Aurus Senat aka Putin's limousine begins production, will cost from RM 1.018m

The Aurus Senat is a full-size luxury car from Russia that made its first introduction to the public in 2018 during President Vladimir Putin’s inauguration. The model lineup comprises of various body styles from long-wheelbase sedan to two-door cabriolet. Sounds familiar?

Well, that’s not the only thing the Aurus Senat has in common with Rolls-Royce, it looks like one too. Some have described the Senat as a love child of the Rolls-Royce Phantom and Bentley Continental Flying Spur.

It packs a Porsche-co-developed 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 that makes 598 PS/880 Nm, mated to a 9-speed automatic transmission with an integrated 62 PS electric motor. There’s also the option for a 6.6-litre V12 engine with 859 PS.

It’s made by the Central Scientific Research Automobile and Automotive Engines Institute (NAMI), and sits on the Unified Modular Platform developed by Aurus and NAMI.

Order books for the Aurus Senat opened in Russia in 2019, though there was no word on when deliveries will commence.

A new report by Reuters stated that the Aurus Senat has officially gone into production in the Yelabuga town in the Republic of Tatarstan. It also added that 200 to 300 cars would be produced this year and the most basic version will cost 18 million Ruble (RM 1.018m).