Barack Obama's Cadillac presidential limo revealed
December 31st, 1969
With president-elect Barack Obama soon to be sworn in as the nation’s leader, a new presidential limousine was in call for and once again General Motors was assigned the task of building it. Nicknamed ‘The Beast’, the limo is based on a number of GM platforms and shares components with several different vehicles.
“Cadillac is honored to again provide a new Presidential Limousine,” said Mark McNabb, North America vice president, Cadillac/Premium Channel. “This is a great American tradition that we’re delighted to renew with an all-new car featuring the best of Cadillac’s dramatic design and technology.”
Its exterior is styled around the Cadillac STS and DTS but underneath the sheet-metal the vehicle is built on a medium-duty truck chassis. The limo has recently been seen testing in prototype form alongside several GMC Topkick pickups, and according to onlookers the wheels and tires on the limo are almost identical to those on the trucks – 19.5in Goodyear Regional RHS tires.
The rest of the exterior includes parts from several Cadillac models, such as headlights from an Escalade, and the grille and taillights from an STS. The panels are comprised of dual-hardness steel, aluminum, titanium and ceramic material to help break up projectiles aimed at the car.
Inside, the car features the same cut-and-sewn handmade leather upholstery found in the CTS. The rear passenger area includes an extensive executive compartment with ample seating space, outward visibility and useful mobile office features. An embroidered presidential seal is positioned in the center of the rear seat back panel, as well as on each rear door trim panel. Presidential seals are also affixed to the exterior rear doors.
Other safety and high-tech features include 8in thick armor-plated doors (each weighing the same as a cabin door on a Boeing 757), an independent oxygen supply and advanced fire-fighting system located in the boot, pump-action shotguns, night-vision cameras and tear-gas cannons, Obama’s own personal storage of blood, Kevlar-reinforced tires that are puncture and shred-resistant, and special steel wheels that can drive without the tire attached.
All of this comes at a heavy weight penalty, with top speed rated at 60mph (96km/h) and fuel-economy expected to be about 8mpg.
Obama will first use the limo when he travels along Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington after his inauguration.Barack Obama's Presidential Limousine by Cadillac
With president-elect Barack Obama soon to be sworn in as the nation’s leader, a new presidential limousine was in call for and once again General Motors was assigned the task of building it. Nicknamed ‘The Beast’, the limo is based on a number of GM platforms and shares components with several different vehicles.
“Cadillac is honored to again provide a new Presidential Limousine,” said Mark McNabb, North America vice president, Cadillac/Premium Channel. “This is a great American tradition that we’re delighted to renew with an all-new car featuring the best of Cadillac’s dramatic design and technology.”
Its exterior is styled around the Cadillac STS and DTS but underneath the sheet-metal the vehicle is built on a medium-duty truck chassis. The limo has recently been seen testing in prototype form alongside several GMC Topkick pickups, and according to onlookers the wheels and tires on the limo are almost identical to those on the trucks – 19.5in Goodyear Regional RHS tires.
The rest of the exterior includes parts from several Cadillac models, such as headlights from an Escalade, and the grille and taillights from an STS. The panels are comprised of dual-hardness steel, aluminum, titanium and ceramic material to help break up projectiles aimed at the car.
Inside, the car features the same cut-and-sewn handmade leather upholstery found in the CTS. The rear passenger area includes an extensive executive compartment with ample seating space, outward visibility and useful mobile office features. An embroidered presidential seal is positioned in the center of the rear seat back panel, as well as on each rear door trim panel. Presidential seals are also affixed to the exterior rear doors.
Other safety and high-tech features include 8in thick armor-plated doors (each weighing the same as a cabin door on a Boeing 757), an independent oxygen supply and advanced fire-fighting system located in the boot, pump-action shotguns, night-vision cameras and tear-gas cannons, Obama’s own personal storage of blood, Kevlar-reinforced tires that are puncture and shred-resistant, and special steel wheels that can drive without the tire attached.
All of this comes at a heavy weight penalty, with top speed rated at 60mph (96km/h) and fuel-economy expected to be about 8mpg.
Obama will first use the limo when he travels along Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington after his inauguration.
Barack Obama's Cadillac presidential limo revealed
January 14th, 2009
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January 14th, 2009
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January 14th, 2009
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“Cadillac is honored to again provide a new Presidential Limousine,” said Mark McNabb, North America vice president, Cadillac/Premium Channel. “This is a great American tradition that we’re delighted to renew with an all-new car featuring the best of Cadillac’s dramatic design and technology.”
Its exterior is styled around the Cadillac STS and DTS but underneath the sheet-metal the vehicle is built on a medium-duty truck chassis. The limo has recently been seen testing in prototype form alongside several GMC Topkick pickups, and according to onlookers the wheels and tires on the limo are almost identical to those on the trucks – 19.5in Goodyear Regional RHS tires.
The rest of the exterior includes parts from several Cadillac models, such as headlights from an Escalade, and the grille and taillights from an STS. The panels are comprised of dual-hardness steel, aluminum, titanium and ceramic material to help break up projectiles aimed at the car.
Inside, the car features the same cut-and-sewn handmade leather upholstery found in the CTS. The rear passenger area includes an extensive executive compartment with ample seating space, outward visibility and useful mobile office features. An embroidered presidential seal is positioned in the center of the rear seat back panel, as well as on each rear door trim panel. Presidential seals are also affixed to the exterior rear doors.
Other safety and high-tech features include 8in thick armor-plated doors (each weighing the same as a cabin door on a Boeing 757), an independent oxygen supply and advanced fire-fighting system located in the boot, pump-action shotguns, night-vision cameras and tear-gas cannons, Obama’s own personal storage of blood, Kevlar-reinforced tires that are puncture and shred-resistant, and special steel wheels that can drive without the tire attached.
All of this comes at a heavy weight penalty, with top speed rated at 60mph (96km/h) and fuel-economy expected to be about 8mpg.
Obama will first use the limo when he travels along Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington after his inauguration.
Barack Obama's Presidential Limousine by Cadillac
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Comments (12 total)
Meet the top commenters on the Leaderboard...and when Obama leaves office, we can expect all that's left of GM to market this obscene machine as the Hummer H6. As the price of oil rises beyond 5 dollars a gallon again, such conspicuously consumptive vehicles will be exactly what residents of the New Middle East will be hoping to drive.
roy.. its better than the fuel economy that airforce one gets.
We need more positive people like Roy.
What they hell do you want? The thing is armor plated and heavy as shit for a good reason, obviously it ain't gonna get good mileage.
Personally I'd get them to make a CTS-V with all those features with the engine from a ZR1, now that would be badass.
Some notes:
1. I didn't vote for Obama but in a few days he will be my President
2. If it helps to keep him safe when he travels around - including overseas - I will gladly pay my share of his gas bill.
3. And last but not least... BLING!!
that's the most possitive thing I've ever read Hector write.
This thing is hideous though...would think Ford could get the Aston Martin(s) designer to sketch up a limo and what the blue oval on the front of it.
and incase anyone says Ford doesn't own Aston Martin any more they do still own 10% and have options on stock I believe, as well as with Land Rover and Jaguar. That is why in the Bond films you will still see AM's, RR's and Jags.
ZR-1 engine? I'd have a 572BBC from GM Perf. Parts with forged titanium internals, twin turbos and direct injection. I mean, if you have 8" thick doors and your own blood supply, why not? Geez, armor thickness on WWII Panzer tanks were measured in millimeters!
They should use turbine engines as on the M1 Abrams MBT to power this beast! It does look classy tho!
Having now watched the inauguration, I think there were several other limos with classier grilles - some Caddys have those nice wire mesh grilles. Anyway, if those other limos were supposed to be the decoys, there's no reason to have decoys - this one is pretty easy to identify. I like Mike's idea of making this a technological tour de force, except they need something reliable (and literally bulletproof).
By Sara #11, Posted: 8/14/2009
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By kenneth Nanja #12, Posted: 10/13/2009
After his term in ofice hope they make more like it so i can get myself ONE.
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