By Kevin Fleming
Cars + Trucks
Obama’s Presidential Limo: An In Depth Look

If you haven’t heard, we here in the United States have a new president, Barack Obama.  This is not a piece about politics or policy (even though by trade I am a political scientist, so do not get me started!), but instead is about his new limousine.  The U.S. president’s limo, though seldom noticed in comparison to say Air Force One (his jumbo jet) or Marine One (his helicopter), is his main mode of transportation throughout his presidency.  It may look like your run of the mill Cadillac limo, but in reality it is far different from any limo or car that most of us have ever seen.



And The Limo Is...

As is traditional, every new president receives a new limo for use all over the world (it rides in the cargo bay of Air Force One on overseas trips).  President Obama is now cruising around in a 2009 Cadillac (it does not have a model name) built by General Motors in Detroit that is capable of hauling around six people in the back at once.  Of course, General Motors is not saying much about the limo in lieu of the fact that they would catch a lot of trouble from the United States Secret Service (the president’s bodyguards).  However, we do know a bit about the limo, which is codenamed ėStage Coachî by the Secret Service, based off of a few reports by local Detroit newspapers.



Limo Or Tank?

Essentially, the new limo is the exact same as the previous limo, a 2001 Cadillac DeVille.  However, the 2009 version comes with larger windows.  Granted these are not your run of the mill windows, as they are able to withstand a barrage of bullets from any sort of gun (or other weapons for that matter) that you can think of, no matter the distance.  You may think that bulletproof glass is not all that special, but when we take a look at some of the other ėgoodiesî packed on board, you will surely ask yourself whether or not it is a limo or a tank.



Most standard vehicles that we drive are usually made of fibreglass and sparse pieces of metal throughout the exterior.  The presidential limo on the other hand, is completely surrounded by at least five inches of military grade armour that has the ability to withstand even more than the above-mentioned bulletproof glass.  One potential weakness that outsiders think that the limo may have is the tires.  However, we know that the tires use the same ėrun flatî technology that you can find in your local tire shop.  Even though the Secret Service has never said what exactly the tires are capable of withstanding, I would bet that they could withstand more than just a nail.



The limo can also act as a mobile command centre in cases of emergency.  Again, the secret service is not exactly very forthcoming about this matter.  We do know that the limo has a barrage of communications equipment that can keep the president in communication with his top military commanders, if need be.  The limo also has technology in it that allows the interior to be completely sealed in cases of chemical attacks.



Service

The presidential limo itself is maintained strictly by the Secret Service.  When it comes to changing the oil or putting new mufflers on it, the Secret Service does not take it to the local Jiffy Lube for service.  The reasoning behind this is that the Secret Service does not want too many people having firsthand knowledge of the limo for security reasons.  In cases where the primary limo is broken down or under standard repairs, the Secret Service does have another undisclosed limo in stock.



Entourage

If you have seen the president’s motorcade in person or in pictures, you will notice that quite a few vehicles come along for the ride.  To be exact, approximately 34 other vehicles come along for the ride.  Typically, you may see two or three limos that look exactly like the 2009 DeVille, for example, but those are usually put in the motorcade as decoys.  Besides the police cars or motorcycles, you may notice a slew of black SUVs (usually Chevrolets) that Secret Service agents ride in.  One of the SUVs has the presidential seal on the side of it and also has a lot of the above-mentioned goodies.  This SUV occasionally carries the president around, but usually on short trips only (i.e. from Washington, D.C. to Virginia).



A Few Other Tidbits

Cadillac has announced just a few tidbits on the vehicle.  The main tidbit is the fact that, basically, the headlights are the only things that you would find in a standard Cadillac.  Nothing else included in the vehicle is used in any standard production vehicles.  For example, the presidential limo also comes equipped with night vision, but the location of the camera itself is classified.  As far as the standard perks go, the limo also includes a 10-disc CD changer, a fold away desktop and reclining massage seats.

Photo:
upi/newscom