[imagesource: Motor1]

Russian President Vladimir Putin paints himself as the ultimate macho man.

Naturally, he has to drive around in what resembles a bunker on wheels.

His Russian-made limousine comes with so many extravagant protection and security features that it weighs more than a large commercial bus.

At seven tonnes, this fortress of a vehicle has bulletproof armour, reinforced glass, bomb-resistant underfloor protection, solid ‘run-flat’ rubber tyres, an integrated weapons system, and a self-contained oxygen supply.

We get it, Putin, you think you’re untouchable.

At least when you’re in your special Aurus Senat:

The Aurus Senat’s version of the official Presidential State Car of Russia dwarfs the Aurus Senat for laypeople, which usually weighs under three tonnes.

DMarge called this limo one of the “most confounding cars ever made” and compared it to the current-generation Rolls-Royce Phantom:

Normally we think of China as being the home of automotive plagiarism, but it seems Vladimir Putin’s Russia is giving them a run for their money with the Aurus Senat.

It is also worth noting that the Aurus Senat costs around 18 million rubles (which is around $245 000), about half the price of a Phantom.

But it is still pretty fancy inside, like a Rolls-Royce:

The interior is filled with swathes of real wood and Russian leather, and a champagne fridge comes as standard. It’s the perfect whip for the budding oligarch facing sanctions from the West…

It’s powered by a twin-turbocharged 4.4L petrol V8 reportedly developed in cooperation with Porsche combined with a single-motor electric hybrid system which gets it (the standard car at least) from 0 to 100km/h in just 6 seconds.

A non-electrified Rolls-Royce Phantom’s 6,75L twin-turbo V12 can get from zero to 100 in 5,3 seconds, though.

Again, Putin’s car comes off second best.

If you wanted to buy a standard-issue non-presidential Aurus Senat, here’s what you’d be looking at:

[source:dmarge]