There are heads of state that enjoy flaunting their fortune. If you are presiding over a wealthy sheikdom or an imperial dynasty, you may want to bask in the glory of a Rolls-Royce or a Maybach, to be noticed and admired by your subjects wherever you choose to travel. If you hold an elevated government position in an even semi-democratic country, however, you may perhaps wish to keep a more modest profile.

Those meek and humble high-level public servants in need of special protection—Mercedes is primarily targeting government leaders and royalty, although captains of industry are also welcome to fill out an order slip—don’t need to hang on to their armored and stretched last-generation S-class anymore. At the Paris auto show, the company launched the S600 Pullman Guard, a long-wheelbase, high-protection version of the current W221 S-class.

The only engine offered here is the 5.5-liter, twin-turbocharged V-12 mated to a five-speed automatic and producing a full 510 horsepower. This torque monster—612 lb-ft is on tap between 1900 and 3500 rpm—should propel the S600 Pullman Guard with alacrity despite its additional weight, which we estimate to be as much as two tons above that of a regular S600.

The conversion of the S600 into a Pullman Guard was handled by the company itself, and for a limousine, it is well-executed. A taller and differently raked rear window and an elevated roof help achieve a shape that won’t win beauty contests but is among the more harmonious of stretched limousines. Its extra 45 inches of length brings the Pullman to a total length of nearly 21 feet.