New Russian Presidential Limo Is Real, For Real

From Road & Track

Vladimir Putin was recently inaugurated for his fourth term as Russian president, and the occasion called for a special debut: The car known as Project Cortege, a locally-built presidential limousine co-developed by Porsche, Bosch, and the Moscow-based Central Scientific Research Automobile & Engine Institute. After almost three decades, it seems the Russian leadership is now officially done buying Mercedes-Benzes.

Is the Cortege limousine powered by a V8 or a V12? You tell us! Sources are highly unclear on that, as usual. Not that it matters. Rest assured, Putin's new ride is fast enough, bulletproof, and will spot nefarious secret agents within a radius of four miles. Allegedly.

It's got a long wheelbase, it drives, it corners, it stops. It's black, and it's only slightly Chrysler 300/Rolls-Royce Phantom-looking. Not much more a President can ask for.

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