Spacious and low-key, Mercedes-Benz Sprinters have become a favorite of DIYers and professionals alike during the current camper-van conversion boom. But both those qualities also make Sprinters excellent platforms for lavish armored vehicles desired by corporate executives, celebrities, and politicians.
AddArmor, a Wyoming-based firm that specializes in transforming normal cars into discreet "mobile safe rooms," recently added the Sprinter to its lineup of armored vehicles. On top of the cost of the vehicle, $28,000 buys you the base "Anti-Intrusion Package" — complete with ballistic glass and custom-fit protection panels to fortify the vehicle's body.
But aside from armoring, AddArmor also offers customers a vast array of optional security features, like sirens, a smokescreen system, or a night-vision system. And that all makes sense, given that the company was founded by former US Special Mission Unit Commander Pete Blaber and is staffed by former law enforcement and security professionals.
Blaber had his first brush with armored vehicles while serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, during which time he led a military research project that worked to develop lighter armoring and ballistic glass, he told Business Insider. Now, AddArmor outfits its vehicles with armoring that's considerably lighter and stronger than traditional ballistic steel, building more than 10,000 cars over the last 12 years, Blaber said.
"The freedom to move around and get places is a key element of being completely secure," Blaber said in the van's announcement.
Plus, buyers who spring for the "Executive Protection Package" can opt for tons of luxury features or even turn their Sprinter into a highly secure camper van, with a bed, kitchen, and bathroom.
Take a closer look at AddArmor's new Sprinter below.