master123 Posted April 13, 2009 Report Posted April 13, 2009 Barack Hussein Obama, the President of the USA must be the world’s most sought after person. But being the President of the world’s most powerful nation carries with it a heavy price tag — in terms of security as well. The President needs to be protected and so Obama rides in a car akin to a battle tank, reportedly costing a whopping US$ 4.5 million, all of it from the tax-payer’s money, of course! The life of the President of the USA is more precious than you can imagine. Even in a country like Britain, which is a like-minded ally, Barack Obama drove around in a car made especially for him called ‘The Beast’ that is equipped to handle even the most devastating terrorist attack. No terrorist could even dream of getting to Obama when he’s cruising around in his cool Cadillac One. The car is surrounded by five inch thick walls, so no chemical attack can penetrate it. ‘The Beast’ can run on flat tyres for a minimum of 90 kilometres, so no bullets in the tyres will affect it. The limousine has an openable ‘pump-action’ shotgun, so no terrorist giving chase with continuous fire can hope to outlast it. In addition, the President’s car has sophisticated communications equipment on board including a state-of-the-art satellite phone and a laptop computer equipped with Wi-Fi. The only way of getting to the President is probably to be disguised as his personal bodyguard! Talk about a movie! This is real life! Once again General Motors (GM) has built this limousine based on a number of GM platforms. The car also shares components with several different vehicles. “Cadillac is honoured to provide a new presidential limousine once again,” is what Mark McNabb, North American Vice President, Cadillac/Premium Channel told reporters after the company made the delivery of the super car to the President. The company has in the past provided bullet-proof cars to earlier Presidents of the United States. The car’s exterior is designed to copy the Cadillac STS and DTS but below this is concealed a brand new medium-duty truck chassis. ‘The Beast’ has been tested in prototype to match the ruddy features of all the top GMC topkick pickups, and according to car observers, the wheels and tyres on the limousine match those on the toughest trucks. The rest of the exterior includes parts from several Cadillac models, such as headlights from the Escalade, and the grille and tail lights from the STS. The panels are comprised of dual-hardness steel, aluminium, titanium and ceramic materials to help break up projectiles aimed at the car. Said a top official of General Motors India, “The car is so feature-laden that it will never come into the Indian market. Forget this fancy limousine, even the ordinary Cadillacs meant for the consumer market are not sold in India. In India, GM restricts its operations to the more modest Chevrolets.” Fact File: * Price: US$ 4,40,000 (approx) * Length: 18 ft * Height: 5 ft 10 in * Engine: 6.5 litre diesel engine * Max speed: 60 mph * 0-60mph: 15 secs * Fuel consumption: About eight miles to the gallon Petrol Tank Armour-plated and filled with a specially designed foam which prevents it from exploding even if it suffers a direct hit. Rear seats Obama’s seat has an executive package featuring a foldaway desktop, laptop computer with Wi-Fi, state-of-the-art satellite phone and direct line to the Vice President and the Pentagon. Driver’s window Tough enough to withstand armour-piercing bullets. The only window that opens — just three inches — so the driver can pay toll or talk with Secret Service Agents running alongside. Defence accessories Equipped with night vision cameras and pump- action shotguns. Also armed with tear gas cannons. Bottles of the President’s blood kept on board in case he needs an emergency transfusion. Chassis A reinforced five inch steel plate runs under the car for protection in the unlikely event of a bomb being placed underneath. Tyres Kevlar-reinforced, shred and puncture-resistant, with steel rims underneath, enabling the car to escape at a high speed even if tyres are blasted away.
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