[VO] Heads of state aspire to use luxury cars produced in their home
countries. It’s an unspoken rule for all official events, and everyone’s
abided by it for a very long time. The head of state’s car isn’t only a
symbol of the nation’s prosperity, it’s a matter of national prestige.
[VO] Joe Biden uses the so-called Cadillac One limousine. Nicknamed ‘The Beast’, it
has an armoured body and weighs 10 tonnes. Boris Johnson gets driven about
in a Jaguar. Queen Elizabeth rides in a Bentley. Angela Merkel’s car of choice is
an Audi, while the French leader, Emmanuel Macron uses a converted Citroen DS 7.
[VO] In Russia, this class of car was discontinued
more than 20 years ago. It took five years
to close the gap on the world car industry, from
the drawing board to the first finished model.
[VO] Meet Aurus! Russian Gold…
KREMLINMOBILE
[VO] Heads of states’ vehicles have always been
a matter of the highest national priority. The
first luxury car used by a Russian emperor, Nicholas
II, was the French Delaunay-Belleville. Lenin,
leader of the world’s proletariat, was partial to
English cars. This is the world’s only snowmobile
based on a Rolls-Royce, and it handled the most
challenging off-road conditions very well. Stalin
was afraid of possible assassination attempts.
[VO] One of his favourite armoured cars was an American
Packard. He rode in it until the late 1940s, when
the USSR started producing an equivalent of their
own - the armoured ZIS-115. The next USSR leader,
Khrushchyov, firmly believed that people loved
him. So he didn’t use armoured vehicles and took a
special liking to domestically-built convertibles.
[VO] However, Soviet leaders had to go back to using armoured cars after a failed attempt on
Brezhnev’s life in January 1969. The last
ZIL to drive the head of state passed from the
president of the Soviet Union, Mikhail Gorbachev, to the president of Russia, Boris
Yeltsin. The Soviet Union collapsed, and so
did the country’s economy. It was a heavy blow
for all industries, and automobile manufacturing
was no exception. So, the president of
Russia, Boris Yeltsin, chose a Mercedes.
Initially, Vladimir Putin used the same until all
the necessary pieces of the puzzle came together in Russia: funding, technology, and
what’s even more important, people who were
capable of taking on such an ambitious project.
[Denis Manturov Minister Of Industry And Trade, Russian Federation] The main
initiator is our president, who called
the Minister of Industry and Trade in 2012,
and said it was time to create our own car based on a unified modular platform
[Denis M] This was actually laid down in the concept for the project
[VO] The so-called unified modular platform is a new line of
luxury cars. Apart from a limo, it also includes a sedan, a
minivan, and a convertible. These are configured to meet
specific customer requirements but share the same basic design.
[Denis Dryagin Deputy Ceo For Marketing And Commerce,
Nami] The goal was to create a car with features
that would satisfy the special requirements of the presidential garage,
while meeting the requirements of luxury car buyers in the retail market
[Denis M] This is not just a car for the head of state,
this is a car that gave life to a whole range of models and technologies
[VO] The Kortezh project was entrusted to the renowned
NAMI institute, which developed the very first Soviet
automobile. But after Perestroika, NAMI simply wasn’t
up to the task of taking on a project of such scope.
[Yury] In the '90s, it all collapsed
[Yury] All the talented people left or took up
other things and didn't return to the industry
[Vyacheslav Dovbysh Director, Nami Technology
Centre] The institute… it wasn't dead yet,
but it was barely breathing
[Vyacheslav] The machines were 40-50 years old, on average, the roof was leaking
[Vyacheslav] And, here, we were given the
task of creating a Bentley nearly from scratch
[Denis D] About 500-600 people worked here
[Denis D] The average employee was well over 60
[Denis D] When we started on this project, we also began building a new team
[Vadim] We looked for experienced specialists of the Soviet school
[Vadim] Some didn't agree
[Vadim] There were a lot of skeptics at first
[Vadim] There were also young, new specialists
[Vadim] We found out what a person could do and formed the team in this way
[Vyacheslav] The institute gathered a critical mass of people
who understood how to make this product and wanted to make it
[Denis D] Few people know how a car is made
[Denis D] Everyone thinks a designer takes a pencil
and starts drafting the first part on a board
[Denis D] In fact, it all starts with marketing
[Denis D] When I came to work at NAMI, there was no marketing department
[Denis D] During Soviet times, they just focused
on strictly meeting technical requirements
[Denis D] Now, the focus is on the car's marketability
[Denis D] Today, they find a target audience and find out what they want
[Denis D] They make a list of features and pass it on to the designers, etc.
[Denis D] Any changes not first checked with end users could be costly
[Denis D] The consumers might say 'No', and we have to put it all back
[Denis D] That's time and money
[VO] The first challenge was to come up with a feature that would not only set
the car apart from all the rest, but would serve
as a clear reference to the country of its origin.
[Yury Chernenko Director, Nami Design Centre]
The main element was a huge radiator grille,
around which the rest of the design was built
[Yury] We took the idea from the ZIS-110,
the first luxury car produced in the Soviet Union
[Yury] It was the inspiration for the first sketches
[Yury] It was a car with a long nose and prestige length
[Yury] The more distance from the front pillar to axle
the more expensive, luxurious, and high-status a car is
[Yury] But then, when the designers and engineers began to work on it,
the car began to change, and we were horrified
[Yury] It turned into a kind of absurd hippo
because the special features being added to the base platform spoiled the proportions
[Yury] There were heated meetings with designers blaming engineers and vice versa
Engineers focus on technology and simplicity, and designers solely on beauty
[Yury] These conflicts always exist:
if it's beautiful, it can't be as technologically advanced, and vice versa
[Yury] This is what we battled over
[Yury] Then our marketing specialists proposed a useful event called a car clinic
[Denis D] We take the very first version to appear
[Denis D] In this case, it was a full-scale polyurethane foam model of the car
Styrofoam on wheels, mostly
[Denis D] We glued on windows,
painted it with car paint so that it looked like a fully finished car
[Yury] We got the opinions of people who drive such expensive, luxury cars
[Denis D] 60 Rolls-Royce and Bentley owners went into the room where our model was
with competitors to the left and right
[Denis D] And we asked them if they liked the car, how they would appraise it,
what they didn't like, and wrote it all down
[Yury] The comments on the appearance were devastating
[Yury] They said it looked old-fashioned and too simple
[Yury] How could that be? We'd consulted here and thought it was OK
[Yury] Non-specialists, the people who first saw it,
generally had very negative views on what we'd done
[Yury] We designers won another 200 mm from the engineers,
so that the hood became longer, and the car began to look special,
with a Russian appearance
[Yury] They ask, 'How is this design Russian?'
[Yury] It's when designers and engineers battle each other
that the resulting car begins to look like one of ours
Horizontal lines make an object streamlined and fast,
while vertical lines make them more prestigious, powerful, and solid
[Yury] If you look at our car, you'll see the
colonnade of a substantial, solid building,
which nothing can break or move
[VO] The second Car Clinic is done after the interior of the vehicle is
completed. The third is carried out when the vehicle is ready to drive.
[Denis D] We prepare the car step by step, so when it enters the market,
it satisfies all the wishes of our target audience
[VO] So, now we’ve learned enough about the exterior. But what’s
under the hood? What criteria should automobile Nr. 1 meet?
[Denis D] We write out a potential car's
amenities in a single catalogue of key features
[Denis D] There are about 500 items there
[Denis D] For example, we write, 'smooth ride', and specify how smooth it should be:
better than our competitors, average, or is it unimportant?
[Denis D] If the car is best in everything,
it'll be 10x more costly than your competitors'
[Denis D] For example, our car's ride should be smoother than all our competitors
because it is oriented towards rear passengers
[Denis D] But, for 'handleability', we write 'average' instead of 'best',
because the owner in the backseat won't appreciate such responsive control
[Denis D] So, all 500 points are ranked and passed to the designers and engineers,
who start making a car that corresponds to these specifications
[Vadim] Our competitors always take the previous generation of models as the basis
when creating new ones
[Vadim] Our project is unique in that it essentially started from scratch
[Vadim] Of course, we use some small, standardised
elements that are suitable for many modern cars,
but all the systems and parts are created specifically for our project from scratch
[Vadim] Of course, we use some small, standardised
elements that are suitable for many modern cars,
much larger than that for traditional automakers
transitioning from one model to another
[VO] The project was already well underway, when the
international situation changed abruptly. Tensions
between the West and the East that started in 2014
severed seemingly strong economic ties between countries.
[Vyacheslav] Few people believed in the project
[Vyacheslav] They thought nothing would come
of it, suppliers seemed to feel the same way
[Vyacheslav] Our success is a big achievement
that attests to our competencies in 3D printing
[Vyacheslav] We are some of the first in the country to master this technology
[Vyacheslav] This significantly reduces the production time for car prototypes
[Vyacheslav] The first prototypes of the entire
interior, the AC system, and many parts were 3D printed
[Vyacheslav] We have one of the best and most modern foundries for nonferrous casting
[Vyacheslav] The chief metallurgist and foundry
workers do difficult high-quality work together
[Vyacheslav] In terms of machining, we have very well-equipped production facilities
[Vyacheslav] The most important thing is the machinists and engineers
[Vyacheslav] There's probably no technological problem we can't solve
[Vyacheslav] When we wanted to visit Bentley and
Rolls, they refused us, saying we were competitors
[Vyacheslav] We also smiled,
but they really understand that nothing stands still
[Vyacheslav] 'Yes, it seems the Russians are making a
car, it'll be amusing to see what they come up with'
[Vyacheslav] But everyone's developing, if you don't quit, you'll create a product
[VO] Today, you can’t simply go and re-invent the automobile. The only way to
break any new ground in the car industry is to build on existing global expertise.
[Aleksey Terenchenko Director, Nami Power Centre] The motor that was developed
in the 19th century is a piston engine
[Aleksey] They always ask, what can be done there?
[Aleksey] What have you been doing in all the time since then?
[Aleksey] Like any technical innovation, engines
adapt to new requirements and adopt new technology
[Vadim] As you know, we designed it in partnership with a well-known company
[Vadim] You might hear that the motor was
borrowed from another car, but this is not true
[Vadim] The engine was designed according to
our specifications to meet Aurus' requirements
[VO] This vehicle features a hybrid engine. Petrol and electricity
combined produce 600 hp, and the car can hit 100 km/h in 6 seconds.
[Aleksey] What do car owners need in an engine? The main thing is responsiveness
[Aleksey] Stepping on the gas,
you should instantly feel the pleasure you are buying the car for
[Aleksey] The feeling of your body being pulled into the seat
[Aleksey] But at the same time you should feel the sound
[Aleksey] The Aurus is a very sensitive car
[Aleksey] If you drive gently and calmly, then it sounds gentle and calm
[Aleksey] If you want to hit the gas and feel the power of 600 horses,
it will roar like 600hp, and not in a gentle velvety voice
[VO] The biggest issue naysayers have with the
vehicle is: what is Russian about it? Porsche
participated in developing the engine, and some of its parts are imported from abroad.
[Vyacheslav] As far as I know, not one country makes
all the parts for engines produced on its own territory
[Denis D] Rolls-Royce was asked,
[Denis D] 'What is English in your car? How many parts are produced in England?'
[Denis D] 10 percent - Why?
[Denis D] 'Because we want the car to be not only English, but also the best'
[Denis D] Also here, we want the car to be not only Russian, but also the best
[Denis D] There are certain parts and assemblies that can't be manufactured in Russia
[Denis D] But we go out to local manufacturers, they look at the project and say: 'OK'
[Denis D] 'This is interesting, we'll master this technology for you'
[VO] Currently, some 50 Russian enterprises work on the Aurus
line of vehicles, in locations from Moscow to Krasnoyarsk.
[Vyacheslav] Kamaz is now modernising its foundry and mastering casting techniques
that no one's done in Russia before
A Ryazan factory hugely improved the quality of its leather
Even our Western partners say the
quality of Russian leather now meets world standards
[VO] There’s fierce competition in this field, so every mishap is put under a
magnifying glass. In 2011, when Barack Obama’s limo was leaving the American
embassy in Dublin, its undercarriage hit a ramp. Secret service agents immediately
brought a van to the scene, blocking the view for the crowd of onlookers.
[Denis D] We took this into account, and the clearance of our car is about 20cm,
so that won't happen
[VO] In 2017, Donald Trump’s Cadillac didn’t fit through the
gates of the Royal Palace in Brussels. The doors and the vehicle’s
body were too thick because of all its protective upgrades.
Trump had to walk, a blatant violation of security protocols.
[VO] In 2020, Boris Johnson, British Prime Minister,
was involved in an accident while being driven in
his Jag. A protester had blocked its path. A
security vehicle escorting the head of state slammed
on its brakes hard but left a big dent in the
Jaguar’s rear. Modern vehicles are crammed with
electronics that help drivers react to any hazard
on the road. Every small detail is accounted for.
[Denis Endachev Executive Director, Nami Information And
Intelligent Systems] This is already a digital device on wheels
[Denis E] Most automobile manufacturers, including
us, work on improving safety and ease of driving
[Denis E] If we talk about safety,
various driver assistance systems now play a huge role when performing some manoeuvres
[Denis E] These ADAS systems have been adapted to Russian conditions
[Denis E] We have northern regions, where temperatures drop to -40°C
[Denis E] Even in snow and difficult conditions,
our system still recognises important objects
and tells the driver what's currently on the road
[Vadim] Engineers should personally try what they've made
[Vadim] From the first prototypes, numerous road tests are carried out
[Life] Of course, the car begs you to hit the gas,
but we've already had one driver who tried and crashed through a fence,
so we had to install guardrails
[VO] Before a vehicle can hit the road, it has to pass a series of tests
under realistic conditions. And that’s what the NAMI testing centre is for.
[Denis Zagarin Head, Nami Testing Centre] To be deemed roadworthy,
all vehicles must meet at least 60 criteria:
passive safety, visibility, environmental safety, gas consumption, brakes, etc.
[Denis Z] The most important being active and
passive safety. Road users' lives depend on it
[Denis Z] Frontal, side impact… As you know, today's vehicles have complex electronics
[Denis Z] Here's the so-called crash test,
designed to ensure minimum consumer safety levels
[Denis Manturov Minister Of Industry And Trade,
Russian Federation] It's just heart-breaking
to see a vehicle crashed at full speed,
but what else can we do? We need to ensure certification requirements are met
[Denis M] I can't say exactly, but 1,000s of adjustments were made after the tests
[Denis M] Our specialised kit tests skidding,
to ensure the shortest possible braking distance
[Denis M] The testing centre has 15 types of road surface
[Denis M] The so-called special purpose roads are worth mentioning
[Denis M] A cobblestone road was built to test durability.
[Denis M] This surface causes all kinds of vibrations
[Denis M] One kilometre on cobblestones is
equal to 7 to 20 kilometres on a regular road
[Denis M] So wear and tear is enormous!
[VO] Due to its armour, the Russian president’s limousine is twice as
heavy as the civilian model, due to its armour. It weighs in at 6.5 tons.
[Denis Z] As for the limo, it's hush-hush!
[Denis Z] We can't disclose particular specifications of the head of state's vehicle
[Denis Z] As for the civilian market, it's passed all the obligatory tests
[VO] When Automobile Nr. 1 was finished, and everyone agreed it was the kind of
car the head of state should use, yet another brainstorming session was held.
[Denis D] At first, we thought naming it would be easy.
[Denis D] We'd share ideas and hey presto! It's named!
[Denis D] Then we wondered how it sounded in foreign languages
[Denis D] So before branding it, we had to define brand philosophy carefully:
what is the reason for this brand, and what is its goal?
[Denis D] We wracked our brains, and came up with a combination of two words:
[Denis D] 'Aurum', meaning gold, and 'Rus', the international abbreviation for Russia
[Denis D] We checked how it sounded in 24 languages. It sounded good
[Vadim] While we worked on the vehicle, we always had the deadline in mind,
a deadline that couldn't be delayed!
[Vadim] The closer the date drew, the harder we worked
[Vyacheslav] The deadline was when the custom-built
vehicle had to be delivered to the president
[Vyacheslav] I saw engineers, their eyes sparkling with enthusiasm
[Vyacheslav] They'd all spent nights in the assembly shop with us
[Vyacheslav] We stayed at work for several nights in a row, to get all the tasks done
[Vyacheslav] Up to a few days before the inauguration,
we weren't sure if we could deliver on time
[VO] We’re broadcasting live from Moscow, from the Kremlin.
And all eyes are now on what is happening in the city centre,
at the very heart of the Russian capital. In a few minutes,
Mr. Vladimir Putin will be sworn in as president of Russia.
[Vyacheslav] All that adrenaline, that determination to overcome a problem...
it just won't let your brain relax
[Vyacheslav] The flights of fancy we had…
[Vyacheslav] The ideas suggested to resolve various issues will be long remembered
[Vyacheslav] Someday, we'll say what happened
[Denis D] On inauguration day, the entire NAMI institute was on tenterhooks
[Denis D] It was like watching a rocket launch
[Denis D] All that time, effort, money, and
energy we spent! And now it would finally drive
[Denis D] We gathered in a large auditorium, where the ceremony was broadcast
My palms were sweating
It was when everyone got to see the vehicle for the 1st time
We worried about what people would say
[VO] And I think now, even the uninitiated figured
out that the president got into some unusual car.
So, from this day, from May 7, 2018, Russia’s head
of state will use a domestically produced automobile.
[Denis D] When it drove off, everyone clapped
[Vadim] It was very exciting to monitor everything
closely, to see how it drove, how it turned,
how it manoeuvred
[Vadim] Of course, when we saw that all was running smoothly,
it gave all of us a great deal of pleasure
But what matters most is the pride we felt,
the delight that everyone could see what we do here
What we achieved! How it looked, and how it moved!
And the warm enthusiasm for how it turned out
[Denis Z] A huge sense of pride!
[Denis Z] That the car was worthy of our country
[Denis D] After being commissioned,
it was 5 years to the inauguration and introduction to the public
[Denis D] Creating a new product from scratch in just 5 years is fast!
[Vyacheslav] When we talk to suppliers, we see how their attitude has changed
[Vyacheslav] Before the inauguration, we had to ask them to work with us
[Vyacheslav] After the inauguration, many wanted
to climb on the bandwagon and join the project
[Vyacheslav] So our partners' attitudes changed dramatically
[VO] On May 31, 2021, mass production of Aurus vehicles
began in Tartasran’s ALAbuga Special Economic Zone.
[Putin] We hope the serial production of Aurus
will strengthen the presence of Russian cars internationally
[Putin] As you're aware, I use these cars, and drive them myself sometimes
[Putin] In fact, it's an excellent, high-quality
vehicle that meets all global standards
[VO] The first car that rolled off the assembly line was a luxury sedan,
the Aurus Senat. In the future, this factory will also produce SUVs.
[Adil Shirinov Ceo, Aurus Llc] Serial production, uniform approach!
[Adil] All luxury class vehicles are custom-made,
and configured to suit individual requirements
[Adil] The Aurus project's main purpose is to inspire confidence
in our ability to create an exemplary product
[Denis M] Our goal is to bring production capacity to 5,000 vehicles a year,
of various modifications
[Denis M] The expertise we acquired allowed us to raise the bar:
we could develop and manufacture our own premium cars and compete in that market
[Denis M] We needed to show that our car industry was mature enough
[VO] The Aurus started off as an exclusively presidential vehicle for the
head of state’s use. But now it’s being used more and more for private trips.
[Putin] We need to wear a seat belt, or we'll have to pay a fine
[Denis D] It's how it's always been in Russia.
[Denis D] If we really want something, we'll get it!
[Vyacheslav] A project like this probably won't happen again in my lifetime
ZIL is a vehicle that came before me
I'll be long gone by the next one
[Vadim] We created a competitive product:
cars that come in both armoured and lightweight versions
[Vadim] They all share a basic design
[Vadim] There are no other projects like it in the world