Key Takeaways
- SVI Engineering’s AK47 Golf 8 GTI offers B4+ protection, with upgraded windows and a rear bulkhead solution.
- The GTI’s armor adds 750 lbs, includes fender protection for the powertrain, and costs around $35,000, excluding the car itself.
- Package is available for both GTI and R variants of the Golf.
SVI Engineering has revealed the SVI AK47 Golf 8 GTI, and as the name suggests, it’s a VW hot hatch with armoring that can withstand gunfire from an AK47, meaning it will protect occupants against rounds measuring up to 7.62 x 39 mm. The company has applied its armor-plating packages to several off-roaders and SUVs like the Land Cruiser, but in South Africa, where these creations are built, that’s not what the police and private security teams drive. They like the GTI and the Golf R for their nimble handling and sharp acceleration, and SVI’s upgrade offers a good balance between performance and protection.
Custom Armor
SVI’s protection plating is rated as B4+, and the company also upgrades all the windows with ballistic glass. The glass is rated to stop four shots from an AK47 in a 300 mm square, and as you’d expect, the windows can no longer be opened. The exception is the driver window, which can be lowered to around halfway down.
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There’s also a bulkhead solution in the rear that negates the need to armor the tailgate hatch, while a rearview camera with a continuous feed provides a rearward view for the driver. Since the GTI and Golf R’s exteriors are nearly identical, the same 3.5 mm armored steel plating can be applied across both cars’ panels. Composite materials could have been used to save weight, but steel is far more reliable.
The fenders also incorporate some armor to protect the powertrain and enable the driver to continue operating the vehicle for as long as possible, potentially enabling a getaway from attacking undesirables. The only downside to all of this is that the armor adds some 750 lbs worth of extra weight to the GTI. To help deal with that extra mass, the front and rear suspension springs are upgraded, although the company doesn’t mention how. So what does all this cost? ZAR649,500, or a little less than $35,000. That excludes taxes and the cost of the GTI itself, which starts at just under $32,000 in the USA for the 2024 model (pricing for the MY2025 Golf GTI is yet to be announced). Finally, budget three months for the build to be carried out.
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