THE BEAST

20 things you (probably) didn't know about Caddy One "THE BEAST"

 

Described as "a rolling tank with windows," Obama's presidential limo is called by the Secret Service agents “The Beast” and as the name suggests, it intends to act like one. With the highest imaginable levels of protection, technology and luxury, Obama's limo is different from any other presidential limo in the US history.

If you ask yourself how come, check this out! 

 

The vehicle's doors are extremely heavy and were compared to the doors of an aircraft. When they are closed, the interior is almost sealed and no one could get inside without being invited.

What's more, whenever traveling in this new limo, Obama will be totally isolated from the noises outside and he will be able to properly focus on the solutions to save his country from the financial crisis.

1 -Power comes from a 6.5-litre diesel engine that's fitted with a supercharger to help haul this beast around.. Yet despite this mammoth power plant, the top speed is only 60 mph (96Km) and it takes around 15 seconds to reach this.

2 -It is based on a GM truck chassis and weighs a staggering 6,350 kg. To put that in context, the Rolls-Royce Phantom, one of the biggest cars on the road, weighs a paltry 2,550 kg in comparison. This is why it only averages 8 mpg.


3 - A lot of the weight comes from the armor protection.
The body is made up of steel, aluminum, titanium and ceramic.

4 -The glass is five-inches thick and only the windscreen opens, to allow
the driver to talk to secret service running alongside or to pay a toll. It
is also hermetically sealed to secure it from chemical attack.

5 - Should the worst happen, the Beast has its own oxygen supply

6 -The military-grade armor means the doors are eight-inches thick and weigh
as much as a Boeing 747's.

7 - The doors are so thick that the president can't hear any outside noise,
so speakers are built in to play the ambient sound of the crowd.

8 - The underside is reinforced with a Kevlar mat to protect Caddy One from
bomb attacks. 

 

9 - The fuel tank is leak proof and filled with special foam that prevents
it from exploding, even in a direct hit.

10 - There are two holes in the front bumper that can emit tear gas and
fire smoke grenades.

11 - There is also an infrared video system for the driver to drive through
smoke and night vision cameras for driving in darkness without lights.

12 - Cadillac One normally flies two flags, the American flag and the
Presidential Standard, which are lit up at night with LEDs. When President
is on a state visit, the Presidential Standard is replaced by the flag of the
country he is visiting.

13 - The Beast has a fire fighting system located in the trunk.

14 -Also in the trunk is a bank of the president's blood that is carried at
all times and when he goes out an ambulance always follows close behind.

15 -President gets a presidential limo built to this specification every four
years and the old ones are handed down to vice presidents and visiting heads
of state. 

 

16 - The obamobile can seat seven, with two seats up front, three rear-facing
ones in the middle, and two at the back, one for the president and the other
for a guest.

17 - Inside, President isn't deprived of his creature comforts; a 10-disc CD
player is among the features, as well as a sophisticated electronic communi-
cations with direct phones to the White House and internal Internet.

18 -Defense systems include a pump-action shotgun in a compartment beside
the driver.

19 -The tires are reinforced with Kevlar and can run when flat. If the tires
are missing, the steel rims have been designed to allow the car to keep on
driving at speed.

20 - Caddy One has no specific model name, but is called “The Beast” by the
Secret Service.

 

 

Presidential SUV No.2

 By Air

The VH-3D helicopters are flown by US Marine Corps pilots and always fly in groups of identical helicopters, with as many as four decoys.

They are transported overseas with all the presidential vehicles in a military transport carrier, thought to be a C-5 Galaxy. These choppers are capable of firing flares to divert heat-seeking missiles, have twin engines and are equipped to deal with surface-to-air and air-to-air attacks. The UK is responsible for clearing the air space.

FOOD AND HEALTH

A commonly used phrase is that where the president goes, America travels with him.
A team of chefs prepare all his food - apart from that served at the official functions - both for convenience and security.

And a personal medical team accompanies the president, equipped with a supply of his blood type AB.

It's a remarkable choreography of logistics, and the strict control imposed by the US team usually ruffles a few feathers of the host.

Some other fun facts about the history of Presidential Cadillac limos:

• Woodrow Wilson chose a Cadillac limo for his 1919 victory drive through Boston because the car's engine, the first mass-produced V-8, was robust and reliable. 
• After the Pearl Harbor bombing, legend says Franklin D. Roosevelt rode in an armored Cadillac limo formerly owned by Al Capone
• President Dwight D. Eisenhower rode in one of the first Cadillac Eldorados ever built during his 1953 inauguration