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Russian President Vladimir Putin made his first to North Korea in 24 years.
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Putin gifted North Korean leader Kim Jong Un a second Aurus Senat limousine during the visit.
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Putin uses an Aurus as his official state car.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un took a Russian-made Aurus Senat limousine for a spin during the Russian President’s first visit to Pyongyang in 24 years.
The drive offered the leaders an opportunity to showcase their strengthening relationship, which Kim said on Wednesday had reached “a new high of alliance.”
Video footage shared on Telegram showed Putin behind the wheel of the Aurus, which he also gifted to his North Korean counterpart, Russian state media reported, citing Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov.
Putin gifted another Aurus to Kim in February of this year, adding to the leader’s large collection of luxury vehicles, which also includes a Maybach, a Mercedes-Benz, and a Rolls Royce — all of which were likely smuggled into the country in violation of UN sanctions, Reuters reported.
Putin is also said to have gifted Kim a tea set and a dagger during his recent visit.
In return, Kim presented Putin with artworks, which Ushakov hinted were “related to the image” of the president.
Russia’s answer to “The Beast”
The Aurus Senat was unveiled in 2018 by the State Research Center of the Russian Federation. It is used as Putin’s official state car.
According to the Aurus Motors website, the Senat limousine is “the embodiment of the dignity and power inherent in the Russian character. A car that combines excellent driving performance, immaculate comfort and unrivalled passenger safety.”
The vehicle is powered by a 598 horsepower, 4.4-liter, twin-turbo V-8 engine and can go from 0 to 60 mph in six seconds. It has a top speed of around 155 mph.
Like the US president’s Cadillac state car — which is nicknamed “The Beast” — the Russian Senat is bulletproof and bombproof. The Aurus can also be fully submerged in water and has steel-reinforced tires.
The Aurus Motors website describes the Aurus Senat as “the most protected luxury car in the world.”
In 2021, Reuters reported that an Aurus with basic features would cost 18 million rubles, which is just over $200,000 today.
A senior Russian official said last month that Russia would start producing Aurus cars at a former Toyota factory in Saint Petersburg later this year, Russian state news agency TASS reported.
In September 2022, Toyota announced that it had decided to stop vehicle production in its Saint Petersburg plant “due to the interruption in supply of key materials and parts.”
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