Filed under: Sedan, Government/Legal, Audi, Police/Emergency, Specialty, Middle East

The President of the United States may be the highest target for assassination in the world – hence Cadillac One, his custom, leather-lined tank – but there’s no shortage of people in the Middle East who’d bite that the opportunity to take a shot at the Prime Minister of Israel. (The recently commemorated assassination of late Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin is evidence enough.) It comes as no surprise that the Shin-Bet – Israel’s national domestic preventative security force – has ordered a new armored limousine to transport the country’s head of government.

The duties had been carried out until now by a motor pool of American and German vehicles, accompanied by Japanese SUVs in leapfrog formation (it’s a wonder to behold if you’re ever seen them in motion), but will soon be taken over by a specially-commissioned Audi A8 Security.

The car is reportedly based on the Audi A8 (likely the long-wheelbase version) with the 450-horsepower, 6-liter W-12 engine, Quattro all-wheel drive, B6+ and B7 ballistic protection, run-flat tires, an independent oxygen supply for the cabin, a fire-suppression system, explosive charges to free the doors in case of shockwaves, a DVD entertainment system, drinks fridge and humidor (Netanyahu’s a known cigar aficionado). Those, of course, are just the features we know about, and given Israel’s leading position in security equipment, we don’t doubt there’s plenty more that remains undisclosed. The car is said to cost around $700K from the factory, but add the country’s incredibly high taxes – which the government still has to pay, but not on the security equipment – and you’re looking at a cool million.

[Source: Globes]

Report: Israel orders million-dollar armored Audi A8 originally appeared on AudiMobiles on Sat, 30 Oct 2010 20:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Convertible, Coupe, Performance, Audi, Lamborghini, Porsche, Volkswagen, Rumormill

Fortitude has gone through the trouble of cutting through all of the rumors surrounding the future of mid-engined sports cars in the Volkswagen family. The site points to two different mid-engine platforms currently in development within the expansive Volkswagen ranks – one with a longitudinally-mounted engine layout and another with a transverse engine design. A number of models could make use of the side-saddle architecture, including the much-salivated-over Volkswagen BlueSport, though Fortitude says the chassis could also provide the bones for vehicles like a Porsche 914 or 356 successor as well as a new Audi racer that could sail under the R3 banner.

And what of that longitudinal design, you ask? This is where things get really fun. Fortitude says that the high-ups at Audi AG showed off a platform called the MSS on the hush-hush, and that the chassis could underpin everything from the next R8 to the Lamborghini Gallardo successor and the Porsche 918. It could even form the mold for whatever steps into the void left by the Murcielago.

Head over to Fortitude to get a closer look at the whole shebang, complete with excellent sketches of future models.

[Source: Fortitude]

Speculated: Volkswagen’s mid-engine future originally appeared on AudiMobiles on Wed, 27 Oct 2010 13:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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