Starting a new luxury car brand is a bold and risky move even for an established automaker, let alone a company that has no prior experience in building such vehicles.
Still, the Russian Federation insisted on having its own luxury car manufacturer and that’s how Aurus Motors was born. Initially, the production of Senat saloons will be reserved for government officials, but later on any Russian citizen will be able to buy one too.
When we say “any,” we don’t mean the average Ivan, though, but those who aren’t holding public office but have $280,000 to splurge on a luxury sedan. Yes, that’s how much a base Aurus Senat costs.
Also watch: Aurus’ Convertible Looks Like A Russian Take On The Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe
For the money, customers will get a stately limousine with a not-so-original design (the Rolls-Royce Phantom influence is pretty clear, especially up front), but a commanding presence and a luxurious interior. Under the hood there’s a twin-turbo 4.4-liter V8 rated at 598 PS (590 HP) and 880 Nm (649 lb-ft) of torque that’s paired to a 46 kW (63 PS / 62 HP) electric motor.
Mated to a nine-speed automatic transmission and standard all-wheel drive, the power plant enables the Aurus Senat to sprint from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 4.9 seconds, which is impressive for a vehicle that weighs more than 3 tonnes (6,834 lbs). The top speed is limited at 250 km/h (155 mph).
If you’re curious learn more about the Aurus Senat but the Moscow showroom is out of reach (which, for most, probably is the case…), the following video presentation from RoCars is the next best thing. The footage reveals the Russian luxury sedan in great detail, both inside and out. It doesn’t look half bad for a first effort, but the real question is whether wealthy Russians will be willing to spend $300k on the Senat or prefer the luxury limos of Western manufacturers instead.