Billionaire Russian oligarchs, national presidents and paranoid celebrities are being targeted by Jaguar with the launch of its first armoured car.
The £199,000 XJ Long Wheelbase, right, complete with bulletproof windows and bomb-resistant underbelly, is aimed at heads of state, highprofile business people, diplomats and pop stars.
Already about ten of the near three-ton vehicles have been ordered in a market which is currently dominated by rivals BMW, Mercedes and Rolls Royce.
Jaguar expects to sell around 40 to 50 of the Birmingham-built cars, which will be produced to order at its Castle Bromwich plant.
A company spokesman would not be drawn on who had already bought the vehicles, but said they offered the ultimate in protection for safety-conscious customers.
He said: "They are aimed at the very top end of the market - governments, embassies, celebrities and very rich people. We have had a lot of interest in the car so far, and hope it will be a success."
At first glance the vehicle is impossible to distinguish from the standard XJ, with the intention of maintaining discretion for its owners.
But the new armoured vehicle offers protection against firearms and blast attack, robbery, kidnap and car jacking.
Although Jaguar would not be drawn on specific details, the vehicle will be heavily armoured, featuring significant modifications such as bullet-resistant laminated glazing, underbid protection, steel-armouring and run-flat tyres.
The tyres have been engineered to withstand attack by assault rifle and can be driven for 30 miles at up to 50mph after being punctured or deflated.
The car's chassis has been extensively adapted to compensate for additional weight and a potentially more aggressive driving style with reinforced springs and dampers. The Armoured XJ LWB offers protection against high velocity assault rifle rounds and also side blast with the overall design preventing any penetration of the passenger cell by shrapnel or blast fragments.
The armoured body shell is reinforced with ballistic resistant steel and underfloor protection is provided by high-tech Kevlar fibre material. The vehicle has been developed in conjunction with vehicle armouring specialists Centigon.
Other security features include an intercom system, self-sealing fuel tank, cabin with its own oxygen supply and a titanium armoured roof.
