Ford to target consumers with ballistic proof cars

[GIR]

Ford is going to sell their Lincoln Town Car's with 'Ballistic Protection'. No biggy here was it not for the fact that they're going to target regular consumers with this car. Opposite to regular armoured cars, which are all handbuilt, these are going to be built on a production line.

The 'ballistic proof' option will be available at every Lincoln dealer and will cost 144,995 dowrah extra. Ford hopes to meet a growing demand for "safer" cars.

I personaly think you'd have to be pretty paranoid to buy one of these.

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Hallo GIR,

 

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[LateNightCable]

Paranoid for sure. Its' America cashing in on it's own terrorism paranoia. It's amost become fashionable to think that one's own self is being stalked or harassed, it's a kind of self flattery.

[wEstSide]

Hmmm, this is indeed quite strange. I'm not saying its out of the ordinary because I know we live in a crazy country, but definitely ridiculous. I thought that this car was going to be marketed in South America, where being kidnapped is extremely regular. Why in the world would an average American need this car? Even a high profile celebrity doesn't ride in a bullet-proof car. If you're not living in Sao Paolo or Bogota, the chances of getting carjacked while you're in it are small.

Bottom line: Makes a lot of sense to sell in South America, but not in America.

[thepolarfoxqx]

well, maybe this car is intended for foreign markets, some people want the protection. If they want it, so what. MB and BMW have offered this for a long time. So what if an american maker wants this. If i got located by work in say, Gary Indiana, i'd have one in a heartbeat. It makes it far more economical for those who need this. I see nothing wrong with it. No one is buying this for terrorist reasons, c'mon now.

[LateNightCable]

Gary Indiana is not Faluja Iraq, lay off.

The great majority of those who buy armored cars, never get attacked, so it's just insurance for the ultra paranoid, or those who know for a fact that they are dispised by someone. Personally, if I were inclined to have such a vehicle, I might choose a heavy armored Hummer H1 with added muscle under the hood. A cushy Town Car is just too much of a sitting duck.

[thepolarfoxqx]

you'd need a lot of extra under the hood of that hummer. First off, it's 190hp for 6000 lbs of car. seccondly, with a turning circle of close to 60 feet, a hummer isn't exactly an urban get-away vehicle. The seats are also narrow, uncomfortable, the ride is poor, and parking in parking lots is tough, in garages is impossible. A town car is every bit as practical as any other car on the road, rides as nicely as anything, has room. I'd put a blower on mine (which doestn' cost that much) and have all the power I needed. A set of "EMT" runflats, i'd be set. Also, like in mexico city, you DO have kidnapping insurance, also, depending on your life insurance policy, they might require you to have some sort of armored car. My father tells stories about growing up in south africa. they would travel in the back of a rolls-royce with a driver and armed guard, and they were told to sit back in the seat at all times and to keep their face away from the windows. If i lived there, the armored town car wouldn't sound bad at all.

And you're right, gary indiana isn't falluja, iraq. Falluja has character.

[LateNightCable]

60 ft.? Actually, the turning radius of the Hummer is quite sharp, try 25.5 ft. And with 440 lb.ft. of standard torque, and well over 7,200 lbs. of weight, it has plenty of ramming power. It's also equipped with run flats. I would choose the 4-door wagon, which weighs in at over 7,600 lbs. A far cry from 6,000.

Along with it's world class off road abilities, the Hummer is quite the urban get away vehicle. As far as creature comfort goes, it's no Town Car I agree, but riding in an armored Hummer provides a comfort of it's own.

As for Gary Indiana having no character, it's there, in a very Liberty Cityish, down in the bowery kind of way.

[thepolarfoxqx]

ok, pardon my word choice. what i meant was a turning circle, not turning radius. So if the radius is 25.5 feet, then it's circle is 52 feet. That's awful. A towncar does it in 38. Given it isn't awful for being huge. If i had the money, i'd put my thugs in the hummer in front, me in the towncar behind. There's just no class to the hummer, whereas the town car is american elegance (to a degree). And with 7600lbs, that's beyond slow. torque is nice, it's still 190hp to a 7600lb car.

[LateNightCable]

25.5 + 25.5 would still be 51 ft. not 52 and certainly not 60. The Hummer is still not a bad vehicle to manuver, even in the city. And it's more than a car, it's a wagon. But aside from manuverability, the Hummer could just ram itself out of a situation, a Town Car would probably not take that route, unless the situation were dire.

But the idea of riding in the Lincoln, and putting the hired thugs in the Hummer is a good one, if one had hired thugs.

[thepolarfoxqx]

the beauty of being an executive deployed in a third world country is that everything is free to you. You'd have thugs.

The only situtation that would require me have a hummer for my protection would be if I were in gary, indiana.

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Hallo GIR,

 

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[LateNightCable]

Okay, that joke is getting really old. If you think Gary is dangerous, where do you dig up the courage to leave your house?

[thepolarfoxqx]

gary has the highest violent crime rate. the courage to leave my house in cookie-cutter, crime-free, clean as can be, suburban america is a lot different than leaving into a slum that looks like it could just as easily be from a third world nation as anywhere, and gunshots aren't so rattling.

[skyline_r34v]

I'd much rather have a Hummer with added extra power rather than a blown Town Car. At least with a Hummer you can ram people and run over them, with a town car you'd have to beep you're luxury horn and ask them nicely to get out of the way.

I'd love to see a town car do some off-road rally driving. Especially around here where there's more off-roads than on-roads I'd choose a Hummer over that Town shit anyday.

[LateNightCable]

Lincoln Town Shit, Buick Park Shit Ultra, Pontiac Azshit, Saab 9shit, okay, enough of that. I could go on, but I'm supposed to be a Moderator. You know, grown up like. I actually like three out of four of those, just having fun.

Having fun like Fox. To use a wierd analogy, Gary Indiana is sort of like Charles Manson. He may have been scary and dangerous at one time, but now he just gets looks. But if anyone had the will, Gary could be something again, no armored Hummer or Town Car required.

As a side note, I have noticed a distinct change in the way Skyline writes' his posts. More capitols, and much less Ghettoese than in the past. The boys' alright, kind of refreshing actually - less to translate.

[thepolarfoxqx]

Ok, in the civilized world, you generally drive on paved roads. Even Gary, Indiana has paved roads. Ramming people? You realize you'd need to better than double the horsepower of a Hummer just to get to parity with a stock towncar (in terms of lbs/hp). A blown town car could get away from hostile attackers when a hummer would have to sit and get hammered. A hummer shows that you are afraid. It says I need this, a towncar doesn't. It's any other luxury car, it doesn's show fear, it shows confidence. If you were really afraid you'd be in a hummer.

[LateNightCable]

Thats' one way of looking at it. But a Hummer also shows you are seriously protected. It would not have to sit and take punishment from an assault, it can go too, just like the Lincoln. Make no mistake, it may be " slow ", but it has the bulk to ram just about anything out of the way short of a semi. Lbs./hp. is not so important here, sheer pulling power and mass would be it's strong suit, especially if we dropped in an 8100 Vortec, worked over by Lingenfelter. In an automotive tug-o-war, the Hummer would get you out of a jam real well.

It's also very versitile, and could overcome many obsticles that might be in your way - like spike strips and thugs with big vans. Otherwise, the military would drive Lincolns.

Lets' just say that the Town Car would be the civilized choice, and the Hummer would be the extreme choice.

[thepolarfoxqx]

As i said, the ideal solution is a motorcaid. A hummer full of trained assault specialists in front, me in the towncar behind, and in back, a suburban full of thugs. The total solution.

[LateNightCable]

Just how big of a motorcaid are we talking about here? Yes, of course that would be most ideal, security in numbers. But we were talking about the security offered by a single vehicle - without the assistance of assault specialists, and a Suburban full of thugs. After all, if a Hummer makes you look like you are afraid as you put it, a motorcaid would make you look like ... well, really afraid, and really self important. Also, keeping a low profile stands for something in this line of work. Even a Hummer doesn't stand out like a full on parade.

Like I said before, the Town Car would remain the civilized choice, but the Hummer would be the deal if total security was what you were looking for. Unless you prefer a personal tank.

[thepolarfoxqx]

my style is cool sophistication actually. I'd ride around in the back of the town-car, in the middle. On either side of me, i'd have a man with a powerful fully automatic weapon, and who knows how to use it. In the front, the same thing. I want to look the picture of total calm, sophistication, and style, afraid of nothing unnecessary, don't want to draw attention, nothing ostentatious, but if the need arises, i want to be able to fight fire with fire in a big way. It's a matter of your style in personal security i guess.

[LateNightCable]

My own style in personal security would actually be more low key than the Hummer, or even heavily armed guards. I would prefer not to have to go that route, otherwise, I would have to take a serious look at the manner in which I live my life, and change it.

But say I led the life of a prominent diplomat. I would need security, and it would no doubt be offered to me without question. Under most circumstances, the Town Car and the accompaniment of three or four discreet gaurds would do, and would also be more approprate for an image conscience public figure like myself. The Hummer would be more fitting of a drug lord, or an eccentric third-world dictator, who really have to watch their backs in a big way. Hence why it is the extreme choice.

It might be a little un-American, but over the Town Car, I might consider a BMW 7-Series Protection car ( E38 naturally ) or something of the sort with high level armor. Break out the Hummer and cavalcade only if there are death threats. Or better yet, just travel incognito - so much more creative than anything else.

[thepolarfoxqx]

what needs to be made is the armored escalade, or since ford is taking the initiative, an armored navigator. A good compromise maybe? I'd keep the town car cause it is american.