High-priced protection from your local dealer: live in a bad neighborhood? mercedes, BMW offer armored production cars

摘要

Most automakers will tell you their cars are safe. But are they "safe" enough to withstand a Molotov cocktail at-tack? Why certainly, say Mercedes-Benz and BMW AG.Both companies offer several lines of vehicles with armored protection ranging from light--stopping baseball bats, axes and hammers--to heavy--stopping military firearm projectiles and explosives.DaimlerChrysler AG'S Mercedes-Benz Guard program was a tight-lipped secret for 70 years, with exclusive customers like Japan's Emperor Hirohito. But a rise in drug-related crime and worldwide violence pushed the company to go public with its line ofprotection vehicles.