In Russia, serial production of the Aurus Senat has now really started. The ‘civilian version’ of Vladimir Putin’s state limousine.
Russian President Vladimir Putin likes to be driven around in his own state limousine, the Aurus Senat. Although he does not shy away from a certain degree of inviolability, it is also possible for ‘the common people’ to move through traffic somewhat like Putin. Almost three years ago, Aurus came up with a shorter version of the Senat, which will be on the market for ‘everyone’. It took a while, but now the production has really started.
Although the Senate must of course be a showpiece for the Russian car industry, a European brand, Rolls-Royce, has been carefully considered for the design. The technology also has enough Western character in it. For example, the 4.4-liter biturbo V8 was developed with the help of Porsche. A power source that, together with an electric motor, generates just under 600 hp of system power. It sends its powers to all four wheels via a nine-speed automatic transmission, enabling the 2,700-pound Senate to accelerate to 100 km/h from a standstill in just 6 seconds. The top speed: 250 km / h. There is also a fully Russian 6.6 V12 in combination with an electric motor in the pipeline that, according to the latest reports, mobilizes no less than 830 hp system power.
The lavishly dressed Senate, which with its 5.6 meters length is still just one meter shorter than Putin’s, will now roll off the production line. Reuters notes that Aurus wants to build 200 to 300 Senats this year. Earlier, Aurus indicated that it wants to work towards an annual production of 10,000, but it is not clear whether that goal still stands. With a price tag of about €200,000, most Russians will probably leave it alone for a while.