If anything signified the exclusivity of Top Marques Macau, it was the two-metre-tall bodyguard shadowing an Indian nobleman at the Asian launch of the Knight XV. Then there was the vehicle itself - an armoured luxury SUV that resembles a supersized Range Rover-cum-Humvee on the outside but comes with an interior and price tag worthy of a Rolls-Royce.
Conquest Vehicles' Knight XV was one of the unlikely stars of Top Marques Macau, the first Asian spin-off of a Monaco exhibition that began eight years ago and is now one of the principality's most prestigious annual events. It was conceived as a showcase of limited edition supercars but has grown over the years to include exhibits of glittering watches, bespoke jewellery, art, yachts and property.
It has become a marketplace for the super-rich, and the event was just in time for a spot of Christmas shopping. The exhibition, which ran from Thursday last week to Sunday at The Venetian Macao, also capped a trio of car-related events in the enclave. It followed the previous weekend's 58th annual grand prix and came less than a month after the China Macau International Automobile Expo.
At a height of 2.5 metres and weighing almost 6,000kg, the bespoke Conquest Vehicles' Knight XV looks menacing in shiny black with big chunky door hinges. A standard model with a pre-tax price of US$629,000 features a ballistic-hardened steel body and glass windows that would deflect rounds fired from an AK-47.
Targeted at those who probably have a good reason to be security-conscious, the vehicle is fitted with night vision cameras front and rear, and roof-mounted search lights. Customers prepared to pay more can get an armouring upgrade so that their six-seater will withstand even mortar fire. Interior options include a cigar humidor, 27-inch flat-screen television and either a PlayStation or an X-box.
Seth Feller, a vice-president of the Canadian company, says a recent buyer is the head of one of the United Arab Emirates.