PM department says Anwar’s BMW 7 Series Protection is temporary; Merc S580e fr Agong under maintenance

The Malaysian prime minister’s department (JPM) has released a statement regarding the use of a BMW 7 Series Protection by prime minister Anwar Ibrahim. In it, the agency stated that the armoured vehicle was not the premier’s official car, but rather an existing government asset that was loaned by the International Conference Ceremonies and Secretariat Division (BIUPA).

Apparently, the bulletproof BMW was specified for use by foreign heads of state, presidents and prime ministers on official visits to Malaysia, in line with international protocol and safety requirements. That was why the car was chosen, as it could withstand high-caliber ballistics, explosions and drone strikes, JPM said.

It continued that the car was temporarily being used by the prime minister on the advice of the police, as the official vehicle that was gifted by Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar was undergoing maintenance. Prior to this 7 Series Protection, it was previously reported that Anwar had been seen in what looked like a standard-issue W223 Mercedes-Benz S580e, registered to the king.

Given the plug-in hybrid luxury sedan’s reported reliability issues, the explanation actually makes sense somewhat. No such problems with the 7 Series Protection, which is powered by an S68 4.4 litre twin-turbo V8 making 530 PS and 750 Nm of torque, mated to a 48-volt mild hybrid system, an eight-speed ZF auto and xDrive all-wheel drive.

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