In the late 16th century, sentinels were charged with guarding the city while its inhabitants slept. It seems a pretty apt name then for Land Rover's first ever armoured vehicle, developed by its own Special Vehicle Operations (SVO) division. The Range Rover Sentinel is based on the design of the British manufacturer's rather opulent Autobiography version, and as such is as well kitted out as it is protected.

Described as a "luxury fortress on wheels," the Range Rover Sentinel will be made to order, and will primarily serve Land Rover's export markets with a suggested price tag of €400 000 (excluding taxes). Given the current exchange rate, local consumers will be looking at R6.2 million, not taking into account importing costs as well.

Apart from the price tag has grabbing attention, what does this armoured Range Rover sport? Well for one, it can handle up to 7.62 mm high velocity ammunition. Added to this, is the ability to withstand 15 kg worth of TNT blasts, as well as DM51 grenade explosions from beneath the vehicle or on the roof.

Couple with the protective capabilities, is an impressive engine. A 3.0 litre V6 supercharged power plant is doing the pulling here, with 253 kW of power to call upon and a specially calibrated ZF 8-speed transmission.

For those interested in getting up close and personal with the Range Rover Sentinel, it will be on show at the Defence and Security Equipment International Show (DSEI) in the UK from 15-18 September. If you can't make it to the UK however, click on the video below, and images of the Sentinel after the break.  

Images courtesy of Land Rover.