2014 Mercedes-Benz S-class gets armored

The release of every new Mercedes-Benz S-class is followed by the release of various coachbuilt variants months later, including versions that offer various levels of ballistic protection. SEMA itself produces a factory-made armored S-class. which for the past several generations of the car has been marketed as S-class Guard. The Guard model of the sedan typically features ballistic protection up to NATO B6/B7 level, which is the highest level of protection for civilian passenger cars and trucks, able to defeat NATO 7.62 rounds and even rocket-propelled grenades. But before Mercedes-Benz rolls out the Guard model of the 2014 S-class, German armoring firm Transeco-Bremen GmbH has offered its own armored version of the S-class.

Transeco-Bremen, formerly known as Trasco Bremen, has been building special versions of the S-class since 1983, when the W126 model was in its fourth year of manufacture. Trasco didn't limit its offerings to Mercedes-Benz cars, and from time to time has worked on other cars, such as ZiL 41047 limousines, in addition to offering its own stretched versions of the W140 S-class and the G-class.

Transeco-Bremen GmbH
Laminated ballistic glass is several inches thick, and adds several hundred pounds to car's weight.

The starting point for Transeco-Bremen's armored version of the 2014 Mercedes-Benz S-class is the S500L, known as the S550 in the U.S. The armoring process itself involves the removal of the entire interior, including the dash, and the installation of high-strength steel plates around the passenger compartment and the greenhouse. Perhaps the toughest part of the car to armor are the doors, not only because of the heavy ballistic glass windows which must move up and down, but because of the gain in door thickness and the stress on the door frames themselves. Door are reinforced, and entirely new electric motors are installed in the doors for power windows, in addition to motors that enable the doors themselves to close automatically. Next comes the windshield, which is replaced with ballistic glass, adding several hundred pounds to the weight of the car. The ballistic glass itself is a sandwich of laminated glass and plastic, and is easily the single heaviest element of the armoring package. Transeco also adds underbody protection which can defeat grenades thrown under the car, as well as a self-sealing fuel tank. And needless to say, this version of the S-class is not available with a sunroof. You don't want that.

Transeco-Bremen GmbH
The interior is an even more pleasant place to be with the noise suppression created by several hundred pounds of high-strength steel and ballistic glass.

It should come as no surprise that it is the S550 which serves as the starting point of Transeco's armored S-class, as the 455 hp output of the 4.6-liter V8 is needed to move the 8,311 lb bulk of the armored sedan, up from a 5,941 lb gross weight of the standard S550. The suspension has been beefed up accordingly, with upgraded Airmatic suspension struts front and back, and with upgraded spring control arms. The standard brake discs, calipers, and pads have been replaced with Transeco's own heavy-duty setup, which also includes the company's own wheel design, which is a bit of an unusual touch for an armored car, until you consider the fact that they've been specially manufactured to wear run-flat tires and may be called upon to continue moving after the tires have completely disintegrated.

Transeco-Bremen GmbH
Transeco-Bremen adds its own wheels, which are required for the run-flat tires the car wears.

Transeco-Bremen also says that it can produce a stretched-wheelbase version of the 2014 S-class, which means a short insert about a foot in length after the B-pillar to give the rear seat passengers a few more inches of legroom, similar to Binz's stretched E-class. In the past Transeco-Bremen has created its own versions of the 2006-2013 W221 S-class six-seat limousines, similar to Mercedes-Benz's own Pullman model, but for now the long-wheelbase S550 is the only W222 model that has been shown.

The price? You'll have to contact Transeco-Bremen yourself for a quote, as the list of equipment specified and the armoring level requested can probably swing the price by about $50,000, not taking into account a stretched version. And once Mercedes-Benz debuts its extra-long-wheelbase S-class, we're sure Transeco-Bremen and other armorers and coachbuilders will rush to work on that car as well.

By Jay Ramey