In the contemporary International Relations, the automobile manufacturing is one of the most important yet profit-making business, providing numerous jobs, and a pivotal aspect of enhancing research and development. However, with the growing geopolitical tensions, enhanced protectionism, and the revival of nationalism; the value of automobile manufacturing has become a matter of national pride and national identity. It is understandable that states take great pride in their national and indigenous carmakers, and consider them to be a part of their national identity, power, and prestige. Likewise, owning and travelling in nationally produced vehicles is now and has always been a source of showcasing patriotism and nationalism.
International Leaders and their Automobiles
The United States (US) President travels in the specially built Cadillac known as the Beast, manufactured by the General Motors, and it weighs around 10 tons. The Japanese Emperor prefers to travel in an especially built Toyota Century. The Malaysians preferred their locally built Proton cars, and the German statesmen travel in the locally produced either a Mercedes-Benz or a BMW. The British Royals travel in Rolls-Royce, Bentley, Jaguar, or Land Rover vehicles to portray the prestige of their national automakers.
Similarly, The Chinese President Xi Jinping uses an especially built Hongqi L5 (N701), which has unique features including armour, electronic countermeasures, and sophisticated communications.
Russia’s Aurus Motor Company
The name Aurus comes from combining two words, where Au comes from the Latin name of gold, i.e., Aurum, and Rus is the shortened name for Russia. In other words, Aurus means Russia’s Gold. The Aurus was established in 2018 and showcased its first automobile known as Aurus Senat with the assistance of Russian research institution NAMI. Mr. Vadim Pereverzev – Chief Designer at Aurus, has been very expressive and has done a remarkable job in designing such vehicles.
According to the Aurus website, currently the company is offering 4 models, where 2 vehicles are limousine, 1 sedan, and 1 Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV). The Aurus Senat is basically a luxury sedan, and its 2 variants are also offered, where 1 vehicle is offered as a long wheelbase limousine and the other as a short wheelbase limousine. The Aurus Komendant is a high-end and a luxury SUV.
It is worthy to note here that all 4 models use the same engine, especially produced by NAMI in collaboration with a team of international experts. The 4.4 litre twin-turbo V8 petrol engine produces a total of 598 horsepower and 880 newton metre of torque. It uses a hybrid powertrain with a 9-speed automatic transmission. It was said that a V12 powered petrol engine version will also be available soon.
Analysis and Afterthought
I have been observing the Aurus Motor Company for the past at least five years, and I also mentioned Aurus Senat in one of my research articles back in 2021. Being a researcher and an avid automobile enthusiast, I could not recognise Aurus Senat when I saw it for the very first time. Honestly, I mistook it for the British Rolls-Royce Phantom, since the build-quality and looks of the Aurus Senat surpassed that of the Phantom.
In any high-end and luxury automobile, there are certain quality standards which ensure its stature within the strata of the automobile industry. For instance, for any high-end and luxury vehicle, it must have a powerful engine that could accelerate the vehicle from 0-100 km/h in under 5.5 seconds. Further, the exterior must have an extravagant use of highly polished chrome and a futuristic look that should be timeless and elegant. Also, the interior must use the finest materials, including polished wood, brushed aluminium buttons, top of the line leather, and it should also have lamb’s or rabbit’s wool for floor cushioning. The Aurus offers a huge range of customization and colour selection for exterior colour, as well as interior leather, veneer, and even carpet. Also, there are several options for the material combinations to suit the buyer’s taste and choice.
I feel no hesitation in expressing the fact that Aurus Motor Company has met all these standards of any high-end and luxury vehicle. It features and meets all the high-quality standards for any luxury automobile. In my research, I could not find any data pertaining to the crash tests for Aurus Motor Company; however, it is understandable that luxury vehicles such as Rolls-Royce, Bentley, and Mercedes-Maybach also do not have crash reports due to their high costs. Automobile manufacturers hesitate to spending millions of USD just for crash testing under controlled environments.
Aurus Motor Company and the Geopolitics
The contemporary era is marked by intense security competition and the enduring struggle for power is dominating the interstate relationships. In such a time, states around the globe have become a little more sensitive about their prestige and are willing to go to great lengths to safeguard their national interests.
In this situation, it would be rather highly competitive for Russia to market the Aurus automobiles and reach potential buyers, especially in the Asian as well as European markets. However, provided the finest build-quality of Aurus vehicles, the best marketing strategy for Aurus would be to focus on indigenous customers as well as Central Asian customers.
Conclusion
The Russian indigenous automaker Aurus Motor Company has set new standards for making high-end and luxury automobiles. The Russian President Vladimir Putin is using an armoured version of the Aurus Senat limousine, and it reveals the quality standards of the vehicle. Previously, the President was using a Mercedes-Benz S-600 Pullman Guard, and has now decided to use an indigenously built car. Recently, President Putin gifted an Aurus Senat to North Koreran Supreme Leader Kim Jong-Un as well.
As a car enthusiast, I believe that it is a welcoming development that could provide South Asian buyers with more buying choices. It is to be noted here that the potential buyers from South Asian nations including India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh are very keen to buy European luxury vehicles, for which they pay a lot of custom duties and import taxes. Such initiatives could provide these buyers with competitive or perhaps better alternatives.
Muhammad Ali Baig – is a Research Fellow at the Institute of Strategic Studies, Islamabad (ISSI), Pakistan. He is a Ph.D. candidate and a distinguished graduate of National Defence University (NDU), Islamabad, Pakistan, exclusively for the online magazine «New Eastern Outlook»
