When President Barack Obama needs to travel via road there is only one vehicle fit for the job. The presidential state car – nicknamed ‘The Beast‘ by the US Secret Service – is that vehicle and, as its moniker would suggest, it is more like an armoured personnel carrier than a car.
Indeed, The Beast truly is a monstrous machine, assembled by US automobile manufacturer Cadillac from a wide range of heavy-duty and performance vehicles, as well as a plethora of custom components. The scale of the vehicle’s performance, resistance and feature set is immense, with the car capable of withstanding intense explosions, direct arms fire, road-laid mines, chemical weapons and even electronic warfare. Moving on to the offensive, it is outfitted with pump-action shotguns, tear gas cannons and revolutionary Kevlar-reinforced tyres – the latter capable of running on internal steel rims even if the tyres are destroyed.
The official state car is not just a piece of mobile heavy armour to protect the most important person in America, however – it is also one of the most connected places on the planet.
Importantly, while the presidential state car is a mobile fortress, it is backed up on every journey by a motorcade, with a number of Secret Service-driven vehicles surrounding the car at any time. These vehicles are outfitted in a similar manner and, in partnership with agents on the ground, add another barrier between the premier and potential threat.
State car history
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Bodywork – The bodywork is incredibly thick and made out of layers of dual-hardness steel, aluminium, titanium and ceramic. Together, these can resist incoming explosive projectiles.
Rear compartment – The rear compartment of the vehicle can sit four people and is separated from the front by a bulletproof glass partition. A panic button is installed on the president’s chair.
Boot – The state car’s boot is equipped with a large emergency oxygen supply, comprehensive firefighting system and canisters of the president’s blood type.
Oxygen canister – Underneath the president’s seat lies a canister of oxygen in the case of a chemical weapons attack.
Arms – The car sports a brace of pump-action Remington shotguns and several tear gas cannons.
Door – Each door weighs as much as a cabin door taken from a Boeing 757 jet due to 20.3cm (8in)-thick armour plates. The glass is bulletproof and bomb resistant too.
Driver’s compartment – The driver’s dashboard contains a state-of-the-art communications centre equipped with a cutting-edge GPS tracking system.
Tyre – The Beast’s tyres are Kevlar reinforced, shred and puncture resistant and have steel rims underneath – the latter allowing the car to run even if the tyres are compromised.
Electronics – The car has built-in Wi-Fi, a satellite phone, direct lines to the vice president and Pentagon as well as a host of night-vision cameras.