Aurus Senat, Putin's new presidential car, was first publicly unveiled at the Moscow International Automobile Salon in September 2018 and also participated in the Geneva Motor Show, which opened on March 5, 2019. Developed in 2013 by the NAMI Automotive Research Institute in Moscow, it is a full-size luxury bulletproof sedan that cost nearly 12.4 billion rubles (about $189 million) to develop and is expected to produce a version for export to the Middle East and China by the end of 2018. The car also has a foldable soft-topped convertible version, which was converted into a parade car for victory day parade in Moscow on June 24, 2020.
Victory Day military parade on June 24, 2020
The Aurus Senat belongs to the Korteezh series, which is powered by a 4.4-liter V8 twin-turbo engine developed by NAMI that produces 598 horsepower and 649 pounds/feet of torque, with porsche and Bosch engineering companies both participating in engine development work; the civilian version of the S600 accelerates by less than 6 seconds from 100 kilometers, and the armored L700 adopted by the government takes 9 seconds. The 848-horsepower 6.6-liter V12 engine will be supplied to the non-armored model in the future.
In May 2021, the car will be produced at the Solers JSC plant in Yelabuga, with an estimated 150 units produced per year. Now that the plant is under construction to expand production, it will be able to build 5,000 vehicles per year in the future, and even 10,000 vehicles as needed. The civilian version, produced by a joint venture of NAMI and LiAZ, is expected to retail at 10 million rubles ($140,000) in 2018 and rise to 20 million rubles (about $270,000) by the time the first vehicles are delivered in 2021.
The car features a longitudinal engine, four-wheel drive, hydraulic power steering, multi-link independent rear suspension + air suspension, KATE R932 9-speed automatic transmission, no torque converter required. Electronic handbrake, LED headlights with automatic high beams, passengers equipped with 9 airbags. The standard wheelbase is 3300 mm, the length of the car is 5630 mm, and the curb weight is 2.7 tons; the extended wheelbase is 4300 mm, the length of the car is 6630 mm, and the curb weight is 6.2 tons. The car is 2020 mm wide and 1695 mm high.
All of Aurus Senat's tires are in 255/55/20 gauges. The rear seats can be tilted to 45°, are ventilated and massaged, and are equipped with custom plush headrests. In the middle of the seat there is a Xiaoice box with crystal glass and a leather folding table. In 2024-25, the car will also be available in a hybrid version with a 42 kW electric motor, as well as an all-electric version.
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