Ever since Pope John Paul II was the target of as assassination attempt in 1981, the so-called Popemobile has been fitted with extra defenses to keep the leader of the Catholic church safe in transit. The Telegraph has an extremely interesting breakdown of the Popemobile, going over its clever uses of Kevlar, hydraulic seats, and three” “plastic glass.”
According to the story, the Popemobile is based on a Mercedes-Benz M-class, but that’s where its similarities to a consumer car ends. The vehicle was specially designed with two kind of contradictory needs, “safety and visibility.”
The Popemobile’s body is Kevlar-plated half-inch thick plate steel, and its windows are three-inch thick plastic glass. The vehicle can withstand explosives, and it also has an air filter to protect occupants against biological attacks. In all, the vehicle can reach speeds of 70 mph even though it weighs five tons.
The Popemobile is one of the iconic vehicles of the world, and it shows well how Kevlar and steel can combine to create something special.
