Russia's new state limousine has recently been spotted undergoing winter testing in Scandinavia, shedding light on a mostly secret project that has been successfully kept under wraps for the past few years. Intended as a replacement to the long-serving ZiL 115 family of limousines and sedans, the new Porsche-engined limo is believed to make its debut during Vladimir Putin's expected inauguration next spring. But the best look at the upcoming limo came courtesy of patent filings disclosing the sedan's exterior design earlier this year.

First of all, you read that right: This thing is expected to be powered by a twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter Porsche V8 paired with a five-speed automatic, dialed down from 4.6 liters. This powerplant is expected to produce somewhere in the neighborhood of 600 hp and 650 lb-ft of torque. A second domestically developed V12 with a two-stage turbocharger is also expected in the lineup, producing around 860 hp and 737 lb-ft of torque. While the Porsche engine is pretty much confirmed -- this is the engine with which prototypes have been spotted testing -- the V12 is still in development.

What can we glean from the patent scans of Project Cortege, as it is currently known?

The full range of cars envisions a sedan, a limo, an SUV and a luxury MPV, but we'll wait and see just how many versions will be built. NAMI

For starters, the resemblance to current Rolls-Royce models is mostly incidental, despite first impressions. The cars that Project Cortege is trying to mimic are vintage Packards and Soviet cars inspired by Packards such as the ZiS 110. The 110 was a World War II-era state car whose design and engineering was inspired by prewar Packards that were imported into the USSR and used by top party officials. In fact, if we look some of the later Packard concept cars such as the Packard Request, we can see the outlines of the grille that this sedan wears. Further nods to the Packards of the 1950s can be seen by the U-shaped inlets flanking the grille -- once again prominently featured on the Packard Request concept.

The 1950s Packard themes are no accident, as a classic sedan called the GAZ 13 Chaika and one version of the ZiL 111 drew inspiration from Packard sedans of the 1950s. The Chaika remained in production until 1983.

Earlier versions of Project Cortege's design bore a much closer resemblance to 1940s Packards, but these designs were essentially diluted into what we see here. And what we see here, besides some vaguely Gothic themes, are long front and rear overhangs, a high ride height, thin C-pillars and a very slab-sided greenhouse. The result is a very top-heavy appearance with upright pillars and expansive windows -- the opposite of a great place to start when it comes to armoring.

The new limo will make a few nods to classic Packard design when it comes to the front fascia, drawing inspiration from a number of Packard models such as the Request concept.

Second, these patent filings only reveal the exterior of the sedan; the project is expected to include a sedan, a six-person limousine, an SUV and even a luxury MPV. But it remains to be seen whether the manufacturer -- the LiAZ bus plant 80 miles east of Moscow in the town of Likino-Dulevo -- will actually get beyond the sedan and the limo. There is no doubt that there is enough will and money to batch-produce a few sedans and limos, but pushing even for Rolls-Royce-level production figures is not being seriously discussed. After all, there is only so much domestic demand for a handmade state sedan.

Third, there is the factor of the price, which is what doomed production of ZiL limousines back in the early 1990s. While the planned economy of the USSR could afford to build a couple of dozen money-no-object V8 limos per year, a spiritual successor to the ZiL limos still has to bear some connection to real-world economics (even though the vast majority of these are expected to be purchased by government agencies). But once again, there are only so many government agencies, and breaking even when it comes to a big, luxury limo with a Porsche V8 means a daunting unit cost.

The upright and slab-sided greenhouse dilutes associations with recent Rolls-Royce models, but the proportions seem very foreign. NAMI

Finally, there is the issue of the brand. No official name has been announced for the marque, which is unlikely to reuse the ZiL name as that car and truck factory no longer exists. The code-name Project Cortege and various related platform names such as EMP (no relation to electromagnetic pulse) give little hint of the direction that the Ministry of Trade and Industry, which is spearheading the project, will give this newly established marque.

Given the fact that a total of three car plants will assemble major components, not counting Porsche engines and Bosch parts, these sedans and limos will have a lot of parents. It remains to be seen if the project bosses will opt for something internationally and politically-friendly or go with another difficult to pronounce factory acronym starting with the letter Z followed by half a dozen numbers.

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