G20 limousines will cost an absolute bomb

The Federal Government has ordered a $16 million fleet of bombproof limousines for the G20 Summit in Brisbane in November.

But rather than buy the vehicles for $1 million each, it has rented them for the meeting of world leaders at a cost of $1.8 million, or $112,500 apiece.

Although BMW is poised to secure the contract to replace the Prime Minister's fleet of aging armoured Holdens, rival German car maker Mercedes-Benz won the tender to supply 16 vehicles for the G20 Summit of foreign heads of state, finance ministers and other dignitaries.

But not everyone will ride in them: US president Barrack Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin are said to be bringing their own security vehicles.

The bombproof Benzes can withstand firepower from an AK47 assault rifle, are fitted with nail-proof tyres, and have their own onboard oxygen systems in case of a chemical weapon attack.

They also have night vision technology so they can see in the dark, projecting an image of the road ahead on the widescreen digital dashboard.

Unlike the cars in James Bond movies, however, there are no "gun-sights", rotating number plates or other dirty tricks, such as spraying oil on the road to cause other cars to skid.

The S-Class Guard looks almost identical to the standard Mercedes limousine but weighs more than four tonnes -- more than twice its regular weight -- because of the added armour and thickened glass. However, it can still make a quick getaway because it is powered by a massive V12 engine.

More than half the cars that will be used during the G20 Summit have already been shipped to Australia and are in the final stages of preparation.

Because the cars are hand-built in limited numbers, there will be a mix of left-hand-drive and right-hand-drive vehicles used at the G20 Summit in Brisbane.

The Federal Government will provide specially-trained drivers for the event.

They'll be hoping to avoid a repeat of the embarrassment when US President Barrack Obama's limousine, known as "The Beast", wedged its belly on a steep driveway during a visit to Ireland in May 2011.

"The Beast" has also proven to be tricky to park, having been caught on camera attempting a three-point turn at 10 Downing Street during President Obama's visit to London in 2009.

The million-dollar Mercedes
Name: Mercedes-Benz S-Guard
Price: $1 million
Engine: 6.0-litre V12 (390kW/830Nm)
Weight: 4.3 tonnes
Safety: Nine airbags, anti-skid control, four cameras, on-board oxygen system, bullet proof glass and doors, bombproof floor, puncture-proof tyres, night vision system.
Comfort: Reclining "business-class" style seats with heating, cooling and a mechanical massage function, an onboard TV and DVD system, four-zone air-conditioning (that will automatically cool one side of the car depending on the location of the sun, which is tracked by GPS).
Speed: The Mercedes-Benz S600 V12 on which the S-Guard is based can reach the speed limit in a Porsche-quick 4.6 seconds. But the added weight of the extra armour blunts performance to a still respectable 6.2 seconds.