Kim Jong Un travels with a convoy of Mercedes-Maybach armored limos

Benjamin Zhang

Apr 24, 2019, 20:55 IST

Kim Jong Un travels with a convoy of Mercedes-Maybach armored limos

STR/AFP/Getty Images

Kim Jong Un's motorcade in Vladivostok, Russia on Tuesday.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un arrived in Vladivostok, Russia by train on Wednesday ahead of his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Around town, the Kim uses a Mercedes-Benz S600 Pullman Guard limousine.
Kim's limo is an older Mercedes, sold between 2008 and 2013.
The Mercedes S600 is powered by a V12 engine, bulletproof, and loaded with amenities.
A new Mercedes-Maybach S600 Pullman Guard starts at $1.6 million.

North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un arrived in Vladivostok, Russia by train on Wednesday ahead of his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The North Korean leader traveled around Vladivostok in what is believed to be an armored Mercedes-Benz S600 Pullman Guard limousine. Little is known about Kim's limo, though it looks to be from the W221 generation, sold from 2008 to 2013, and features white leather upholstery.

Photos of the North Korean Mercedes limos first surfaced in 2014. The vehicles are estimated to have been worth well over $1 million each at the time of purchase. Kim used the same limo for his summit with US President Donald Trump in Singapore last year.

While Kim's limo is not the most updated version of the vehicle, it's still quite the ride.

Production W221 S600 Pullman Guards are powered by a 517-horsepower, 5.5-liter, bi-turbo V12 engine and decked out with a luxurious leather-lined interior.

At roughly 21 feet long, the S600 Pullman is absolutely massive, and there are almost certainly special modifications to suit Kim's personal needs.

These days, if you want something like Kim's limo, you'll have to go with the Mercedes-Maybach S600 Pullman Guard.

The current-generation W222 Maybach S600 Pullman Guard debuted in late 2016, but customer deliveries didn't commence until the second half of last year.

Though Mercedes-Maybach announced an updated S650 Pullman limo last year, there is not yet an armored Guard version of the new model - so if you want bullet resistant luxury, you'll need the S600.

Take a look at the latest version of the vehicle below.

The W221 Mercedes-Benz S600 Pullman Guard was introduced for the 2008 model year.

The W221 received a facelift for the 2010 model year. Kim's limo has the post facelift front and rear end designs which means it was likely ordered after 2010.

There are few details available on the interior of Kim's limo, but the W221 is decked with reclining seats and multi-media system.

The current generation Pullman Guard limo is a stretched version of Mercedes' $513,000 Maybach S600 Guard armored sedan.

Stretched to more than 21 feet and loaded with armored protection, the Pullman Guard tips the scales at more than 5.5 tons, or 11,000 pounds.

Power for the Pullman Guard comes from a monster 6.0-liter, 530-horsepower, twin-turbocharged V12 engine.

Armored protection includes integrated steel protection panels inside the body, along with overlapping protection panels in critical areas of the car. The Guard also features armored floors to protect occupants from bomb blasts.

In addition, the ultra-thick laminated-glass windows have been coated with polycarbonate on the inside to prevent splintering. According to Mercedes, the Pullman Guard is certified at resistance class VR9 and blastproof to comply with ERV 2010 standards.

Inside, the Pullman Guard is as luxurious as you would expect from a Maybach limo. The cabin can be made bespoke to fit the needs and tastes of the individual customer. Passengers in the back enjoy private-jet-like legroom and reclining captain's chairs.

The Pullman Guard's rear cabin can also be fitted with rearward-facing jump seats to increase seating capacity for in-car meetings.

According to Mercedes, the S600 Pullman Guard lists for a whopping $1.57 million in its native Germany.

Kim also travels with a second Mercedes limo — usually a Maybach 62.

Mercedes-Benz introduced the Maybach 62 in 2002 as a rival for the Rolls-Royce Phantom and Bentley Arnage. It's a predecessor of today's Mercedes-Maybach S-Class limos.

The Maybach is equipped with rear cabin entertainment systems and reclining rear seats.

The 20-foot-long limo remained in production until 2012 and carried a price tag of around $500,000 not including any modifications for presidential duties.

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