There have been rumours flying around about a new Presidential ride for the Russian premiere, Vladimir Putin. But the whole project, named as Project Kortezh, was said to be delayed due to technical reasons to the dismay of us Enthusiasts. But everyone in Moscow was in for a pleasant surprise as they found the president cruising down to the Kremlin in his new wheels, courtesy the Kremlins Special purpose Garage. The Russian president, Mr. Vladimir Putin attended todays appointments in his brand new Russian made extended wheelbase Limo, rather than his Mercedes-Benz S600 Pullman.
During the ceremony, the car could be seen driving through the Kremlin accompanied by nine motorcycle outriders,easily eating up light bumps on the road. The vehicle, with the traditional presidential black color scheme, features a large square-shaped chrome grille, rectangular headlights, chrome accents along its windows and rocker panels, an understated rear, and flashing lights emanating from near the license plate. the overall design of the car seems lto be inspired from Rolls-Royces and Bentleys. The car shares similarities with the RR Ghost from the front with its rectangle headlights and the imposing grille. And as for the rear the car resembles the Bentley Flying Spur.
‘Project Kortezh’, officially called the ‘Unified Modular Platform’, envisions the creation of a family of luxury vehicles, including a limousine, sedan and minivan, based on a single platform. The vehicles, developed by the NAMI State Research Center in cooperation with automotive holding company Sollers, are expected to be marketed under the ‘Aurus’ brand (a blend of the Latin word Aurum, i.e. ‘Gold’ – and Rus, Russia).Putin’s new ride is the first domestically produced vehicle design for a Russian head of state since 1985, when Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev was provided with the Zil-41052, a modernization of the Zil-4104 design created in the late 1970s.
Development of the Kortezh began in 2012, with $197 million invested in the project as of late 2017. In addition to deliveries for top state officials, the vehicles are expected to be made available for sale to the public in small quantities of 250-300 per year starting in 2019, expected to sellbetween $95,500 and $111,500 apiece. In the Russian automotive world, the Kortezh is envisioned as the rebirth of the country’s long-dormant luxury vehicle industry.
Coutesy: sputniknews.com
