The armored Golf GTI was created in South Africa
SVI Engineering from South Africa presented a rapid response vehicle based on the Volkswagen Golf GTI. The hatchback looks like a regular eighth-generation Golf GTI, but there is a caveat: the car is armored. There are 3.5 mm thick steel plates and bulletproof glass installed here. Usually stronger cars are chosen for booking — for example, frame SUVs, but for some reason SVI Engineering chose the Golf.
Thick steel is used in the doors, pillars, roof and rear bulkhead. The latter is a compromise solution: making a partition is easier than armoring the back door. Engine compartment components also received additional protection. Body armor level — B4+: This Golf can withstand attacks from pistols and rifles of up to 7.62×39 mm caliber. Bulletproof glass can stop four AK-47 shots fired into a 300mm square.
Naturally, the armor affected the weight of the vehicle: it increased to 1755 kg (plus about 340 kg). So you can’t count on the original dynamics of the Golf GTI. Of course, SVI Engineering specialists had to modify the suspension as well.
The company is ready to convert a Golf GTI or all-wheel drive Golf R into an armored car in three months. The cost of the conversion is $35 thousand and does not include the car itself.