Generally, when you think of armored vehicles, you imagine a big, bulky, and “Tanky” looking vehicle with gunmetal or camo paint jobs and mounted guns, but the reality is that most armored vehicles in service today are designed to look inconspicuous and blend in with the regular traffic.
After all the whole point of an armored vehicle is to not stand out but to protect you should the need arise. So how can you identify an armored vehicle while out in the real world? There are some telltale signs for identifying armored vehicles that can help:
Built like a Tank
Armored vehicles have their roots in military tactical vehicles like APCs and tanks, and this heritage is reflected in some enduring characteristics, despite their modern aesthetics. One of these enduring features is the vehicle’s structure, particularly its frame, which is coated with temperature-resistant steel. This steel coating serves to enhance structural strength and rigidity, crucial for withstanding shocks. The objective is not to prevent the vehicle from tipping over when struck (strengthening the chassis isn’t primarily aimed at preventing flips) but rather to enable the chassis to support the additional weight that armored features entail. In practical terms, this reinforced frame adds weight to the vehicle, necessitating the use of a more robust suspension system. You can easily spot this heavy-duty suspension by inspecting the vehicle’s underside and observing its increased height. As a secondary consequence, these modifications result in the vehicle exhibiting minimal bouncing or instability when traversing rough terrain, even at higher speeds.
Not Going Through the Looking Glass
One popular element of armored cars that is often shown in movies and TV shows is bulletproof glass (even if the onscreen representation may not always be accurate). Bulletproof glass is prepared with a thin and fragile sheet of glass on top which absorbs high energy that comes from an oncoming bullet, followed underneath by a layer of polycarbonate installed in order to prevent the bullet from penetrating into the interior of the armored car. So how can you tell the difference between “regular” and “armored” glass, since regular glass doesn’t have any distortions, you can see right through it whereas armored glass is more difficult to see through, especially in low light conditions. Another harder-to-spot feature is that the bulletproof glass is generally thicker than the normal kind though this can be observed when up close and personal with such a vehicle.
Lowkey Sci-Fi
Even outside of the building, there are plenty of additional technologies used in the exterior and interior of the vehicles. For example, you may notice some cars having some kind of panel covering the underside of the car, these panels are floor-blast protection panels to provide protection in case of roadside explosions and mines. Another easy-to-spot feature is high-powered headlights, these lights are exceptionally bright to provide maximum brightness during nighttime and to prevent attackers from the front from getting a clear sense of the car’s size or shape; this feature can be particularly distinguishing on smaller armored models such as Luxury
Sedans like a Mercedes or a BMW. Finally, the wheels of an armored vehicle are also upgraded to withstand punishment, which you may notice due to their larger size and shape; generally speaking, these tires will also be thicker due to them housing additional technologies meant to maintain movement even if the tire is flat.
Armored cars today are much better at blending in than they have been in the past and if you are interested in converting your existing vehicle into an armored one or purchasing a pre-built model, know that you can rest easy with the knowledge that thanks to modern technology, your armored vehicle of choice can protect you and your loved ones against practically all odds.
Speaking of modern technology, CEMAR remains one the industry leaders in armored vehicle technology, whether you are interested in blast protection panels, run-flat tires, or just some good old-fashioned bulletproof glass, we offer only the best-in-class products for our customers, so please do feel free to take a look around our website or contact us via our communication channels to learn more.