RSS
Home
New Cadillac Presidential Limousine: Green enough for Obama?
Print
Email
RSS
Subscribe
President-elect Barack Obama’s new presidential limousine may cost him favor among the green crowd, writes Boston Herald’s Dave Wedge. The new custom-built “Cadillac” said to be under construction for the next president appears to be built on a GMC 2500-series truck frame, writes professional car (as limos, hearses and ambulances are known) expert Gregg Merksamer, and will be more fortress on wheels than automobile.
According to armored vehicle experts, President Bush’s limo has window glass five inches thick, and the rest of the presidential limo that went into service in 2005 is similarly armored. And all that stuff gets heavy. The current limo probably goes through fuel like a 100-car fully loaded coal train—as rare as those will become according to the vice-president elect. The new limo will be heavier yet.
A “spy photographer” who routinely catches pre-production cars in testing—a sort of automotive paparazzi—was able to make some observations:
“…the limousine was being tested with a pair of GMC Topkick medium-duty trucks. The limousine seemed to be riding on the same 19.5-inch Goodyear Regional RHS tires as the trucks, indicating that it is far heavier than a civilian Cadillac. Indeed, it is believed that the limo is based on GM's 2500 line of trucks, which includes an extra-heavy-duty version of the Suburban.”
Of course, neither General Motors nor the Secret Service, which provides security for the president, would share any details. Armored vehicle converters are understandably reticent about giving exact specifications, but Utah-based International Armoring Corporation’s website shows some general techniques. Merksamer says “a half-inch of transparent armor is enough to stop a .44 Magnum round at point-blank range; at a thickness of 1.25 inches to 1.5 inches, the same material can withstand bullets fired from military assault rifles.” The presidential limo will have transparent armor (window “glass”) more than three times as thick.
A presidential limo must be able to withstand everything from RPG (rocket propelled grenade) attacks to bombs underneath the vehicle, so the resulting “Cadillac” will be at least as safe as one of the new MRAP (mine-resistant ambush protected) vehicles now saving soldiers’ lives in Iraq. We’ll wager that the new limo has a concealed V-shaped hull as well.
Cadillac grille and taillights? Sure. Otherwise the only Cadillac about it will be the “built by General Motors” sticker.
But about saving fuel, there will be at least two more identical units built for and traveling with the limo carrying the president as decoys. At least one of these as well as up-armored Secret Service vehicles travel in a military cargo jet accompanying Air Force One.
So I wouldn’t sweat the extra gas, Dave. If they exist—and surely they must—the new limos were under planning and construction well before not only the election but even before the campaign started five minutes after the last election. It’s not all “do as I say, not as I do.” On the other hand, if General Motors could work that new 2-Mode Hybrid system in there somehow…
Illustration courtesy General Motors Corp.
If you liked this, you might be interested in:
- 2009 Cadillac Escalade 2 Mode Hybrid car review
- 2009 Saturn Vue 2 Mode Hybrid car review
- 2008 Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid car review
.jpg)
Related Articles:
Comments
Road trip! It's an exciting two words for any travel or car enthusiast, at least with the right set of wheels, though in fact becomes a de facto …
Although it's sure to cause chronological whiplash for Baby Boomers, Nissan will release a 40th Anniversary package for the 2010 Nissan 370Z next …
- 2011 Kia Sorento EX V6
- 2010 Reviews
- 2010 Audi A5 2.0 TFSI
- 2010 Audi R8 5.2 FSI V10
- 2010 Audi S5 Cabriolet
- 2010 Chevrolet Camaro 2LT RS
- 2010 Chevrolet Equinox AWD 2LT
- 2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor
- 2010 Ford Taurus Limited AWD
- 2010 Ford Taurus SHO
- 2010 GMC Terrain SLT1 FWD
- 2010 Hyundai Elantra SE
- 2010 Hyundai Genesis Coupe 3.8 Track
- 2010 Kia Forte
- 2010 Lexus HS 250h
- 2010 Lexus IS 350 C
- 2010 Lexus RX350
- 2010 Lexus RX 450h
- 2010 Mazda CX-7 i Sport
- 2010 Mazda Mazdaspeed3
- 2010 Mazda MX-5 Miata
- 2010 Mercedes-Benz GLK350 4Matic
- 2010 Nissan 370Z Roadster
- 2010 Nissan Altima Hybrid
- 2010 Nissan Cube 1.8 Krom
- 2010 Nissan Versa 1.8 SL Hatchback
- 2010 Porsche Panamera 4S
- 2010 Toyota Prius
- 2010 Toyota Prius II
- 2010 Volkswagen Golf TDI
- 2009 Reviews
- 2009 Acura TSX
- 2009 Audi A4 Avant 2.0T quattro
- 2009 Audi A6 3.0 TSFI
- 2009 BMW 135i Coupe
- 2009 BMW Z4 sDrive 3.5i
- 2009 Cadillac Escalade Hybrid 4WD
- 2009 Chevrolet Aveo5 1LT
- 2009 Chevrolet Kodiak pickup truck
- 2009 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible
- 2009 Chevrolet Silverado Hybrid
- 2009 Chevrolet Traverse FWD LTZ
- 2009 Dodge Journey SXT AWD
- 2009 Dodge Ram 1500 Laramie Quad 4x4
- 2009 Ford Fiesta
- 2009 Ford Flex Limited AWD
- 2009 Ford Fusion SEL I-4
- 2009 GMC Acadia SLT-2
- 2009 Honda Civic Hybrid
- 2009 Honda Fit Sport w/Nav
- 2009 Honda Ridgeline RTL
- 2009 Hyundai Genesis 3.8
- 2009 Infiniti G37 Convertible
- 2009 Infiniti M45x
- 2009 Jaguar XF Premium Luxury
- 2009 Jaguar XKR Porfolio Coupe
- 2009 Jeep Patriot Limited 4x4
- 2009 Kia Borrego
- 2009 Kia Borrego EX 4x4
- 2009 Land Rover LR3
- 2009 Lincoln MKZ
- 2009 Lotus Exige S 260 Sport
- 2009 Lotus Exige S
- 2009 Maserati Quattroporte S
- 2009 Mazda Mazda6 s Grand Touring
- 2009 Mercedes-Benz CL550 4Matic
- 2009 Mercedes-Benz SLK300
- 2009 Mitsubishi Outlander XLS 4WD
- 2009 Nissan 350Z Roadster Touring
- 2009 Nissan 370Z Sport
- 2009 Nissan Murano SL AWD
- 2009 Nissan NISMO 370Z
- 2009 Pontiac G6 4-cyl
- 2009 Pontiac G8
- 2009 Pontiac G8 GXP
- 2009 Pontiac Vibe AWD
- 2009 Porsche Boxster RS60
- 2009 Saturn Aura XR 4-cyl
- 2009 Saturn Vue 2 Mode Hybrid
- 2009 Scion xB
- 2009 Subaru Legacy 3.0R Limited
- 2009 Suzuki SX4 Crossover AWD Technology
- 2009 Toyota 4Runner Sport Urban Runner
- 2009 Toyota Camry Hybrid
- 2009 Toyota Highlander/Hybrid
- 2009 Toyota Matrix XRS
- 2009 Toyota RAV4 Limited 4-cyl. 4WD
- 2009 Toyota Sequoia Platinum
- 2009 Toyota Sienna XLE AWD
- 2009 Toyota Venza 4-cyl. AWD
- 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI
- 2009 Volkswagen Tiguan
- 2009 Volkswagen CC VR6 4Matic
- 2009 Volkswagen Touareg 3.0 TDI
- 2008 Reviews
- 2008 Chevrolet Equinox Fuel Cell
- 2008 Bentley Continental GT
- 2008 BMW X6 xDrive 5.0i
- 2008 Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid
- 2008 Kia Amanti
- 2008 Lexus IS-F
- 2008 Mazda MX-5 Miata Grand Touring PRHT
- 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X MR
- 2008 Nissan Cube JDM
- 2008 Saturn Vue Green Line
- 2008 Scion xD
- 2008 Volkswagen Passat Turbo
- 2008 Volkswagen Toureg V8
- 2008 Volvo XC70 3.2
- 2008 Volvo XC70 D5
- 1971 Honda N600
