What can the Aurus Senat do? Putin gives Kim a Russian limousine - and gets into the Benz himself

Small gifts keep friendships alive: Vladimir Putin has presented Kim Jong-un with a Russian-made luxury limousine. It is the second Aurus Senat that North Korea's dictator has received.

Vladimir Putin has violated the North Korea sanctions. Again. Resolution 2397 of the United Nations Security Council from December 2017 actually states that no luxury goods may be delivered to Pyongyang.

But that doesn't bother the head of the Kremlin: During his visit to North Korea, the Russian president brought his host a Russian Aurus Senat. Yesterday, Wednesday, Putin and Kim Jong-un drove together in the luxury limousine from the airport in Pyongyang to the Kumsusan guest house, according to South Korean media reports.

However, this car is a vehicle that Moscow already gave away on February 20, when Kim Jong-un was visiting Russia. This model was used for the first time at a North Korean military parade in mid-March: the escort was provided by SUVs from Lexus and Toyota, as "The War Zone" knows.

What's inside this Russian luxury limousine, which according to the state news agency "Interfax" costs more than 20 million roubles, or more than 210,000 Swiss francs? First of all, the vehicle is a heavyweight: the sedan weighs a whopping 2.7 tons.

The car has "everything"

This colossus is powered by a 4.4-liter engine, which is based on a Porsche V8 and is said to produce 598 hp. It is said to accelerate the Senat to 100 km/h in less than six seconds. All-wheel drive and a nine-speed gearbox are said to accelerate the car to a maximum of 250 km/h.

However, the interior does not exactly look sophisticated: a promotional video shows electrically adjustable curtains on the rear windows and small screens on the headrests of the front seats, reminiscent of a tourist airplane. The same applies to the small tables that can be extended from the rear seats.

At least there are two cup holders in the back and the seats are electronically adjustable. The trunk is spacious and offers room for at least two rolled-up carpets.

The well-known Italian company Gruppo Bertone was commissioned with the design in 2013, which is not necessarily evident from the heavy burl wood look. It is said that 120 of these vehicles are produced each year.

Putin and Kim switch to Mercedes

In February, Russian propaganda spread in the usual flowery manner that the Aurus Senat had caused "the entire car industry to tremble": The car was "a symbol of opulence with first-class safety features, pioneering technology and a robust engine with impressive horsepower".

And yet there is an indication that the Aurus Senat may not meet the highest standards after all: Although Putin is bringing it to Pyongyang as a gift, he and Kim Jong-un would rather be driven in his car from the German manufacturer Mercedes-Maybach at the big parade yesterday, June 19.

But Moscow already has another answer to this: in order to dispense with the services of the S 600 Pullman, the Kremlin boss is said to have ordered Aurus to build a replacement back in February, which will be significantly more spacious than the Senate and will weigh 6.2 tons with armouring.

Perhaps Kim Jong-un is also looking forward to this.