by "Spanfeller is a twat" (theaspiringengineer)
Published 11/14/2017 at 15:00
by "Spanfeller is a twat" (theaspiringengineer)
Published 11/14/2017 at 15:00
Tags: MXDM
; Mexican Domestic Market
STARS: 3
Now, under any definition, Mexico is a third world country: our government is bursting with corruption, costing us up to 10% of our yearly economic output in the process, over half of our population is economically challenged (over 20% of us are under the poverty line.), random militias spark around the country, and we didn’t ally with the US or the USSR, again,
any
definition.
You may ask “But if half of the people are poor, what about the other half?” Well. About 14% of Mexicans are, according to INEGI, “Upper class” these men (I do mean,
men
) own most of the country’s wealth. But, because the government is unable to properly secure our streets from criminals, these rich individuals indulge in a very specific and stupid symbol of wealth: Bullet-proofing.
Seeing Range Rovers, S-classes, Cayennes, Escalades, etc is common in Mexico City’s rich Polanco, Virreyes, and Santa Fe neighborhoods. Coloured in dull metallic black paint these cars are often the top end models. “Supercharged”, “s600”, “Turbo S” “Platinum” read many the badges stamped on these vehicles. But more lurks within the surface of these vehicles because many of these come with a feature that is not listed in the options catalog: bullet-proofing. Hundreds of special engineering companies focus on vehicle bullet-proofing, Mexico is such a large market for bulletproof luxury vehicles that BMW assembles their bulletproof 7-series in a huge plant on the outskirts of Lerma, rather than Munich.
These vehicles are very expensive, a Range Rover Sport may cost a hundred thousand dollars, but if you wish to have your’s bullet-proofed to the lowest, “nivel 3” bullet-proofing you must give away thirty-five grand more, the warranty, and four weeks. The result? Your Range Rover is now 350 kilograms heavier, blessed with thermoformed Kevlar-plastic fiber panels and 21mm (4/5 in.) polycarbonate glass. If you pay the legal, reputable armorers, you also get a certificate by the secretariat of defense that they know who you are and how your car is equipped. Optional are Kevlar run-flat systems, an exhaust protection mesh, siren systems, strobe lights, a communications device, and even goddam pepper-spray.
If you were to bulletproof a suburban but you wanted to be protected from shotguns you would have to splurge on the Heavy Duty model (which is sold by regular dealerships here) but everyone calls it the “ocho birlos” in reference to the eight lugnuts holding the wheels. After buying said car (I mean vehicle), you would have to spend more than 45,000 dollars on the more expensive “nivel 4.”But, no longer will your car come with pitifully Kevlar fibre, it is replaced with heat-treated quarter inch ballistic steel, cut into intricate pieces and welded by professional crews into your car’s body. The glass? Well it’s not 21mm anymore but 45mm (1¾in.). Although the heavy-duty suburban is meant to carry heavy loads, the armorers will likely replace stock shocks with heavy duty ones, The hateful floating calipers will be replaced by slotted, six-piston AP racing brakes(or brembos), the rims will now have plastics attached to them so that if your tires are shot, you can continue. Your already heavy Suburban will now weigh more than three and a half tons, meaning that you would supposedly require a light duty truck license to drive it. The vinyl-upholstered suburban will also have a market value of over one hundred thousand dollars. At least the armoring depreciates way slower than the car it’s attached to.
This is fascinating because its so dumb, specially those bulletproofing Cayennes and Panameras. They feel so unsafe that they´d rather wreck a sports car with bulletproofing than addressing the problems we have as a society.
"CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever" (carsoffortlangley)
11/14/2017 at 15:06, STARS: 0
I think a perfect vehicle to armor would be a Fiesta ST.
HEAR ME OUT! Swap out the ST styled bits for normal Fiesta parts, normal fiesta rims. Extra power should be able to handle the extra weight on what is already a light car. The car is small, so weight gain would be less than a larger vehicle.
Made in Mexico, so patriotic, and maybe more common.
Good plan?
"My citroen won't start" (lucasboechat)
11/14/2017 at 15:11, STARS: 0
Same here in Brazil.
But I consider it to be necessary or helpful if you can afford it. My parent’s cars are all armored. My last couple of cars are not, since my insurance won’t insure older armored cars and I don’t feel comfortable plopping an extra $20k getting a new car armored.
"BvdV - The Dutch Engineer" (dutchengineer)
11/14/2017 at 15:11, STARS: 2
A well known Dutch criminal (Willem Holleeder, known for kidnapping Freddy Heineken, of the beer brand) used to drive armoured an VW Golf and later a Passat, which followed the idea you have. Small-ish car with most powerful engine available (So the VR6 or W8), put some armour on it, and you have a cheap looking car, which is as safe as an armoured BMW or Benz, but way less conspicuous.
This is the actual car, doesn’t look that conspicuous, unless you know what to look for.
"Demon-Xanth knows how to operate a street." (demon-xanth)
11/14/2017 at 15:12, STARS: 3
1966 Imperial. They’re already banned at demolition derbies.
"Spanfeller is a twat" (theaspiringengineer)
11/14/2017 at 15:26, STARS: 0
Well I don’t know man, I think that here its more of a social status thing (Mexico City at least) unless you’re a very important person, say a judge or a politician or a person of general interest I don’t think you should own one. I have had bulletproof cars before and I know I feel less safe inside one (as it’s more likely I’d die in a crash because the crumple zoned are filled with kevlar) than outsife of one.
"Spanfeller is a twat" (theaspiringengineer)
11/14/2017 at 15:30, STARS: 0
I don’t know about that, its all about what the car is designed to withstand in terms of stress. A fiesta is never expected to carry more than 500kg, so adding a 200kg bulletproofing would probably stress the car a lot. Additionally, the change of centre of mass in such a small car would be way steeper than in a car like a grand cherokee.
I could talk for hours about it
"Ash78, voting early and often" (ash78)
11/14/2017 at 15:31, STARS: 1
Well, unless you have 100% covered/protected parking, then you really need to invest in a rolling jetway. I think I’ll start a firm called Corredores Cajafuertes to help support this new industry. You can tow them behind your armored suburban.
Comes with a free lifetime prescription for valium.
Thanks for sharing, this is a part of car culture we don’t get to see much of.
"Spanfeller is a twat" (theaspiringengineer)
11/14/2017 at 15:33, STARS: 0
Thats exactly why I think its a status symbol, no one can be forever bulletproof
"My citroen won't start" (lucasboechat)
11/14/2017 at 15:34, STARS: 0
I can see why the sirens and 4-5 or more levels are too much (here in Brazil you MUST be a judge, politician or POI to have that level or armoring). We normal folk are only allowed 3+ or lower.
But it really is the difference between being shot at a red light at night because a 15 year old kid wants your wallet.
"Spanfeller is a twat" (theaspiringengineer)
11/14/2017 at 15:39, STARS: 0
I guess it depends how unsafe each city is; I don’t know how safe Brazil is, so i’ll just take your word for it. Here in Mexico City it depends by area, all those places I mentioned are basically bubbles filled with cops and nothing happens often. Unless someone wants to hurt you specifically, bulletproofing is uselessand most of the people buying it and private security are just mamando.
"CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever" (carsoffortlangley)
11/14/2017 at 15:44, STARS: 1
Hm, fair points. That’s why your the Aspiring Engineer and I’m just a perspiring adjuster.
"My citroen won't start" (lucasboechat)
11/14/2017 at 15:45, STARS: 0
I guess this is the difference here. The wealthiest areas of São Paulo are the ones to suffer with this the most, especially because most rich areas are surrounded by poorer populations and the income inequality is huge. This is a symptom of a failed society, but it is how it is.
This is all too common here.
!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!
"OmerCarrothers333" (omercarrothers333)
11/14/2017 at 15:48, STARS: 0
After reading this, I wonder when/if the US or Mexico will adopt a “Purge” like in the movies.
Oh, and I agree, it makes more sense to fix the problems in your country than it does to put bulletproof armor on your car.
"Chariotoflove" (chariotoflove)
11/14/2017 at 15:48, STARS: 0
Well wind and road noise should be taken care of, at least.
"Spanfeller is a twat" (theaspiringengineer)
11/14/2017 at 15:50, STARS: 0
Yeah, its all relative I suppose. I’d probably havea different opinion if I lived in Reynosa. But we arrive at the same conclusion that we focus more on protecting ourselves as we let those who cannot become corrupted and dangerous. I do wonder if Mexico or Sao Paulo would be safer if the politicians weren’t allowed high bulletproofing!
"Echo51" (echo2047)
11/14/2017 at 16:26, STARS: 1
I would agree with you on this. You still need to carry all the armor, and it’s a less overall percentage of the weight in a big bulky SUV than a little hatchback that will be more affected by it than the SUV.
"Spanfeller is a twat" (theaspiringengineer)
11/14/2017 at 16:55, STARS: 0
Yeah, a bulky SUV uses more armor but lets look at it this way(The following numbers are just rough estimates)
The quote for a bulletproof mini 5dr hatch was 200KG for a VR4 certificate
The quote for a bulletproof Range Rover Sport was 300KG for a VR4 certificate
but the mini allows for about 400kgs of cargo and the range rover allows for about 600kg.
A jeep grand cherokee (commonly armoured) allows up to 800Kg on stock springs!
Mexico’s Federal Police force buys the Dodge Durango, the jeep GC unibody twin, for its bulletproof vehicular needs.
Surely you can change the springs, but other components (say the unibody/frame) are not easily changeable!
But the mini weighs in at about 1.2t where the range rover weighs in at 2.2t, an armored Mini is 16.5% heavier dry than a normal mini, a bulletproof range rover is about 13% heavier than a normal Range Rover.
You also need to add in that the range rover is made for hauling and offroading, so beyond the spec sheet engineers at JLR expect the range rover to be loaded almost all the time (and towing!) where over at BMW engineers expect a Mini to be mostly empty (save for anything in the boot) unless its moving.
"Spanfeller is a twat" (theaspiringengineer)
11/14/2017 at 17:07, STARS: 1
Oh, yes. Bulletproof cars are whisper quiet inside. (If bulletproofed correctly)
"Spanfeller is a twat" (theaspiringengineer)
11/14/2017 at 17:08, STARS: 1
random militias spark around the country,
Yeah, we’re closer than I’d like to....
"DipodomysDeserti" (dipodomysdeserti)
11/14/2017 at 18:22, STARS: 0
I’ve worked with kids in the US who had no hope of affording any of this protection in Mexico. Their families had to pay cartels whatever little they had to keep family members from being kidnapped or killed. It’s a shame the US doesn’t offer poor Mexicans refugee status. The rich keep up a good enough appearance to convince US politicians it isn’t a failed state. Mexican society is exactly where the rich want it. They see no need to fix it.
"Spanfeller is a twat" (theaspiringengineer)
11/14/2017 at 18:33, STARS: 0
I don’t think you can judge an entire country with more than 120 million people and over 2 million sq km of land by the exploits of some assholes!
While yes we have a lot of problems I don’t think its a problem of capability (as would be in a failed state) after all, we’re a rich country and share a frontier with the richest country (that often helps us fund security).
If the Mexican government wanted to, we would have no narco problem. Not to understate the narcos (they are quite powerful) but they don’t stand a chance against the government and the people that hate them.
Yet I feel as if the drug wars have been absolutely useless if not counterproductive. If we really wanted to get rid of them we would just like, legalize them and actually have border security, you americans simply don’t understand how many of your 2nd amendment guns actually end in the hands of hitmen that murder us!
We could spend a lifetime arguing about solutions to cartels, but the simple truth is that what we have done has not worked, and now we have to answer to a quarter-million people whose lives have been lost to it.
"Tristan" (casselts)
11/14/2017 at 18:51, STARS: 0
Sadly, the 2500 Suburban is no longer offered.
Fun fact: my non-armored 2500 Suburban was originally ordered by a company that builds armored Suburbans. No idea why it was never armored, though.
"Spanfeller is a twat" (theaspiringengineer)
11/14/2017 at 19:02, STARS: 0
Its not called the 3/4 ton anymore, its the HD. You can only get it through GMfleet in the US
The last one, the one significantly more expensive than the others is the Heavy Duty
"Spanfeller is a twat" (theaspiringengineer)
11/14/2017 at 19:10, STARS: 0
"DipodomysDeserti" (dipodomysdeserti)
11/14/2017 at 19:17, STARS: 0
I’m definitely not judging Mexico or Mexicans by the actions of cartels. I built houses in rural Mexico as a teenager and spent a good portion of my youth backpacking in the borderlands between Arizona and Sonora.
I’ve witnessed guys buying up loads of guns, ammo and magazines at southern Arizona gun shows, so I know full well how American’s appetite for firearms and mota has fueled Mexico’s violence.
The cartels have their hands in too many cookie jars to be stopped at this point. The governement knows that which is why they have tried to pick a side. The Mexican military isn’t that much better of an option over the cartels. They’ve gunned down Mexicans in the streets of Mexico City, Oaxaca and Chiapas.
It’s a shit situation and it isn’t getting better anytime soon.
My POV might be a bit different from yours as I’ve only seen Mexico from the POV of its most vulnerable people. Those willing to trek across the Sonoran desert in order to find a better life.
"Tristan" (casselts)
11/14/2017 at 19:26, STARS: 0
Interesting! I learned something today!
"Spanfeller is a twat" (theaspiringengineer)
11/14/2017 at 19:29, STARS: 1
I think it’s a shame that the cartels are given such power. Its a shame my country became what is today, I mourn for it almost daily. But it’s not a failed state.
In quexquichcauh maniz cemanahuac, aic tlamiz, aic polihuiz, in
itenyo, in itauhca Mexihco Tenochtitlan!