South African armored car specialist Armormax has developed a package for Volkswagen’s eighth-generation Golf 8 GTI. The company claims that its Golf 8 GTI is actually “the safest high-performance hatchback.”

The Golf 8 GTI is not the only car that Armormax has equipped with a special protection package, as it sold the first armored Jaguar I-Pace last year. He also has a Golf 7 in his project history, but this time the package weighs only 179.6 kg, and Armormax says that there is “almost no” impact on fuel consumption and performance. Equally impressive is the fact that the final product hardly reveals the fact that it is an armored car that can, according to the European B4 standard, withstand fire from different types of weapons.

The armored package replaces the Optima’s standard windows with ballistic glass, while the panels, pillars, rear seats and tailgate are reinforced with lightweight synthetic armor. The car is also equipped with a push-to-talk radio system.

When it comes to other levels of protection, the B5 level provides protection against automatic rifles such as the AK-47, while the B6 level means protection against more powerful rifles. The full B7 standard is the highest possible level on the European scale of ballistic resistance EN 1522/EN 1063 and can withstand armor-piercing bullets. This kind of armor is usually thick and heavy and reserved for armored vehicles, so the Golf GTI is limited to B4 protection.

The Golf 8 GTI is powered by a 2.0-liter TSI engine that develops 241 hp (177 kW) and 273 lb-ft (370 Nm) of torque. The company claims that they previously had a lot of success and many orders, and the reason for this type of car is the claim that “South Africa’s crime and kidnapping statistics are terrifying.”

When it comes to price, this type of protection package costs $106,830.

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Source: Armormax