Photo: Stepan Schumacher | US

Perhaps this will be the most unusual display of a new car. The debut of the firstborn of the Cortege family - and officially it is called EMP ("Unified Modular Platform") - is likely to coincide with the inauguration of the President of Russia. The cortege starts with the presidential limousine EMP-412311, and ends with "light" base sedan EMP-412300. However, it still begins with this sedan ...

We traveled on EMP prototypes, but it's too early to share our impressions: finishing work is in full swing. But we can talk about the fact that "the first Russian high-class car created from scratch" was developed ... From the heel. From the right heel of the driver!

If usually automotive designers are set on the right path by marketers, then in this case a link was added to marketing in the person of the customer of the main versions: technical task on the armored "board number one" - the Ministry of Industry and Trade claimed. Of course, the presidential limousine is only a part of the EMP project, but, firstly, the most important part, and secondly, all EMP cars are largely unified with each other. So the genes of the presidential limousine will be carried by each model of the Cortege. And do not say that this is an easy burden.

Do you know why, for example, a rich man executive sedan multimedia system- without integration of Apple CarPlay or Android Auto interfaces? For security reasons, to eliminate the risk of data leakage when connecting the phone to the car! The refusal of the touchscreen is explained not only by the desire to avoid sloppy prints in the midst of varnished splendor, but also by the inability to use it with back row. The interface itself is extremely concise - so that you do not have to wander through it with rare use. These cars are unlikely to be stuck in traffic jams, and drivers are unlikely to be allowed to while away the waiting time wandering through multimedia interfaces.

A “horizontal” structure was chosen for the interior architecture. The maximum number of components and parts, such as the instrument cluster, steering wheel, multimedia and climate control units, seat structure, deflectors, will be unified for -EMP cars. In the decoration - a symbiosis of natural materials (wood with "open pore", leather of natural colors and textures) with metals, glass and plastic

So, in the end, the driver had an “automatic” lever, a volume knob, hot keys for essential functions (louder, warmer, smoother, faster) and a multimedia control joystick washer at hand. Through the driver's interface, you can manage the "music", climate control and seat settings, including massage, although the rear passenger remote control has priority.

The leather-wrapped gear selector lever will remain in its usual place - on the tunnel. All options are beautiful, but it is not clear: is this shape for the top grip or for the side grip?

Devices in the current fashion are virtual, but with a “pointer” design and large numbers (the design of the shield, like the multimedia system, is domestic development). The location of the transmission selector is conservative, without Mercedes liberties. However, the two-spoke steering wheel itself is very reminiscent of that on the S-class: even the “music” control is located on the right, and the cruise control is on the left. Although the driver turns to “music” much more often, which means, in theory, it is better to entrust control to the left hand, which, unlike the right, is almost always on the steering wheel.

In the course of the search for the optimal steering wheel, several samples were made, and in the end they settled on a steering wheel with two spokes, which is not immediately distinguishable from a Mercedes one. Unless the German is not circularly round, but is barely flattened from the sides along two chords

The design is also assembled from the wishes of the customer - from the front manners of the "one hundred and first" ZIS (but no references to Brezhnev's ZILs!) To the notes of "government offices" in the cabin. Although the designers interior decoration EMP sedans are designed to resemble a modern living room: a lot of wood and extensive free surfaces.

They tried to reflect the features of the brand and, in general, Russian design in the patterns of the knurling of the shifters - they say the pattern was inspired by the domes of St. Basil's Cathedral

The back of the rear sofa can be tilted back by 45 degrees (of course, the electric drive!), However, the ottoman footrest was abandoned: it threatens an awkward hitch during a stately exit from the car.

Standard back angle rear seat- 27 degrees, and when reclining to the Relax position, it increases to 45 degrees

All EMP sedans will have a crossover ground clearance 200 mm. Remember how Barack Obama's Cadillac Presidential lay on its belly while going through the ramp? So, even for a limousine, the so-called ramp angle will be no less than for a short-wheelbase Mercedes S-class. Helpful and non-alternative four-wheel drive, albeit not with a mechanical differential, but with a clutch responsible for supplying traction to the front wheels. If the car, which is unlikely, runs aground, then it will pull itself out.

And all the cars of the EMP project will be hybrids - with an electric motor built between the engine and transmission. But not for the sake of ecology or economy: a hybrid scheme is also a way to increase the survivability of a car by eliminating - drive belts and mounted units. The electric machine (as it is called in NAMI) of the hybrid transmission plays the role of a starter and a generator, the gas distribution mechanism and the power steering pump are driven by a chain, and the vacuum pump is driven by a camshaft. The electric machine also allows the possibility of movement exclusively on electric traction - in order to maintain mobility in case of damage to the main engine.

It would seem that it is necessary to develop such a car “from the back sofa”. But then the design would be carried out not just from scratch, but contrary to all the canons of the automotive industry. So from an engineering point of view, the EMP family is still built around the driver, more precisely, around the heel of his right foot when it lies on the gas pedal.

From small to large: A motorcade with its range of “comfortable” height would be convenient for both the short British queen (Elizabeth II has a height of 163 cm) and the lanky Donald Trump (191 cm)

For designers, this is one of the two main points of the machine. In the industry, it is commonly called AHP, Accelerator Heel Point. In the case of the EMP family, it was with it that the “zero” of the vertical coordinate axis Z was combined, although the binding of other axes is quite traditional: the “zero” of the transverse Y axis lies on the longitudinal plane of symmetry, and the beginning of the horizontal axis X will coincide with the center of the front wheels. The second important point is usually denoted by the letter H (among other variants of the name - Hip Point), and it is located on the axis of the driver's hip joint.

Curiously, for linkers, the vertical distance between these points is a criterion for various types of landing. If it is in the range from 135 mm to 180 mm, then the fit is considered sporty. The height difference for a “normal” passenger car is up to 300 mm. A distance from 300 mm to 350 mm is a sign of a minivan or crossover. And if the H point is higher than AHP up to 400 mm, this is already a sign of a minibus, serious SUV or truck.

This is the key sketch of the massive front seat in the basic configuration, on the basis of which several options for an optional cut will be offered in the future. In the deliberately lush upper part of the back (“boyar collar”), just behind the headrest, a barely noticeable, but rather deep and “grasping” recess is made to help the rear passengers get out

In this sense, an EMP sedan with 327 mm between the AHP and H points is quite a "crossover". That is, in relation to the floor of the car, the driver is higher than in “ordinary” sedans, but at the same time his legs are slightly bent. But almost the same landing in the EMP-412500 minivan, and in the EMP-412410 crossover with the manners of an SUV. This, by and large, is the "unity" and "modularity" of all models of the project, and many other common solutions are a consequence of the chosen unified fit. Of course general engines, transmissions, suspensions and electrical systems also reduce costs, including design labor. But the overall fit makes it possible to unify the body as much as possible along with the seats. By the way, engineers compare the complexity of developing chairs with the hassle of creating an engine.

Landing of the motorcade driver is higher than in limousines Mercedes S-class and Rolls-Royce Phantom. But among SUVs, there are options with a “more commanding” landing - for example, Range Rover

So, for EMP sedans, crossovers and minivans, both the front doorways and the slope of the pillar are very close windshield. This, by the way, made the designers sweat, because the location and slope of the sedans pillar turned out to be not the most advantageous from an aesthetic point of view: the pillar “shoots” into the front overhang, and not into the center front wheel making the nose bulky. It took several cosmetic manipulations to visually correct this nuance and create the impression of a large “prestige distance”, that is, the distance between the front axle and the passenger compartment.

In addition, the EMP family also has a common body floor, and if in most cars the floor, together with the thresholds, can be compared with a trough, at the bottom of which the seats are fixed, then here the thresholds protrude downward. This made it possible to hide pipes and other underground facilities behind removable protective screens, simultaneously protecting and cardan shaft, and a muffler. In addition, the shields are an excellent aerodynamic aid. And as a bonus - a decrease in the height of the central tunnel of the floor. However, this is not critical, because the rear seats are exclusively for two, and a couple of referents in a six-seater limousine will traditionally be placed on folding straps.

Thanks to the “inverted” thresholds, the step in the Cortege rises above the mat by only two centimeters, while in the S-class Mercedes (left) it rises by nine

And yes, with such an “inverted” floor, you don’t need to move your legs over the threshold: if in the S-Class Mercedes the threshold step rises nine centimeters above the rug, then in the Cortege it is barely noticeable two.

On the other hand, the fundamental point H was about 50 mm higher in relation to the floor than in the same S-class, and in relation to the ground - more than 100 mm. But when leaving high machine the supporting leg, in search of the earth's firmament, bends more strongly at the knee joint, which increases the risk of contact of the lower leg with the threshold. Fortunately, in the case of the Cortege, the thresholds are a priori clean, since the door panels reach their lower edges and are adjacent to the seal. Yes, and the seat cushion, most likely, will “land” a little (now they are looking for a Russian supplier of good-quality chairs), but for now, seat elements from foreign cars are used on prototypes. But in any case, both the massager and the back of the sofa with a variable angle of inclination will remain.

And yet, in terms of technology, the EMP family has a lot of differences. For example, armored and conventional vehicles differ in suspension and undercarriage down to the wheel hubs. In protected vehicles (they are called “heavy” here), they are designed for a mass of more than five tons, and special 20-inch tires from the Nizhnekamsk Tire Plant are shod on wheels with a bulletproof insert that allows you to continue moving with a puncture or lumbago. For “civilian” sedans weighing up to 3.5 tons, tires for Krasnoyarsk K&K wheels will be ordinary, and although the suspensions are architecturally similar, aluminum is used instead of steel levers, and air springs are used instead of springs. And reducer rear axle designed for lower torque.

Industrial espionage? Nowadays, it is not at all necessary to purchase analogues: there are several agencies in the world that are ready, at the request of the customer, to disassemble any car into molecules, and at the same time take pictures and drawings of the elements of interest, conduct a material science examination ... One of these companies is A2Mac1 with branches in several countries. The picture shows the anatomy of the Mercedes S-Class threshold. However, NAMI still bought a couple of "analogues" - all-wheel drive Mercedes S 500 and two Panameras - Turbo S and Hybrid

The common engine for "short" sedans, SUVs and minivans, as we have already said, will be a 4.4-liter V8 petrol (600 hp and 880 Nm) with an aluminum block and two turbochargers. And the limousines will receive a V12 engine with four turbochargers with a capacity of as much as 860 hp. (torque about 1000 Nm), although it is possible that at first its place will be taken by the V8 engine.

The "automatic" for all cars will be the same - a nine-speed planetary gearbox R932 of the Russian company KATE with a torque of up to 1000 Nm. It is curious that there is no traditional torque converter here: smooth switching is ensured by slipping of the clutches and the same electric machine, which in transient conditions can throw up a “smoothing” torque.

The first to appear are sedans (both “heavy”, armored, and “light”), along with them minibuses (MPV) and, of course, limousines. It is expected that in 2018, 100 cars will be assembled on the stocks of NAMI, and the estimated annual capacity when working in one shift is about 150 cars.

On May 7, 2018, during his inauguration, Vladimir Putin drove up to the Grand Kremlin Palace in the newest domestic limousine Cortege project. Now again, the elite of our country has received its domestic vehicles. All news, therefore, to the most interesting project, photos and specifications, you will find in the material below. And let's start, as usual, with history.

History of executive cars in Russia

Before the Great Patriotic War, the USSR, in fact, did not have its own auto industry. Although, of course, this is still not entirely accurate, the auto industry was, but it was entirely aimed at the production of trucks for the needs of the army. Cars, and only one model, GAZ-M, the famous Emka, was produced in Gorky, a modern Nizhny Novgorod and, of course, despite all its merits, as government limousine, could not be used. At that time, the top leadership of the USSR used foreign-made limousines. In particular, Stalin drove an American Packard 120 Twelve.

Of course, even before the war, the top Soviet leadership raised the question that it would not be bad to have your own government car. But then, at the level of conversations, everything ended, there were more pressing issues.

After the war, the USSR emerged from world political isolation, Soviet leaders began to travel to various international forums and conferences, and the issue of prestige became important. And it directly depends on many factors, including the availability of our own government cars.

In 1945, the first soviet car for senior management - ZIS-110. Of course, in fairness, it should be noted that the car did not appear out of the blue; before the war, the ZIS-101 was produced in small batches. Here is the deeply modernized "101st" and received the index 110. And it was this car that received a characteristic, memorable design, the features of which are easily guessed in the modern "Cortege".

From that moment on, throughout the history of the USSR, top leaders, and indeed any level, drove exclusively on cars of their own production. However, in 1991, the USSR broke up into 15 fragments, which, in fact, turned out to be in the position of colonies. At this time, everything connected with the USSR began to be defame, and was perceived extremely negatively. It was at this time that the leaders of all the fragments called republics and moved to foreign cars, the vast majority of Mercedes, which became synonymous with respectability and high status.

In the "zero" years in Russia, a process called "getting up from your knees" took place. Russia has really changed its status and again fully entered the club of "great powers". It was at this time that there was talk that it was unsuitable for a “great” country to use foreign cars. But no suitable vehicle not released in Russia. And then it was decided to develop such a car from scratch and start its production in the same place where government cars were produced in the USSR, at the Likhachev plant, nee ZIS.

The history of the development of the project "Cortege"

Despite the fact that the idea of ​​​​reviving the production of executive cars has always been around, something concrete in this direction appeared in 2010. It was in this year, then Russian President Dmitry Medvedev sent a request to the Moscow plant named after Likhachev about the possibility of producing a new executive car for the president of the country. The management, at that time a dilapidated plant, answered evasively, saying that by the end of 2010 a concrete answer would be given. At the same time, some designer models appeared on the network, which, as it turned out later, had nothing to do with factory developments.

What the ZiL leadership answered in 2011 or 2012 is not known for certain. But with a high degree of probability, it can be assumed that the answer was negative, since the plant had already been completely destroyed and it could no longer start producing at least something.

But the idea remained, and Russia, which had enough funds to implement such an ambitious project, was determined to bring it to the end.

Project competition

In 2013, a design project competition "Car for the President" was announced. The competition was held by the CarDesign.ru portal, the NAMI Institute, and the company Marussia Motors, which has already died in Bose. 120 projects were submitted to the competition, of which 40 were made by professional designers and 80 by amateur designers.

The first place was taken by the project of the duet of designers Yaroslav Yakovlev and Bernd Wiil:

The project received a lot of positive feedback. Here are some of them:

Alexander Sorokin:

“Mostno is perhaps the most interesting project in terms of possible implementation. True, the interior is not well developed - there is not enough space for the main passengers and the console cuts the interior.

Viktor Bragin:

“Quality traditional limousine style. (slightly archaic) design solution limousine. SUVs and minivans don't mesh well with the main vehicle.)

Alexander Zakharov:

“A very spectacular and well-designed project, but even in it, the compositional solution with a long hood and a short cabin is subject to visual dynamics. Here, comfort - the main advantage of a limousine - is sacrificed for the sportiness of the silhouette. From every angle, this car looks like a sports coupe.”

Gennady Tishkin:

“Advantages: Harmonious plasticity of surfaces, expressive stylistic solutions for details, excellent presentation. Disadvantages: A controversial decision with a vertical windshield, from which the proportions suffered - the car did not become a "limousine".

The second place was also taken by the duet - Ivan Volkov and Yuri Baskakov.

The project, although not perfect, also had a number of positive reviews:

Alexander Sorokin:

“Very good, the disadvantage is that there are no places for escorts.”

Viktor Bragin:

“Powerful. Excellent sense of form, worked out the details.

(Orthogonal projections don't match perspective images at all.)"

Maxim Chashchin:

"Despite the poor side view, everything else is a solid four."

Alexander Zakharov:

“One of the most interesting projects both in terms of its sense of scale and originality. The main advantage of the project and the main accent of the composition is the molding on the side surface of the body, namely, the main “facade” of the limousine is located on the side.”

Gennady Tishkin:

“Advantages: Interesting solutions, both front and rear of the limousine. Clear modern shaping. Disadvantages: The presentation is technical, but not demonstrative, the jeep with the minivan is poorly designed.

In third place is the project of a foreigner - Marcel Sebastien.

To be honest, I don't know what country he's from. But what is curious and strange is that he took our famous Seagull as the basis for his project, and it seems to me that he treated her legacy very carefully and stylishly and made a very good project. Which in my opinion is the best of those that were presented.

Viktor Bragin:

“Sporty and moderately aggressive. (Secondary plastic and styling design, borrowed from Porsche, I think)."

Alexander Zakharov:

“A beautiful, elegant car with a modern take on the style of the Gorky classic cars. A little sugary, but elegant and stylish family under the classic Chaika brand. Too elegant for armored vehicles."

Gennady Tishkin:

“The car, of course, is not for the President, but perhaps for the Prime Minister. Advantages: A successful demonstration of the modern vision of the classic Soviet limousine "Chaika". The stylistic commonality of the sedan, jeep and minivan, provided by an interesting front end architecture. Good presentation. Weaknesses: Falls short of Presidential Limousine status.

It would be possible to finish on this, but I cannot but tell about the project that took fourth place, which actually turned out to be the winner, since the main customer, Russian President Vladimir Putin, liked it.

So, the fourth place was taken by our compatriot Sergey Fedulov.

And he made his project based on another famous our government machine, the ZiSa-110.

There was only one review for this project:

Gennady Tishkin:

Advantages: The original presentation of the "New ZIS-110". Clear shaping. Good presentation. Weaknesses: Sometimes there is too much "retro", for example, in the line framing both the windshield and side windows. There is no interior at all.

After that, work on the car began to boil and led to the result, which we observed on May 7, 2018. Next, consider the limousine of the Cortege project, which is called under the microscope.

Appearance

So, what the car should have turned out to be, we understood from the story above, now it remains to evaluate how close the result is to the designer's idea.

First of all, what needs to be said is that the new presidential car will not be ZIL. For the entire Cortege project, a separate brand was invented - Aurus, which stands for Russian Gold(gold in Latin - Aurum).

It is also important to know that Aurus limousines are the largest serial cars in the world. Their sizes are:

• Length - 6620 mm;
• Width - 2000 mm;
• Height - 1695 mm;
• Clearance - 200 mm.

As for appearance, just before the show of the Russian novelty, the following images of it went on the net:

Here you can clearly see the reference to the memorable ZiSu-110 and it is guessed thanks to the massive radiator grille and beautiful decorative, triple, chrome-plated, moldings located, just like on the Stalinist limousine.

The fact that the limousine will have exactly this look was confirmed at the very end of 2015. Then NAMI hosted a demonstration of models of future cars, and photos from this presentation can be seen above. Everything seemed to be decided with the appearance, but on May 7 we saw not quite the car that we expected.

Decorative chrome moldings, thanks to which the car had a historical appearance, disappeared somewhere, and powerful brake ventilation channels took their place. In terms of design, in my opinion, the solution is unsuccessful. Without this element, now the car has become indistinguishably similar to the Rolls-Royce Phantom and has lost the lion's share of its originality.

No matter how sad it was, apparently, in this case, design refinements were sacrificed for technical functionality. With a probability of 90%, I can assume that the heavy 6.5 ton car had insufficient braking and for this I had to make powerful ventilation ducts, which took the place of the decor. And when the decor on the front was removed, we realized that it was not really needed on the sidewalls. Without front moldings on the side projection, this design element will look anachronistic. Although, it seems to me, it was possible to keep this element and make ventilation ducts. Chrome-plated decorative strips could well have been superimposed over the ventilation slots. But this is my personal subjective opinion. Actually, this review of the front end can be completed and proceed to the study of the lateral projection of the car.

Usually, cars in the back of a limousine look awkward. And this is explained simply, first a regular-sized machine is developed, and then it is lengthened. However, the Cortege, or rather the Aurus, is devoid of this drawback, the car looks harmonious and stylish. And this is easily explained, it was developed immediately, just like a limousine. That ordinary sedans can look heavy. But we'll see them when they show up.

As for the decorative elements, the coat of arms of Russia on the central pillar looked very interesting. However, for some reason, Putin's limousine lost this element. Probably the designers, and maybe the main customer himself, considered this element to be too much. But this is a matter of taste.

Let's move on to the review, the back of the car. In 2015, when models of cars of the Cortege project were presented at NAMI, everyone saw very interesting rear lights on the limousine model.

However, the back of the car presented at the inauguration had completely different taillights. It can be immediately noted that the rear part has been simplified. Why did they do it, God knows. But parking lights on the layout, and the whole back looked much more interesting. Although, in principle, this element of the exterior on general impression practically no effect on the car.

As for the appearance of the minivan and crossover, these cars have not yet been presented. There is information that we will see them in June 2018, when Putin arrives at the opening of the Crimean bridge. True, the minivan has already lit up and you can see photos on the net.

No one has yet seen a running sample. But there are images of the layout. True, we must not forget that the layout, apparently, will be different from a commodity car. For example, with a probability of 90%, we can assume that there will be no decor below the headlights, most likely, there will also be ventilation ducts for the brake system.

This or almost this will look like an SUV created as part of the Cortege project

The first running model of the future presidential car was shown to the head of state four years ago. From what the whole country saw today, the prototype differs by 90 percent.

The competition for the appearance of the future limousine No. 1 was held back in 2013. No one limited the imagination of designers. Some represented it as a futuristic sports car, others as a modern version of the Brezhnev ZIL, and still others as something from Batman comics. As a result, the idea of ​​the NAMI Automobile Institute won.

Yuri Chernenko, head of the design department of FSUE NAMI: “We chose such a post-war car for the first persons of the state as the basis - ZIS-110. It had a very characteristic architecture: it was a vertical lattice and a “mustache” diverging to the sides. And this idea formed the basis of our initial classical images.

As it was called in engineering circles, this is not only a presidential limousine. This is also a sedan, SUV and minivan. It was necessary to design and assemble them from scratch, which has not yet been done in modern Russia. NAMI has become an advanced Russian engineering center. And throughout the country and abroad, factories began to receive orders classified as "secret".

Denis Manturov, Acting Minister of Industry and Trade of Russia: "150 enterprises with their teams are participating in this project, ranging from leather produced by the Ryazan tannery, and these are plastics, this is the production of protected wheels, which for the first time began to be produced in our country."

The heart of the car is a hybrid engine, that is, both gasoline and electric, with a power of 600 Horse power, as in good sports cars. Another hundred "horses" on hard acceleration add a power generator.

Vadim Pereverzev, chief designer of the project "Unified Modular Platform" FSUE "NAMI": "As an example, I can say that this generator can supply electricity to several residential buildings. because modern car, especially of such a class as ours, is saturated with various devices, executive mechanisms, servo drives. The energy consumption is very high."

The name came to mind right away. There were options for the names of Russian cities, rivers and even birds. As a result, the president moved from Mercedes to Aurus. This is a compilation of the words Aurum (lat. "gold") and Russia (Russia).

Denis Manturov: "If we talk about the models, then they are by the names of the towers in the Kremlin: "Senate", "Arsenal" and "Commandant".

Before special vehicles are transferred to a special purpose garage, they go through more than one hundred and even a thousand kilometers of tests in order to understand how they will behave in one or another traffic situation. For example, one of the exercises imitates a side kick in rear axle car.

Another element of counter-emergency preparation is to avoid obstacles. The role of the obstacle was fulfilled NTV reporter Alexei Polyakov. The cars were moving at a speed of more than 60 km / h and parted when they were only one and a half meters from the journalist.

The first thing that catches your eye when studying a presidential limousine is, of course, ground clearance or ground clearance. It is 20 centimeters, and both the limousine and the sedan.

The NTV correspondent also found out what kind of detail is visible on front fender VIP cars. It turns out that this is a stub for a flagpole. A small all-round camera is installed on the rear-view mirror below, which is displayed on the central display.

"Cortege" is domestic project for the production of premium cars. Officially, it is called the development of a single modular platform. The project is being implemented by the NAMI Institute, and assistance is provided by Porsche and Bosch. Production is planned on this platform:

• limousines;
• sedans;
• minibuses;
• SUVs.

This project attracts special attention by the fact that the country's number one car, a limousine for the president, was created on the basis of the developed base. The first copies of limousines are already beginning to arrive at the government garage. The sedan of the Cortege series is due to complete sea trials at the Dmitrovsky test site in early 2018, while the minibus and SUV are preparing for the start of testing.

It is planned that the first 16 limousines and sedans will go to the special garage during the first quarter of this year, and by the end of the year the number of cars produced will be 200 units. Thus, the beginning of 2018 should be considered the date of release of new domestic premium cars "Cortege".

The design of the presidential limousine could be seen for the first time on the website of Rospatent, where the applications of the NAMI Institute for industrial designs of cars for the first persons of the state are registered. Later, photos and videos of cars of the Cortege series appeared in various information and specialized publications. On the presented materials, you can clearly see the external image of new products.

Created by the first of the Cortege family, the presidential car has the design of a classic three-volume limousine and is characterized by:

• large dimensions;
• hood with embossed stamping;
• grille from the radiator in a light border;
• rectangular headlights;
• front bumper with built-in additional air intakes;
• enlarged side windows in a light frame;
• round arches for 20-inch wheels;
• a straight line of the roof, smoothly passing to the stern of the car;
• enlarged rear lights;
• large trunk lid;
• two trapezoidal diffusers from the exhaust system.

The model in the performance of a sedan has an almost identical appearance with a limousine, but reduced in size.

The design of the minibus and SUV in the front part resembles a limousine, and the design of the front and rear parts of these models correspond to the classic forms of premium cars of this class, with a predominance of straight lines.

Interior

If the appearance of the cars of the Cortege series of 2018 is widely presented in various publications, then the most complete image and description of the interior is presented, at the moment, for a limousine.

In the front driver's compartment stand out:

• center console with displays from the information and control systems of the car with an anti-glare visor;
• multifunctional four-spoke steering wheel with the coat of arms of the Russian Federation;
• large anatomical chairs with lateral support and headrests;
• high tunnel with four-wheel drive transmission controls and a wide armrest.

The passenger part of the cabin with wide doors is divided into a pair of compartments, which are set opposite each other with two comfortable chairs and two sofas with large armrests.

The following materials are presented in the interior design:

• Genuine Leather;
• carbon;
• polished wood;
• polished light metal;
• soft floor covering;
• a large number of chrome edging of various elements.

Also, images of the coat of arms of Russia are applied to the inner surface of both doors.

Technical parameters and equipment

To complete the limousines, a twelve-cylinder turbocharged engine with a capacity of 850 forces is provided, and an all-wheel drive transmission will receive a nine-speed automatic transmission. This will allow a car with a length of 6.80 m, a height of 1.68 m, a width of 2.00 m and a weight of 6.0 tons (armored version) to reach speeds of almost 250 km / h, and accelerate up to 100 km in 7.1 sec.\

The following gasoline power units are intended for equipping with other modifications of the series:

• eight-cylinder V-shaped, with a capacity of 650 liters. With.;
• four-cylinder in-line 250 forces.

With all engines in the transmission, the already mentioned automatic transmission and six-speed mechanics will be installed.

Cortege vehicles will be richly equipped with modern equipment and systems for safety and driver assistance, as well as the following equipment options:

1. "Exclusive" (armored version);
2. "Premium";
3. "Lux";
4. "Business";
5. "Luxury".

Production and cost

The production of Cortege cars will begin in Russia in 2018. At the same time, the production of commercial vehicles for free sale is planned by the end of the year. Limousines, sedans and minibuses will be manufactured at the Likinsky Automobile Plant (GAZ Group), while SUVs will be assembled at the UAZ plant in Ulyanovsk (Sollers). In 2019, the release of the Cortege series should be up to 500 units. In the future, it is planned to increase the number, and the brand will be promoted by a joint venture created by NAMI and Sollers

In addition, from 2019 it will be possible to order a car of any modification and in any design, and the price, depending on the choice, will be from 6.0 to 25.0 million rubles.

What is this car

The limousine is built on the United modular platform, developed by FSUE NAMI by order of the Ministry of Industry and Trade. As part of the Cortege project, for several years NAMI has been designing a new architecture, on which not only the presidential limousine is based, but also escort vehicles - a sedan and a minivan. It was also planned to build a crossover on this chassis, but work on it.

Unlike an armored limousine, which only the head of state is entitled to, a platform sedan and minivan will also be used by other officials. In addition, next year these cars will go on free sale under.

He's a hybrid

As part of the project, FSUE NAMI, together with Porsche Engineering, has also developed a whole family of modular engines for Cortege vehicles. The most powerful of them is an aluminum V12 with four turbines (one supercharger for every 3 cylinders), direct injection fuel and variable valve timing system. It was demonstrated at the NAMI booth at the Moscow Motor Show back in 2016.

With a volume of 6.6 liters, the engine produces 850 hp. and 1320 Nm of torque. However, this unit is still being fine-tuned, so a less powerful 4.4-liter V8 (600 hp and 880 Nm) was installed under the hood of Putin's limousine, which was almost completely developed by the Germans from Porsche. By the way, a car with any of the engines is not purely gasoline, but a hybrid. Paired with each engine is an electric motor-generator, which allows both saving fuel and increasing the output of the power plant for a short period of time.

He has a Russian "automatic" and four-wheel drive

Paired with power plant limousine running nine-speed automatic transmission transmission, developed by the Moscow company KATE. In terms of design, it is similar to the boxes that are installed on some Mercedes-AMG models. Its peculiarity is that the "automatic" does not have the usual torque converter. Instead, a “wet” clutch is installed, which is controlled by electronics.

The drive of the car is complete. The lion's share of traction is transmitted to the rear wheels, and a small part to the front through an electronically controlled multi-plate clutch.

It is produced in Moscow

The car, on which the president left for the inauguration, was assembled in the production workshops of FSUE NAMI in Moscow. All 16 cars were also manufactured at the institute's facilities, which were transferred to the Special Purpose Garage (GON) of the FSO at the beginning of the year. Here, at the first stage, the rest of the cars will be produced.

Approximately 70 cars will be assembled - they will be handed over to officials before the end of the year. In the future, FSUE NAMI and Sollers will build a special joint venture that will produce Cortege vehicles. It will start operating in 2019. In total, it is planned to produce about 300 cars a year.

You can buy it, but it is very expensive

After the start of production at the joint venture, the cars will go on sale under the Aurus brand. The name is formed from the initial syllables of the words Aurum (lat. gold) and Russia (lat. Russia).

Each of the models of the newly minted Aurus brand will receive its own name. The cars will be named after the Kremlin towers. Thus, the sedan and limousine will be called "Senate", the minivan - "Arsenal", and the SUV, which will be released significantly later - "Commandant". It is expected that car prices will start from 6 million rubles. They plan to sell cars not only in Russia, but also, in particular, in the UAE and China.