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WORLD'S 'MOST UNSTOPPABLE VEHICLE' SHOWCASED ON TOP GEAR

June 27, 2011

‘TOP GEAR’ the BBC’s leading motoring show has discovered the ‘world’s most unstoppable vehicle’ after it put a Paramount Group MARAUDER through a series of seemingly impossible challenges.

More than 10 million UK viewers saw the Marauder, which is designed and built by the Paramount company of South Africa, take on and pass all the tests it was set by Top Gear presenter Richard Hammond in the urban jungles of Johannesburg, South Africa. Top Gear is watched by 350 millions viewers globally.

South Africais world renowned for producing some of the best protected and most technologically innovative armoured vehicles in the world.

During the programme, broadcast in the UK on Sunday 26 June, Marauder flattened cars, smashed through brick walls and defied attacks by hungry lions in the South African bush.

In the final test – which has never before been attempted on Top Gear – a Marauder and a Hummer were blown up in explosions simulating the roadside bombs faced daily in conflict zones. The Hummer was totally destroyed, but the Marauder was barely damaged and drove away from the explosion and into the South African sunset.

Richard Hammond also took Marauder on an entertaining tour of Johannesburg and almost brought South Africa’s largest city to a complete standstill. 

Stunned onlookers watched in awe as the bright red Marauder roared through the crowded streets, exciting pedestrians and totally dominating the usually busy roads. 

Hammondeven managed to order a burger while driving through a McDonald’s, although he did demolish a number of security bollards in the process.

Ivor Ichikowitz, the Executive Chairman of the Paramount Group, said: “It is not surprising that Top Gear wanted to know more about Marauder and used it on their programme, because it is one of the toughest vehicles in the world. We challenged Richard Hammond to throw anything he wanted at it and Marauder withstood it all.   

“Despite the fun working with Top Gear, it is important to remember soldier protection is a very serious issue for armies worldwide. We are talking about saving lives. With this type of technology available and the ever present threat of IED’s there really is no excuse for governments not to provide the best protected vehicles for their defence forces.

“Personnel can be assured that when travelling in Marauder they are in one of the world’s toughest vehicles. South Africa, and Paramount Group in particular, has a rich tradition of providing some of the most innovative and best protected vehicles in the world and Marauder is one such vehicle.”

Marauder is a high-mobility armoured personnel carrier with outstanding levels of protection against mines, IEDs and ballistic attack. It can carry up to 10 fully armed troops and can be configured in a number of variants depending on the role. It is extremely flexible and is a true infantry workhorse.