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A fortress on wheels: BMW grants behind the scenes access to its secretive Protection Vehicle division.

ByDave Stopher

May 18, 2021
  • Secrets of the Supercars offers viewers a behind the scenes look at manufacturing and testing of the BMW X5 Protection VR6.
  • Multi-layer safety glass, armoured passenger compartment, post-blast-protection, leak-resistant fuel tank and run-flat tyres make this vehicle capable of withstanding attack from automatic weapons like the AK-47.
  • Broadcasting in the UK this Sunday at 19:00 BST on Dave.

For 40 years, BMW has set the standard in the design and development of armoured vehicles. Now, for the first time in its history, the company has granted TV cameras access inside its secretive Protection Vehicle division. Secrets of the Supercars will take viewers behind the scenes for an exclusive look at manufacturing and testing of the BMW X5 Protection VR6 – an SAV capable of withstanding attack from automatic weapons like the AK-47.

The next episode of Secrets of the Supercars, to be broadcast this Sunday evening in the UK, will lift the lid on the BMW X5 Protection VR6. It will take viewers behind the scenes at the BMW Protection facility in Munich, Germany, to see how the company designs and builds a car that can withstand sustained enemy attack whilst keeping occupants safe. The vehicle will also be put to the test on track and at the shooting range, providing viewers with unique insight into how it achieves its industry-leading safety certification.

Barely distinguishable from the series-production model both in terms of its appearance and driving dynamics, the BMW X5 Protection VR6 shields occupants with approximately 30 mm thick multi-layer safety glass that features an internal polycarbonate splinter protection layer. Combined with the armoured passenger compartment, post-blast-protection, leak-resistant fuel tank and run-flat tyres, the BMW X5 Protection VR6 can safeguard against attacks from short-range and long-range weapons.

The Secrets of the Supercars series provides an inside look at some of the most exclusive car companies on earth, putting vehicles through their paces on the track, discovering game-changing supercars of the past and revealing what happens when engineers push supercar design to the extremes.

Secrets of the Supercars BMW X5 Protection VR6 episode will broadcast on Dave on Sunday 2 May at 19:00 BST. International broadcast dates across Europe and other territories will follow.

For further information on the BMW X5 Protection VR6, please visit https://www.bmw-special-sales.com/en/topics/protection-vehicles/overview.html