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The big picture: Massive armored trucks that carry valuables or VIPs are a common sight. They might be built like tanks to withstand attacks, but they're also about as aerodynamic as a brick and take eons to hit 60 mph. If you are in the market for something similar but faster, Tesla's Cybertruck comes to mind. For a less conspicuous option, check out this new Lucid Air Sapphire, which appears to be straight out of a James Bond film.
Starting with the performance specs, the vanilla Lucid Air Sapphire already offers 1,234 horsepower, a 0-60 mph time of 1.89 seconds, a top speed of 205 mph, and a range of 427 miles per charge. This special edition promises to be just as fast even with all the extra protection, which adds only 385 lbs of bulk. That's thanks to the US Armor Group, who specialize in making regular vehicles virtually impenetrable without killing their performance. The company claims that this is the fastest armored vehicle in the world.
Moving on to protection, the car gets lightweight ballistic windows that can shrug off .44 Magnum rounds. They are paired with a composite armor that is ten times stronger than ballistic steel yet only a fifth of the weight.
However, armor can only get you so far – or at least that's what the US Armor Group thought before lining the Air Sapphire up with a deluge of additional security features. The car has an "impenetrable" Wi-Fi system to protect your data, plus the ability to detect nearby threats. If things get really hairy, there's a one-touch panic button to summon help immediately.
Then there are even more goodies (that cost extra) like integrated pepper spray dispensers, electrified door handles to zap bad guys, poison gas protection, and concealed gun ports in case you need to return fire. And if you wish to go full doomsday mode, the company can further bolster the exterior with upgraded armor built to withstand grenades and explosives.
Of course, all this explosion-shrugging opulence doesn't come cheap. The armored Lucid Air Sapphire sedan starts at a cool $425,000 before piling on the extra security toys. But for the eccentric billionaire who has everything – including many enemies – this vehicle could be the perfect option for speeding around town.