The new Audi A8 L Security has been officially certified by the German Ballistics Testing Center in Munich; it complies with the requirements of the class VR 7 ballistic protection standard in accordance with the BRV 2009 guideline. BRV stands for "Bullet Resistant Vehicles". Class VR 7 imposes the strictest criteria on civilian high-security sedans: The body panels and glazing of the passenger cell must withstand firing with NATO sub-caliber ammunition. In certain areas, the armor plating on the A8 L Security even complies with the criteria for the classes VR 9 and VR 10. Resistance to explosives is tested in accordance with the ERV 2010 guideline (Explosion Resistant Vehicles).
The components that are specific to this version are made by hand in a secure production zone. It takes specially trained workers about 450 hours to fit them, before the body is sent back to the plant for final assembly.The high-security sedan's occupant cell, which is integrated into the body as a unitary element, features extremely tough, highly resistant materials – heat-formed armor steel, aramide fabric, ceramic, a special aluminum alloy, and multi-laminated glass. The protective materials overlap at transitions, for maximum security.
For the door windows, windshield and rear window, Audi uses special glass with a splinter-inhibiting polycarbonate layer on the inside. As an option, there are electromechanical side windows that almost fully open the panes. A doorstop function holds the door in any desired position.
The standard equipment of the new Audi A8 L Security also includes the intercom system that the passengers can use to communicate with the outside world with the windows shut. It comprises a loudspeaker in the Singleframe grille, along with microphones for the interior and for the vehicle's surroundings.
The communications box in the trunk of the high-security saloon is one of its central elements. It houses the control units for the vehicle and communications electronics, as well as a supplementary battery and elements of the optional components that increase passenger protection still further. The highly armor-plated communications box has comparatively lightweight ceramic doors, and its frame is made from aluminum. Special protection for the battery and fuel tank can also be supplied as an option.
