Well, everything seems to be working. Yes, we've been talking about this for a long time. At first, I somehow could not believe it - again, another "project in the nightstand." But then they mentioned that Putin in 2018 should drive such cars at the inauguration. Then we discussed.

And yesterday it was reported that the production of a pilot pre-production batch of cars based on the Unified Modular Platform (SMP, project "Cortege") has begun.

According to the message of the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation, the Minister of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation Denis Manturov visited NAMI, where he held a meeting in connection with the start of the assembly of a pilot pre-production batch of cars within the framework of the project.

At the same time, the minister expressed confidence that "the latest developments underlying the Unified Modular Platform will largely determine the future of the Russian automotive industry and its positioning on the world stage."

“On the one hand, we are creating a modern design school based on the most advanced technologies and design approaches. On the other hand, we are entering a new premium automotive segment. production of the component base," said Manturov, whose words are quoted in the message.

As the Ministry of Industry and Trade told Interfax, the meeting took place on November 10, and production started at the same time.

The ministry notes that the first stage of the project provides for the creation of production facilities on the basis of FSUE NAMI, designed for a volume of 150-200 vehicles, including special versions, some of which will go on free sale in late 2018 - early 2019 . New cars will be presented in sedan, limousine and minivan. The second stage involves the production of a commercial series of cars with a volume of 5,000 or more units per year "using large-scale production capacities of partner enterprises."

New cars will be presented in sedan, limousine and minivan. The second stage involves the production of a commercial series of cars with a volume of 5,000 units per year using large-scale production capacities of partner enterprises.
The machines will be equipped with engines with a capacity of 250 Horse power, a 650-horsepower V8 and a four-turbocharged twelve-cylinder unit capable of delivering about 850 horsepower. The car is also equipped with a nine-speed automatic transmission gears.

Earlier it was reported that the development and production of domestic cars based on a single modular platform that ensures the creation of vehicles for the transportation and escort of the first persons of the state, is estimated at 8.051 billion rubles. The corresponding purchase from a single supplier was placed at the end of November on the public procurement portal of the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation. The contract was expected to be completed by December 31, 2016.

The project is being implemented by order of the Government of the Russian Federation dated February 6, 2014. The main task is to develop a modern platform, the components of which domestic automakers could include in the design own machines. Approximately 5% of the total volume of produced cars will be for special vehicles for the first persons of the state.

Manturov previously also stated that off-road vehicles on the Kortezh platform would be produced by the Sollers group at the facilities of Ulyanovsky LLC. car factory(part of Sollers). In addition, the production of several lines of premium and business class cars will be organized.

But just a few days ago they showed a motorcycle of the Cortege project on the Sochi Formula 1 track

The Izh concept bike was tested on the Formula 1 track in Sochi. Motorcycle dimensions - 2900 x 940 x 1250 mm. Weight - 510 kg. Max speed- 250 km / h. Acceleration to 100 km / h takes 3.5 seconds. boxer engine develops 150 hp and 180 Nm.

Maxim Valerievich Nagaitsev(45 years old) graduated from Moscow State Technical University. N.E. Bauman; worked his way up from an engineer to the CEO of a car repair and maintenance company. From 2001 to 2005 he worked at MSTU as an assistant, and after defending his Ph.D. tracked vehicles". Head of research department special engineering fulfilling contracts of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation.

Since 2005 - Vice President for technical development JSC AVTOVAZ, since 2009 - Vice President for Sales and Marketing. He supervised the development of the production of cars "Priora" and "Kalina", the development new platform class C. In July 2011, he was appointed Director General of the State Scientific Center Russian Federation FSUE "NAMI".

The launch of a series of cars for the President of the Russian Federation is scheduled for 2017

FROM ZIS TO REQUEST

Let's start with recent history cars for the first persons. About ten or twelve years ago, the Special Purpose Garage used mainly Mercedes in the Pullman version and rolled up the old ZILs. It was a kind of reflection of the market, which victoriously entered foreign cars. By that time, ZIL was irrevocably outdated, there were problems with reliability ... The mood in society - we want to drive modern, reliable, comfortable cars- are reflected here.

However, over time, patriotic accents also returned. We are a great power, a large economy - why don't we have our own automobile flagship? A logical approach was also supported by the market, which, if not fashion, then at least sympathy for Russian products, even partly pride. There was a request for a domestic executive car.

But if it is revived, how to ensure payback? What will we do and for whom? Assemble two cars for GON or even two dozen? This approach is not economically feasible.

Recall that the legendary ZIS-101, our first-born in the class of large cars, was produced with a circulation of more than 8,000 copies, and was even used in a taxi and an ambulance. After the war, GAZ also mastered the executive class with its ZIM, which replaced the Moscow car in the mass segment. The ZIS-110 was also used in the national economy, but all subsequent models were intended only for the elite.

Accordingly, the volume of production of representative cars was sharply limited, and for ZIL it was a technological disaster.

It was then that the approach of the carriage workshop took shape: small circulation, handicraft production. Models 114 and 4104 are a prime example of this. And the plant itself today is hardly able to accept such a challenge as a new original model of the highest class.

IDEAS GAS AND US

In response to a request for the need to create a domestic passenger flagship in 2012, a proposal from the GAZ Group arose. In order to quickly make such a car, it was supposed to completely borrow the platform, I’ll even say more - the whole car, the same Mercedes Pullman, for example, or the Volkswagen Phaeton, or Bentley, and do the so-called badge engineering, that is, a small facelift . Would get ready famous car, but with outward signs of a new, Russian. They would call her, for example, "The Seagull". An understandable and practiced option today. The cost of development is relatively low, the circulation is any, even the smallest.

This proposal had already been formulated and submitted to the government for consideration, when Russian Technologies State Corporation and NAMI joined the work, where I was appointed director. We offered to spend ten times more money, but at the same time work out the production of a new platform. That is, it was about creating our own project from scratch - in partnership with global firms, of course, but it was a new one, Russian car. Moreover, from the very beginning we offered not the only car, and the family. But let's not get ahead of ourselves.

"Cortege" is not only a presidential limousine, but also a family of four cars built on single platform domestic development.

Then I started my report not with technical aspects, but suggested looking at the market. After the fall of 2009, it has already recovered, with the highest growth shown by cars in the expensive segment, by 11-13% per year. This is a trend: our market is approaching European and American, where the share of large and expensive cars high, under 30% - and here we have a good margin. Why not play on it?

GAZ's proposal did not at all imply a free sale of the flagship, but we thought differently: you can compete for the market.

From the very beginning, it meant positioning in three price zones: cars only for the first persons of the state, then luxury cars for sale to everyone (at a price of 5 million rubles) and relatively affordable versions (after all, “big” and “expensive” are not necessarily synonyms, for see the US market for examples). As for the actual type of cars, we went, of course, from the needs of the main customer. What is the usual composition government cortege? This is actually an elongated limousine, a sedan for service functions, an all-terrain vehicle for security, in which the first person can sometimes go, and a minibus that provides communication, medical support, security, office functions ... Mercedes is used in the GON (from the armored Pullman to ML -class) and Volkswagen vans. The problem is that all escort vehicles noticeably lose to the leader. But we need cars that can keep up with a limousine and have the appropriate stability and handling.

We proposed to create one platform for all vehicles in the motorcade. All-wheel drive, capable of realizing the possibilities of the most powerful engines, designed for the body of a minivan, and for an elongated limousine, and for a luxury sedan, and for a large SUV.

Hence the good market potential (the family, of course, has much more than one limousine), and technological solutions(we are already talking about the serial production of units), and the actual name of the entire project is “Cortege”. It was eventually approved by the government and the president.

FIVE TECHNOLOGIES AND FIVE STYLES

So, the modular platform will be used not only for special cars, but also for market models. At the same time, realizing that we cannot quickly design the entire car from scratch, we highlight several key competencies that will characterize the product as Russian. Here is what we will do: body, from design to structure; engine, which is always a sign of the brand; transmission(I emphasize once again that for the first time in world practice, the presidential limousine will be all-wheel drive); chassis, meaning, first of all, the tuning of already known components and components (no one is going to re-develop brake mechanisms or power steering, they are on the market); finally, electronics responsible for the movement, that is, engine control, transmission, chassis.

For the first time in the world practice, a government limousine will be all-wheel drive

We will work on these five areas and, where necessary, we will involve partners in the work. By the end of the project, we will have not just units, but technologies, production, and we will be able to widely use the created platform.

The first stage is the search for a style, which was carried out by NAMI on a competitive basis. We notified literally all designers, the search for ideas and concepts took place as publicly as possible, on the Internet, with the participation of both Russian and foreign stylists.

Three stages of the competition were held in a rather tight time frame. We asked to prepare sketches within three weeks. Then, in about a month, it was necessary to move from a sketch to a 3D model, that is, from a drawing to a surface. And then, at the third stage, they offered to make original two-minute videos: the car leaves the gates of the Spasskaya Tower, descends along Vasilevsky to the embankment; the second plot is the high-speed passage of the cortege along Novy Arbat.

We have collected more than 80 works. Five directions were quite clearly defined. The first is variations and a modern reading of the ZIS theme. The second is the same, but about ZIL. The third is borrowing the style of classic European top models: Bentley and Rolls-Royce. Fourth - the motives of modern executive cars: Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Audi. And finally, the fifth - a kind of futurism, outrageous, fantastic.

THIS IS NOT RETRO

After the initial screening, 25 projects remained, which we showed to the minister. Of these, eight sketches were selected for presentation to the president - by the way, the selection included all five directions.

Based on the results of his assessments (the album was dotted with crosses, pluses, ones - it must be preserved for history) we took two concepts into work: one with historical details, and the second - modern European. That is, a la ZIS and a la the German Big Three.

I probably would have made the same choice. You know, the most amazing thing is that both of these sketches were drawn by the same person - MAMI 2007 graduate Alexei Chvokin, who at that time worked at the NAMI style center.

Then it was time for team work. When moving on to prototyping, the final choice was made: a car with ZIS-110 motives. I emphasize that this is not retro, but a modern reading of the classics.

Such machines, in addition to purely representative ones, have another important function - to provide protection. In order to keep the internal volume, no less than today, and to accommodate the necessary armor, it is necessary to make a machine of maximum dimensions. Our car is perhaps the largest in the world, even larger than the Phantom, and this is a very serious challenge for designers. So that the appearance was not heavy, they went to all sorts of tricks, changing visual proportions, smoothing corners, etc. - and achieved: everyone who sees a limousine for the first time does not believe in the numbers of its size.

MAIN CUSTOMER

So, on January 9, 2013, we received an order from the ministry to work on the project; and already in May, on the eve of the budget adjustment, we had to get approval for the work done so that we could open funding.

By this time, in addition to working out the style, we also managed to prepare a business plan: we provided for a mechanism for returning state money to the budget! This gave the project a completely different tone: we are not asking for a handout, but only lending funds. Several meetings, meetings - and in the country's budget, it seems, for the first time a line appeared: "Research work, auto industry."

True, we saw real money only in October, but the main thing is that we can work, conclude the first agreements with foreigners, etc. We were making mock-ups at full speed, which were ready at the beginning of January 2014. Now, before starting the actual design, it was necessary to show the car to customers, get comments, size approval, etc. That is, after going through the preparation stage, hear the command “March!”.

Therefore, on January 22, all three models of the Cortege were delivered to Novo-Ogaryovo, where the president examined them. He, of course, wanted to immediately try out the limousine, got behind the wheel. Indeed, the car gave the impression of a finished product, not a mock-up - and really, at least sit down and drive. It's good that we removed all the switches behind the panel. I talk about the style, and then I suggest: let's, they say, switch to yours. workplace, and here your driver has already examined everything.

There was only one question, but, as they say, taking the button: when? I say, in accordance with the project - in 2017.

Beginning or end?

We will specify the dates by the end of this year, when there will already be contracts, an approved estimate ... We will make a report on all the deadlines.

Work!

In the photo - running layout approved by the president; you are almost the first viewers ...

PROJECT SECOND SERIES

After the style and program were approved, it was the turn of the design.

By all international standards, it looks like this today. The car is fully assembled, calculated and tested digitally - with the help of computer simulations. In other words, we must decompose the entire machine, its systems and components in detail, appoint those responsible for their design and identify suppliers for all positions.

Understanding how important the tool is, we at NAMI immediately began to interact with the Dasso and Siemens companies - we bought dozens of jobs and studied. The experience that we gained at AVTOVAZ came in handy.

Today we are working with three major engine engineering firms, I already know where blocks and heads can be cast in Russia.

I clearly imagine how we will do the transmission. I am ready to confirm that the assembly of machines is planned in Ulyanovsk ...

But more about this in the next episodes of the Cortege project. Follow the publications in the magazine "Behind the wheel"!

MADE BY US

The Scientific Automobile Institute was founded on October 16, 1918 as a base for the development of automotive science. The institute was also directly involved in the design automotive technology, created prototypes of Yaroslavl diesel engines, automatic transmissions, truck "Ural" and a lot of bright experimental cars. The idea of ​​deep centralization almost killed us by the early 2000s: all factories had their own design services, and pure science was not in demand. The Institute turned into a cluster of small firms... With the advent of the new leadership, NAMI again returns to serious automotive projects. The Institute employs young specialists, cooperates with universities, masters modern technologies design (in the photo - a new design center). "Cortege" is one of the indicators of the revival of NAMI, a scientific base with a 95-year history.

Alas, even in such a serious and fundamental matter as the inauguration of the head of the Russian Federation, apparently, it is impossible to do without a certain note “made on the knee”. No, the horses and shakos of the uniform of the Kremlin Regiment, five thousand invited to the action, ex-Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany Schroeder, listening to the new President of Russia V.V. hand in hand with Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and Patriarch Kirill - all this was real.

Some unreliability slipped in that moment of the video broadcast of the ceremony, when Vladimir was driven on the latest achievement of the Russian automobile industry - the "originally Russian limousine", which the press stubbornly calls the federal-sounding name "Cortege".

Although, in fact, last year the implementer of the Cortege project, the Federal State Unitary Enterprise Scientific Research Automobile Institute (NAMI), filed an application for the Aurus trademark, including the logo and combined emblem, for registration with Rospatent. In the description of this brand, it was said that "the verbal designation Aurus is formed by the initial syllables of the words Aurum (lat. - gold) and Russia (lat. - Russia)". So, perhaps, the whole country is not even aware that on May 7, 2018, he drove under the lenses of video cameras not on some kind of Cortege, but on a real Aurus limousine.

People who are not particularly close to automotive topics, and there are 99% of them in our country, the Russian Federation, sitting in the back seat of this car, is simply obliged to fill with pride for their country. But what about: finally, our first faces again, as in Soviet times, they drive a car made in Russia - like the now vintage and aesthetic government "Seagulls" and "ZiLs" of the last century.

However, their successor, the current limousine of the "Cortege" project, only falls short of the title of a primordially Russian car only in the mouths of professional ones from central television channels. Somehow in passing and crumpled at one time, information slipped through all the media that the engine of our "Cortege" - "Aurus" was developed by Porsche Engineering specialists, and the electronic filling - by Bosch Engineering.

It is understandable: this "passenger car", whose curb weight due to armor and additional systems life support can easily approach the mark of 10 tons, must carry a serious power unit. For example, on the "Soviet" they put gasoline engines from the trucks of the same name. And Porsche, according to media reports, has developed an 800-horsepower gasoline monster for the Cortege.

And all because the Russian engine industry at the moment has fully mastered the production of engines only for cars of the LADA family. AND truck diesels"caliber" KamAZ. So I had to turn to. The use of a foreign engine under the hood of the "Cortege" - "Aurus" probably drew with it the use of a no less foreign gearbox and, most likely, other transmission units. And the Germans probably had a hand in the design of the suspension.

Well, the body design, most likely, did ours. No wonder it looks like a completely organic hybrid of Continental and Rolls Royce ghost. And they stuck a fashionable "fin" on the roof - how could it be without it!

Attentive viewers probably noticed that the brand new presidential limousine had real license plates on the bumpers - B776US region 77, which allow the car to drive on public roads. But we are almost sure that he only drove around the Kremlin. Firstly, as we remember, according to all the plans for the inauguration of the president in 2018, they did not have time to make a production car.

Last summer, Denis Manturov, Minister of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation, reported to RIA Novosti that the president-elect would arrive at the ceremony in a new limousine, stipulating that only a prototype model would be delivered in 2018, and its real production would begin only in 2019 . Secondly, judging by the frames of the online broadcast, Vladimir Vladimirovich plunged into a Russian limousine only on the territory of the Kremlin.

So it turns out that the president still arrived at his current inauguration in a foreign car. This version is also supported by the appearance on the Internet on the morning of May 7 of a video, the author of which claims to be filming "who is going to the Kremlin."

On the video you can see a person passing along the highway Mercedes S-class, which V.V. Putin usually rides, surrounded by several Mercedes E-class, couples Mercedes Gelandewagen and minivan VW Multivan. And "Aurus" is not yet able to replace the good old elongated Mercedes S600. Either the papers have not yet been completed, or not all the armor has been hung on him. Or maybe he even exists in a single fully complete copy. And since there is no substitute double in the event of a nuclear war or the intrigues of terrorists, then it is not supposed to be planted in it.

Be that as it may, but the fact remains: the Cortege limousine, proudly demonstrated to the whole country at Putin's inauguration on May 7, is a car that does not actually exist. A sort of "funny" transport, capable of driving exclusively inside the Kremlin.

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 created from scratch Russian car top class" was designed ... 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 executive sedan multimedia system- without integration of Apple CarPlay interfaces or Android Auto? 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 domestically developed). 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. Elevation difference for "normal" passenger car- 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.

The driver's seat of the cortege is higher than in Mercedes S-class and Rolls-Royce Phantom limousines. 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.

For another presidential term. This time, the procedure itself was somewhat different from the ceremony in 2012, in particular, the president hardly used his limousine, making only a short trip around the Kremlin. However, contrary to statements by unnamed media sources who expressed doubt that Putin would use the new car developed as part of the Cortege project, the public debut of the long-awaited domestic limousine nevertheless took place.

The new car with the EMP-41231SB index (Unified Modular Platform - EMP) received a spectacular design, very reminiscent of the Rolls-Royce models in its style, but not only them - some observers considered that the car is very similar to the Chrysler 300c model with its “muscular” forms . On the nameplate of the limousine, you can see the inscription Aurus - this is the official name received by all cars developed as part of the Cortege. The brand name was born from the merger of two words: Aurum (Latin for “gold”) and Russia (“Russia”).

Vladimir Putin's presidential car is currently the largest in the world - its length is almost seven meters.

As power plant 6.6 liter is used gasoline engine V12 with direct injection fuel. The power of the engine, developed by the main contractor of the project, FSUE NAMI, is 860 hp, and the torque reaches 1000 Nm. The car also has a 9-speed automatic.

During the broadcast, many paid attention to the license plate number of Putin's limousine - it turned out to be quite “ordinary” without any privileged alphanumeric series: B776US77RUS. On the Internet, you can easily find a photo that this number was previously installed on an old Volga.

As auto expert Dmitry Galinovich told Gazeta.Ru, such an “increase” in the number could have occurred due to the fact that the domestic passenger car was sent to the scrap after the photo. “After that, the number is released and remains vacant in. Most likely, at some point, a free number with the old series 77 was needed, and in the end it got to the presidential limousine, - said the expert.

He recalled that earlier, instead of the region presidential limousine the Russian tricolor was painted, but quite a long time ago this practice was completely abandoned in the GON (Special Purpose Garage).

Cortege has almost doubled in price since January

The Cortege project was initiated at the end of 2012. About 12.4 billion rubles were spent on the creation of a line of machines with the involvement of leading Western companies and contractors from the budget alone.