Thursday, 20 June 2013

Cadillac One - Car of US President

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 60mph and it takes around 15 seconds to reach this.

Cadillac One

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

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

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.
Car of US President

5. Should the worst happen, The Beast has its own oxygen supply.
Car of US President

6. The military-grade Armour means the doors are eight-inches thick and weigh as much as a Boeing 747's.
Car of US President

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

8. The underside is reinforced with a Kevlar mat to protect Caddy One from bomb attacks.
Car of US President

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

10. There are two holes in the front bumper that can emit tear gas and fire smoke grenades.
Car of US President

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.
Cadillac One - Car of US President

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

13. The Beast has a firefighting system located in the boot.
Cadillac One - Car of US President

14. Also in the boot is a bank of the president's blood that iscarried at all times and when he goes out an ambulance always follows close behind.
Cadillac One - Car of US President

15. Obama 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.
Cadillac One - Car of US President

16. The Obamobile can seat seven, with two seats up front, three rear-facing ones in the middle, and two at the very back, one for the president and the other for a guest.
Cadillac One - Car of US President

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

18. Defence systems include a pump-action shotgun in a compartment beside the driver.
Cadillac One - Car of US President

19. The tyres are reinforced with Kevlar and can run when flat. If the tyres are missing, the steel rims have been designed to allow the car to keep on driving at Speed.
Cadillac One - Car of US President
20. Unlike previous presidential cars, Caddy One has no specific model name.