Civilian Armored Cars

When you hear the term armored car, your thoughts inevitably drift towards high-ranking ambassadors, the Pope, the President, a military op, or some cartel movie starring Benicio Del Toro.

However, civilian armored cars are a reality, and those who manufacture some may surprise you.

Not only will civilian armored cars protect large and small caliber rounds—close range or distance—they also come with many options with a high level of customization.

They’re more affordable than you might think as well.

Are Civilian Armored Cars Street Legal?

Only around 100,000 civilian armored vehicles ride on America’s highways, but they are legal. Also, now that the prices for such vehicles have lowered significantly over the years, you will start seeing more of them.

While you won’t find a civilian armored car dealership bumping shoulders with Sandy Sansing Chevrolet and Nissan, there are places to go and purchase armored vehicles legally.

• Armormax: Probably one of the better-known armored car dealers with ten dealerships located around the 48 contiguous states in the US
• Devolro: Sells their brand of custom-made armored vehicles from the B-4 to the B-5.
• Alpine Armoring: Specializes in armoring existing makes and models, such as GMC, Chevy, Toyota, Mazda, and Mercedes-Benz 
• Inkas Armored: Not only do Inkas armor civilian cars but also limos and cash carriers.

The fact that you won’t find any of these dealers right down the street doesn’t mean there aren’t many options and a wide range of dealerships to look into.

Since the business of selling civilian armored vehicles and customizing existing vehicles with armor is growing, you can expect to see more and more in the future.

Who knows, maybe one day, there will be an armored car dealer across from Taco Bell.

How Much Does It Cost To Aftermarket Bulletproof A Car?

Turning the family hatchback into your MRAP can be costly. However, it also depends on the vehicle you want to be done.

Some cars are designed so bulletproofing is easily compatible, while others are not. Your likely cost will range from $30k to $100k.

You have to consider the sheer level of manufacturing that goes into it.

The doors have to be armored with ballistic nylon, windows replaced, tires replaced, the engine has to be protected, and the floors have to be armored. 

You’re looking at the fabrication process behind an entire car, with expensive, military-grade hardware, without an extra engine. 

You’re likely better off buying a civilian armored vehicle that was manufactured that way, to begin with, rather than retrofitting a used model. It will probably save you money in the long run and give you a superior product.

What Are The Top 5 Armored Vehicles On The Market?

Like all the other makes and models of cars out there, a handful of civilian armored vehicles stand out above the rest.

It’s not necessarily a luxury thing—though many armored vehicles are luxury vehicles—more of a quality build that does what you pay for it to do.

• The Marauder

The Marauder is designed by the Paramount Group—an unlisted dealer from the group above—and is a virtual tank that happens to have wheels. According to the PG, it can withstand a blast from 18 lbs of TNT. 

Needless to say, a standard ordinance from small firearms won’t penetrate its shell. It can hold up to 10 people, eight in the back and two in the front, and you have a variety of drivetrains to select from. 

Console Vault In-Vehicle Safes

It would resemble a Humvee if a Hummer was on a straight steroid and creatine regimen for several months. Underneath, it’s even more robust, repelling a blast from up to 31 lbs of TNT. 

Its maneuverability diminished somewhat, but that doesn’t stop this thing from being an absolute beast. 

• Range Rover Sentinel

We must return to earth for the Range Rover Sentinel, representing an armored vehicle’s more civilized and classical form.

Toyota is behind the Range Rover and Land Rover models, but don’t let visions of Toyota Tacomas fool you.

The Range Rover Sentinel was built to withstand 20mm shells and repeated automatic fire from 7.62 rounds (the same ammo used in AK-47s and similar variants).

For those not in the know, it meets VR8 ballistic standards.

Grenades will have trouble haring this thing, and armor-piercing rounds are akin to giving a Kodiak Grizzly Bear a back scratch.

It is luxurious and makes for one expensive ride with its ballistics build.

• The Rezvani Tank

It’s not a tank, but we’re talking semantics here because it might as well be.

It comes with a supercharged, 1,000-horse-powered V8, and that’s before it looked like a Range Rover passed through an episode of Star Trek, retrofitted upgrades and all.

Plus, it’s fully protected from electromagnetic pulse attacks (EMPs) because why not?

• Texas Armored Mercedes G63 AMG 6×6

You thought the luxury lineup from Daimler’s was the best you could get?

The Mercedes G63 is on a whole different level. UNLIKE PREVIOUS ENTRIES, the G63 can tackle rugged terrain under heavy fire from 7.62 rounds.

Despite the luxury envisioned when hearing “Mercedes,” this is an offroad, fully armored tank. 

• Karlmann King

This would be Batman’s favorite vehicle had he known it existed then.

The Karlmann King is essentially a stealth jet fighter on wheels. It is precision cut with diamonds, and took over 30,000 hours to build just one.

This bulletproof, angled nightmare comes with a 6.8L V10 engine and just so happens to be the most expensive SUV on the planet.

While shrugging off small arms fire, it can make you an espresso while playing the PlayStation 5.

Final Word

Sure, some of these civilian armored cars are way out of most people’s league—unless you’re Elon Musk or Jeff Bezos—but tons of armored car options fall within reach of the middle class. 

If you’re looking for an armored vehicle or want an aftermarket job done on your car, it’s good to know there are plenty of options.

If you have any questions or suggestions, you can contact me here.