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Sanity -> "The Beast" (2/1/2009 9:49:01 AM)
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Sounds like a nice ride, but "The Beast" could obviously use a few more horses!
quote:
General Motors may not be doing so hot in auto sales, but it's still the number one choice for the White House. The Big Three manufacturer built the black limousine 44th U.S. President Barack Obama rode in during the recent Inauguration Day parade. Dubbed the 2009 Cadillac Presidential Limousine, the high-tech ride replaces George W. Bush's 2006 Cadillac DTS limo. In fact, according to the Detroit News, this is "the first presidential limousine not to carry a specific model name."
Cadillac built the specially designed vehicle according to Secret Service specifications. "Gauging from what is known of earlier models, the car will reportedly have armor plating at least 5 inches thick, bulletproof windows, run-flat tires and a sealed interior to protect the president in case of chemical attack," says ABC News. The San Francisco Chronicle says that "a half-inch of transparent armor is enough to stop a .44 Magnum round at point-blank range; at a thickness of 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 inches, the same material can withstand higher-velocity bullets fired from military assault rifles."
...The Detroit News says the heavy limo could be built on GM's medium-duty truck platform. They also note, "Cadillac has disclosed in the past that the limo has a 10-disc CD player and hand-stitched leather interiors." Reportedly, Cadillac One weighs way over 5,000 pounds, goes from zero to sixty in a leisurely 15 seconds, and has a top speed of just 60 mph. But eight-inch thick ballistic armored doors, hermetically-sealed windows of five-inch thick bulletproof glass, and a five-inch thick armor plate underneath make it more impervious to blasts than many tanks. According to the AP, the Secret Service has appropriately nicknamed the new car "The Beast."
(Full article here).
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