Rich and famous Americans are
increasingly choosing to travel in
armoured vehicles with features life
electrified doorhandles and sealed
ventilation systems to protect against gas
attacks.
Rap stars Kanye West and T.I. and actor
Sacha Baron Cohen are among the jittery
stars to have invested in armoured cars
built, in many cases, to withstand even
large-calibre ordinance.
An executive at one company catering to
such security conscious clients says that
demand in the U.S. has soared
particularly in the past five years, as
inequality has risen after the banking
crisis.
Overkill? A Latvian-made Prombron Iron
Diamond, two of which have just been
bought by Kanye West
Jason Forston, vice president of Texas
Armoring, credited 'the climate of fear
right now — the growing gap between the
haves and the have-nots' for the surge in
sales.
His firm strips vehicles back to the bare
bones and installs not only armour
plating, but also gadgets like electrified
door handles to discourage carjackers
and over-zealous paparrazzi.
The cars, which look virtually
indistinguishable to other vehicles, can
take two to three months to complete, at
a cost of up to $100,000.
Security conscious: Rapper Kanye West
recently splashed out on two Prombron
Iron Diamond armoured cars costing
around $1.2million each
Mr Forston told The Hollywood Reporter
that a 'large part' of his customers are
'celebrities, pro athletes and rock stars',
but they also have many buyers who are
'people not in the spotlight'.
Many stars, particularly those involved in
the gangster-fetishising mainstream rap
music industry, may be mindful of the fate
of Christopher Wallace.
Wallace, better known by his artist name
Biggie Smalls, was leaving a Vibe
magazine party Los Angeles party in 1997
when a car pulled up beside his his. Its
driver opened fire, spraying the door of
Wallace's Suburban with 9mm bullets.
The star was hit four times and killed. He
was just 24 years old.
Memories of Wallace's fate, and the
explosion in carjacking after the LA riots
five years earlier, have been among the
best advertising for armoured vehicles.
But there is no denying they are also an
ostentatious status symbol.
One of the most extreme examples is the
Prombron Iron Diamond made by Latvia's
Dartz Motorz, the same company that
built Sacha Baron Cohen's gold-plated
presidential SUV featured in The Dictator.
Kanye West recently ordered two Iron
Diamonds at a staggering cost of
$1.2million (£750,000) each, car website
Jalopnik reported.
It's not only specialist manufacturers who
are meeting the demand. Bentley, BMW
and Mercedes, among others, all quietly
make armoured versions of their
upmarket vehicles.
BMW boasts that its 7 Series High Security
not only offers 'an unforgettable driving
experience' but is also 'designed to meet
the highest protection standards'.
As well as being able to withstand high-
velocity, armour-piercing rounds, the car
is equipped with run-flat tyres and sealed
ventilation to keep the air inside fresh
while all around are dying from chemical
gas.
Meanwhile, San Antonio-based Texas
Armoring has custom built bulletproof
vehicles for the likes of Steven Seagal and
T.I.
But are all these features necessary?
Aaron Cohen, director of Hollywood's IMS
Security, which secures the homes of
many high-profile celebrities, thinks not.
'Statistically, with the exception of a few
cases, I don't think there's a need for it,'
he said, adding that much of what the
cars come equipped with is 'overkill'.
But Robert Siciliano, a New York-based
security consultant, disagrees. He pointed
out that a 25 cent bullet will penetrate a
non-armoured vehicle 'pretty efficiently'.
For stars earning many millions of dollars
a year like Kanye West, then, spending a
fraction of that on an armoured car
doesn't seem like that silly.
He added: 'I bet Biggie Smalls' mum
wishes he had
DailyMail
increasingly choosing to travel in
armoured vehicles with features life
electrified doorhandles and sealed
ventilation systems to protect against gas
attacks.
Rap stars Kanye West and T.I. and actor
Sacha Baron Cohen are among the jittery
stars to have invested in armoured cars
built, in many cases, to withstand even
large-calibre ordinance.
An executive at one company catering to
such security conscious clients says that
demand in the U.S. has soared
particularly in the past five years, as
inequality has risen after the banking
crisis.
Overkill? A Latvian-made Prombron Iron
Diamond, two of which have just been
bought by Kanye West
Jason Forston, vice president of Texas
Armoring, credited 'the climate of fear
right now — the growing gap between the
haves and the have-nots' for the surge in
sales.
His firm strips vehicles back to the bare
bones and installs not only armour
plating, but also gadgets like electrified
door handles to discourage carjackers
and over-zealous paparrazzi.
The cars, which look virtually
indistinguishable to other vehicles, can
take two to three months to complete, at
a cost of up to $100,000.
Security conscious: Rapper Kanye West
recently splashed out on two Prombron
Iron Diamond armoured cars costing
around $1.2million each
Mr Forston told The Hollywood Reporter
that a 'large part' of his customers are
'celebrities, pro athletes and rock stars',
but they also have many buyers who are
'people not in the spotlight'.
Many stars, particularly those involved in
the gangster-fetishising mainstream rap
music industry, may be mindful of the fate
of Christopher Wallace.
Wallace, better known by his artist name
Biggie Smalls, was leaving a Vibe
magazine party Los Angeles party in 1997
when a car pulled up beside his his. Its
driver opened fire, spraying the door of
Wallace's Suburban with 9mm bullets.
The star was hit four times and killed. He
was just 24 years old.
Memories of Wallace's fate, and the
explosion in carjacking after the LA riots
five years earlier, have been among the
best advertising for armoured vehicles.
But there is no denying they are also an
ostentatious status symbol.
One of the most extreme examples is the
Prombron Iron Diamond made by Latvia's
Dartz Motorz, the same company that
built Sacha Baron Cohen's gold-plated
presidential SUV featured in The Dictator.
Kanye West recently ordered two Iron
Diamonds at a staggering cost of
$1.2million (£750,000) each, car website
Jalopnik reported.
It's not only specialist manufacturers who
are meeting the demand. Bentley, BMW
and Mercedes, among others, all quietly
make armoured versions of their
upmarket vehicles.
BMW boasts that its 7 Series High Security
not only offers 'an unforgettable driving
experience' but is also 'designed to meet
the highest protection standards'.
As well as being able to withstand high-
velocity, armour-piercing rounds, the car
is equipped with run-flat tyres and sealed
ventilation to keep the air inside fresh
while all around are dying from chemical
gas.
Meanwhile, San Antonio-based Texas
Armoring has custom built bulletproof
vehicles for the likes of Steven Seagal and
T.I.
But are all these features necessary?
Aaron Cohen, director of Hollywood's IMS
Security, which secures the homes of
many high-profile celebrities, thinks not.
'Statistically, with the exception of a few
cases, I don't think there's a need for it,'
he said, adding that much of what the
cars come equipped with is 'overkill'.
But Robert Siciliano, a New York-based
security consultant, disagrees. He pointed
out that a 25 cent bullet will penetrate a
non-armoured vehicle 'pretty efficiently'.
For stars earning many millions of dollars
a year like Kanye West, then, spending a
fraction of that on an armoured car
doesn't seem like that silly.
He added: 'I bet Biggie Smalls' mum
wishes he had
DailyMail
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