This Armored Ferrari 458 Speciale Is Only 67 Pounds Heavier Than Stock
For $625,000, you can have a 202-mph Ferrari that can repel .44 Magnum rounds.
If James Bond were Italian, we now know what he'd drive: the AddArmor Ferrari 458 Speciale. It's a $625,000 armored mid-engine V8 Ferrari that's capable of stopping a .44 Magnum round while still able to hit a 202-mph top speed, according to Automobile.
A trick collection of lightweight bulletproof composites and other featherweight parts means that it's only 67 pounds heavier than a stock 458 Speciale, allowing it to stay fast and nimble. One of the best-sounding naturally aspirated V8s of the past decade is still allowed to fulfill its raison d'être of going very, very fast, with a 0-60 mph time of just 2.8 seconds.
"Heavy vehicles tend to be slow, and a slow target is an easy target," AddArmor told Automobile.
While there are more intensely bulletproofed vehicles out there that can even withstand hits from armor-piercing rounds, this 458 Speciale has B4-level protection, which means it's rated to keep .44 Magnum rounds out. The good news is that AddArmor's bulletproofing kit only adds 150 pounds of weight to the car before the company replaces other parts with lighter-weight components. This means that the AddArmor 458 Speciale can get out of harm's way fast.
AddArmor claims that its laminated synthetic armoring materials are much stronger than ballistic steel, but 60 percent lighter, Automobile notes. Even AddArmor's ballistic glass is thin, as its layered sandwich of leaded glass, polycarbonate and acrylic is just 0.8 inches thick. To offset that extra mass, the 458 Speciale has a lightweight Capristo exhaust and every carbon fiber option offered by Ferrari.
All of this sounds like it's straight out of a spy movie, but no, AddArmor is a real-life company selling some very stealthy armored cars. It doesn't look bulletproof from the outside if you ignore the small AddArmor decals on the sides. (I'd want those left off.) It's not bulky, nor does it come with a big shot-put dent in the window from a certain bored CEO.
If you'd rather be a bit stealthier, Automobile notes that AddArmor's bulletproof upfitting packages start at $28,000, and the company can add everything from barricade-busting bumpers to gun ports, night vision and electric shock handles upon request. The 458 Speciale is a bit conspicuous, after all. It'd be much easier to stay under the radar here in a Toyota Corolla.
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