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Prime Ministerial Car

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This article is about the car used by the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. For the Australian equivalent, see Prime Ministerial Limousine.
Range Rover Sentinel
A blue Range Rover Sentinel parked stationary on a cobbled street in front of a white building.
Overview
TypeRange Rover (L405)
ManufacturerLand Rover
Production2019
Powertrain
Engine5.0 L 380 PS (279 kW; 375 hp) supercharged AJ Gen III V8 (petrol)
Transmission8-speed automatic
Chronology
Predecessor

Until 2023, British manufactured cars had always been used as prime ministerial cars by the prime ministers of the United Kingdom. The cars currently used are armoured, custom built Range Rover Sentinel supercharged 5.0 litre V8 models and armoured Audi A8L models.[1][2]

Prime ministerial and ministerial limousines are operated and administered by the Government Car Service, an executive agency of the Department for Transport, and stored and maintained at 10 Downing Street. The cars are driven by officers from the Metropolitan Police Royalty & Specialist Protection branch (RaSP), skilled in protection convoy, anti hijack and evasive driving skills.[3]

They are escorted by three to four unmarked Range Rover or Ford Galaxy models and at least nine to ten RaSP officers, with the ability to utilise motorcycle outriders from the Metropolitan Police Special Escort Group to aid in the swift travel and protection of the motorcade.[4][5]

In December 2022, the UK government announced that it would purchase armoured Audi A8L models for use by ministers, on the basis that no UK manufacturer could meet revised security specifications.[6] Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was first seen to use an Audi A8 model in July 2023, although the Range Rover Sentinels are still in use by the Prime Minister.[7]

General specifications

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Many details are classified, but the current Range Rover Sentinel models are estimated to have cost up to £400,000. They feature a number of security features, including a 13 mm explosive resistant steel plate underneath the body, titanium and Kevlar lined cabins, armoured windows with bullet resistant polycarbonate toughened glass, and run flat tyres. The bodywork can withstand hits from 7.62mm high-velocity, armour-piercing rounds.

The cars are also equipped with an independent, self contained oxygen supply, to safeguard occupants in the event of a chemical or biological attack.

The vehicles used to be classed as B7 level [clarification needed] but under the new system, called VPAM, they are classed as VPAM9, and are understood to be capable of withstanding the blast of 15 kg equivalent TNT[clarification needed], and sustained attack by a variety of other armour piercing weapons.[8][9][10]

Previous cars

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Since the early-1980s, when Margaret Thatcher switched from the Rover P5 models that had been in use since the 1960s, all prime ministerial cars have been from the Jaguar XJ range of the day, or its Daimler-badged variant.[citation needed]

The 2000 model replaced a British racing green XJ40 model, built for John Major, which gained international media attention when it bore Tony Blair to Buckingham Palace on the day after the 1997 general election. For the first few months of his premiership in 2007, Gordon Brown reverted to the previous prime ministerial car, a navy blue (X308) model purchased in 2000, before starting to use the silver model. A British racing green X308 took Gordon Brown to Buckingham Palace on 6 April 2010 to request the dissolution of Parliament, but it was the 2000 model that took him on his last ride as Prime Minister.[citation needed]

Jaguar XJ at Downing Street, 2014

David Cameron arrived at 10 Downing Street following his appointment in a silver 2010 Jaguar XJ X350 model, but a new X351 Sentinel model was delivered on 13 May 2010.[11]

The X351 model had a 5.0 litre supercharged petrol engine producing 375 bhp, with a top speed of 121 miles per hour (195 km/h), and is capable of reaching 60 miles per hour (97 km/h) from a stationary position in 9.4 seconds, slower than the original due to the substantially greater weight of the vehicle.[12]

On 12 August 2011, one of the previous Jaguar XJ Sentinel fleet was damaged when its driver dented the car on a high kerb in Salford, although the car was able to be driven away.[13] On 17 June 2020, Boris Johnson was in one of the vehicles when a crash occurred due to a protester running in front of the motorcade.[14]

Current and previous cars

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ Fenton, Amy (28 February 2021). "The £400k bulletproof Range Rover used by Boris Johnson during his Lancashire visit". LancsLive. Retrieved 13 September 2022.
  2. ^ Akhim, Eugenia (10 July 2022). "Here's What's Special About British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Range Rover Abio Sentinel". HotCars. www.hotcars.com. Retrieved 13 September 2022.
  3. ^ "SO1 Specialist Protection". www.eliteukforces.info. Retrieved 2019-05-18.
  4. ^ "David Cameron's security: The people who protect the Prime Minister". The Daily Mirror. 27 October 2014. Retrieved 13 July 2016.
  5. ^ "SO14 Royalty Protection Group". www.eliteukforces.info. Retrieved 2019-05-18.
  6. ^ Perrin, Ben (2022-12-24). "Brexit causes Government to ditch Jaguar for Audi for minister cars". Birmingham Live. Retrieved 2024-03-17.
  7. ^ New Audi for British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, 6 July 2023, retrieved 2024-03-17
  8. ^ "Armored vehicles Protection levels B1-B7 vs VPAM". www.aurum-security.de.
  9. ^ "New Jaguar XJ Sentinel Armored Version to Debut at Moscow Show - Carscoop". Carscoop.blogspot.com. 2010-08-18. Archived from the original on 2012-03-04. Retrieved 2012-10-14.
  10. ^ INUncategorised. "Jaguar XJ Sentinel: the bombproof Big Cat | MotorTorque". Motortorque.askaprice.com. Archived from the original on 2012-07-12. Retrieved 2012-10-14.
  11. ^ Powell, Will (24 May 2010). "24 May 2010: Police delay Cameron's XJ". UK Autoblog. Archived from the original on 20 March 2012. Retrieved 12 December 2011.
  12. ^ Luxury Jaguar Now Safely Protects David Cameron. "Luxury Jaguar Now Safely Protects David Cameron". Trendsupdates.com. Archived from the original on February 22, 2011. Retrieved 2012-10-14.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  13. ^ "David Cameron's limo dented and scratched in Salford prang - Mirror Online". Mirror.co.uk. 2011-08-12. Retrieved 2012-10-14.
  14. ^ Davies, Gareth (2020-06-17). "Boris Johnson in car crash outside Parliament". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 2020-06-17.
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