King gets Russia’s Aurus Senat limousine as gift from carmaker

 The gift of the limousine is regarded as a special honour as the car is not sold for export and is rarely owned outside Russia.

Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Ibrahim with the Aurus Senat limousine presented as a gift from the Russian carmaker. (Johor royal office pic)

PETALING JAYA:

 Russian carmaker Aurus Motors has presented Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Ibrahim with a gift, one of its flagship Senat limousines during the king’s trip to Moscow.

The king was presented with the vehicle while visiting the Museum of the Special Purpose Garage in Moscow, which showcased 50 unique cars and motorcycles.

Sultan Ibrahim’s Facebook page said the gift marks the close friendship between Malaysia and Russia as the Senat is not sold for export and is rarely owned outside of Russia.

“Aurus is also the official car brand for Russia’s top leadership, and its vehicles are often used by Russian president Vladimir Putin to attend official events and important diplomatic meetings. Aurus is also well known for combining modern technology with high security standards,” it said.

The Senat is an ultra-luxury armoured limousine sometimes referred to as a “Russian Rolls-Royce”. It features a 4.4 litre twin-turbo V8 hybrid engine, all-wheel drive, and a luxurious, handcrafted interior. The car will be the latest addition to Sultan Ibrahim’s collection of luxury and classic cars kept in his garage in Johor Bahru.

The king was in Moscow at Putin’s invitation to attend the Victory Day celebrations yesterday marking the victory over Nazi Germany in the Second World War. He is the first Malaysian head of state to be a guest-of-honour at the parade.

The king has also invited Putin to visit Malaysia next year to mark the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries. -FMT