From flashy Hummer-like armoured utility vehicles, to sports cars and fully-equipped mobile offices, Russian-made cars motored to the front of the luxury automobile scene at this year’s Top Marques Monaco exclusive car show.
“It’s the first time we’ve had so many Russian exhibitors and that came as a surprise to us. Most of these are young, dynamic and have a lot of money to spend,” said Ahn’na Hargrove, head of communications for the show.
“It’s possible that they’re benefiting from the difficulties other manufacturers are experiencing today” with the global economic downturn, Hargrove told AFP.
The four-day show, which bills itself as the “haute couture” of the auto industry, also offers potential buyers an unique opportunity to test-drive the cars around the Formula 1 race track that snakes through the centre of Monaco, which is home to many racing drivers and millionaires.
Russian cars in the spotlight in Monaco this year are also a far cry from the cheap, basic Ladas that were driven by millions of ordinary citizens in the former Soviet bloc countries.
Their latest models included huge sophisticated juggernauts as well as customized racing cars boasting a host of gadgets and personalized details.
Visitors arriving at the show were greeted by a red and black, five-tonne-monster of a car.
Built by Russia’s Dartz, the Prombron is an ultra-glamorous, armoured car-meets-luxury sports utility vehicle (SUV) that makes no bones about trying to follow in the tyre tracks of the hugely successful Hummer.
“Dartz usually exhibits at military shows but we’re moving steadily towards the luxury end of the market. We’re cutting back on security and putting the focus on fittings and design,” said Igor Daleckis, who has the Dartz concession in France.
The flashy Dartz, however, which boasts heavy steel-plated doors and reinforced glass windows, still offers higher levels of protection than most vehicles on the road today.
Daleckis said that it wasn’t surprising there were so many Russian carmakers at Top Marques Monaco.
“It’s a location where they like to be seen in public,” he noted, referring to Russia’s links with the French Riviera that became home to many Russian aristocrats after the 1917 Bolshevik revolution.
Other Russian vehicles in the spotlight included a light, sporty model presented by Marussia Motors that is the first-ever totally Russian-built sports car aside from the engine, which was supplied by Britain’s Cosworth.
The two-seater coupe with a powerful V6 engine has ambitions to compete with established fast-car makers including Germany’s Porsche and Italy’s Ferrari.
But the low slung, racing-red Russian sports car has still to be launched on the market where it is expected to cost close to 100,000 euros (135,000 dollars), excluding tax.
Other Russian exhibitors included TopCar, a specialist in modifying upmarket cars, which is a much bigger auto sector for the country than manufacturing.
Outfits such as TopCar modify and customize by hand luxurious Porsches, Bentleys, BMWs and Minis to fit car owners’ personal tastes. But services like these don’t come cheap and owners will need to spend a minimum of 250,000 euros to get what they want.
Hyperion, which has a Russian backer, offers customized versions of Britain’s legendary Rolls-Royce Phantom, “relooked” by Italy’s famous high-end customized design firm Pinifarina.
The Hyperion roadster stands out with its delicate, light-blue shimmering paintwork and its luxurious wooden trimmings, which are “just like you what you would find on a yacht,” said project manager Irina Cherkasova.
Another Russian modifier, Depp AT, was at Monaco to promote its “business vans” or “mobile offices” that target businessmen and politicians on the move.
At six metres (20 feet) long, these big, luxurious vans include a large, plush work and relaxation space, flat-screen television, satellite antenna, mini-bar and dark tinted windows.
They offer everything a top businessman or busy politician could want, including discretion.
