-be assassins often shoot the tires to disable a vehicle. The armored DeVille can achieve top speeds of 30 mph on a flat tire. There are about five generally recognized international levels of protection in the armored car industry; each level is designated by the ballistics the car can be defended against. The armored DeVille, which is a product of a joint venture between the GMís Cadillac Division and Scaletta Moloney Armoring in Chicago, will be designated by a IIIA level of protection. Despite its protective enhancements, the armored DeVille is still as comfortable as a regular Cadillac, according to Karas. The vehicle will come in two models, the standard-size DeVille and the eight-inch stretch version. The regular model will retail for $117,000, and the stretch will retail for $134,000. Moore Cadillac is one of only 14 Cadillac dealers nationwide licensed to sell the armored DeVille. Karas said the manufacturers have scheduled 200 vehicles for the initial production run. "There is a big demand for this type of armored vehicle," said Karas, who expects orders from prominent political leaders and company CEOs whose high-profile lifestyles require an extra degree of protection against would-be assassins. Lightweight is also a key feature in another armored vehicle, the 2004 X Concept created by automobile designer Ramone Casborn. This design reinforces the chassis and power train of the Hummer H2 with a reinforced Spectra Shield shell pioneered by Texas Armoring Corp. in San Antonio, Texas. The model can be designed with 24-, 25- and 26-inch run-flat, ballistics-protected rim and tire packages that make up the exclusive Casborn Styling Co. signature series. The shell and tire packages protect Casbornís armored vehicles from levels II to IV, making them effective against random carjackings and attacks by a range of weapons from 9-mm handguns to AK47s. Casborn graduated from the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts and wanted to be a New York fashion designer. That was before he was recruited into the Center for Creative Studies in Detroit. The center, which became the College for Creative Studies, is a proving ground for many top transportation designers. Casbornís customers include a high-profile private citizen in Dubai, NFL players, entertainment and movie moguls, car collectors and a Grammy Award-winning singer. In addition to the armored X Concept, Casborn has also designed armored versions of several Porsche models, the Cadillac Escalade, the Dodge Viper SRT-10 (designed for a movie currently in production) and the Mercedes-Benz S500. "Each of my cars is uniquely designed," he said. "I take the basic model car and strip it down to redesign and re-engineer it from the ground up. I can not only build in protection but turn a car into a command center with faxes and telecommunications equipment. I tailor-make a car to each clientís individual needs and lifestyle." Alan B. Nichols is a contributing writer for The Washington Diplomat.