Vladimir Putin's limousine will feature an 800 CV Porsche engine

If the car of the President of the United States is truly spectacular, the Russian president’s can’t be left behind. The first prototype tested for Vladimir Putin was the ZIL 4112P, but it was not to the president’s liking. So a new project has been launched to create a limousine for his official journeys.

This limousine from the Motorcade project will be ready in 2017, and the project also includes an SUV and a minivan for the president’s escort. All of these vehicles will be built on a modular platform with a longitudinal engine and four-wheel drive. But one of the most important elements of this car will be entrusted to Porsche Engineering Group (PEG), a subsidiary of Porsche.

The German company has prevailed over other options put forward, such as those from AVL (Austria), Ricardo (Great Britain) and FEV (Germany). The first engine it will build will be a 6.0 or 6.6-litre V12 turbo engine, delivering 800 CV. This power output is not at all outlandish, because these cars tend to be considerably heavy, owing to the armour plating that protects their occupants.

The other engine the German company will build will probably be a V6, although a V8 is also being considered, intended for the rest of the main vehicles in the Motorcade project. Porsche’s offering is rounded out with a four-cylinder engine for other escort cars that form part of the project.

The engines will be manufactured at the ZMZ plant in Russia, using materials from the country, to boost the national industry. What is still not definitively known is the design of the limousine. Work on it is being carried out at NAMI, the national technological institute responsible for research into engines and the automotive industry.

The image heading this article is, in fact, one of the models presented and one of the most spectacular. There are still a few months to go before the look of the Russian leader’s car is decided. Like that of his US counterpart, it will feature defensive features and communications hubs that will turn the car into a genuine bunker. We hope to see more specifications, which always surprise us.

Via | Car Scoops