Trump's armored limo, 'The Beast': What to know
President's vehicle weighs about 22,000 pounds and has its own emergency medical suite
Get your cameras ready. This is a car you may not have expected to see spinning around the Daytona International Speedway: President Trump's official limo, dubbed "The Beast."
The 45th president, the first to be named grand marshal of the Daytona 500 by NASCAR, marked the honor with a lap around the track before Sunday's race. The news was first reported by Fox News chief White House correspondent John Roberts reported on Friday.
President Donald Trump's motorcade passes the grandstands as he leads the drivers around the track before the NASCAR Daytona 500 auto race at Daytona International Speedway, Sunday, Feb. 16, 2020, in Daytona Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)
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Here are five things you need to know about “The Beast."
It made its debut in 2018
The presidential limousine was commissioned by the Secret Service in 2014 -- when Barack Obama was still president, according to NBC.
It wasn’t unveiled until September 2018, Fox News reported at the time. The previous model made its debut at Obama’s inauguration in 2009.
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It weighs 22,000 pounds
The limo’s nickname “The Beast” is apt, given that it weighs something like 22,000 pounds, NBC reported.
According to the website, the doors of “The Beast” are estimated to be eight inches thick, with five-inch windows. The car is also believed to be made with a mix of steel, aluminum and ceramic armors, NBC said.
The newest presidential limousine is pictured in September 2018. (MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images)
It’s modeled after a Cadillac CT6
Since Ronald Reagan’s administration in the 1980s, presidential limos have been modeled after Cadillacs. Before that, the presidential vehicles were Lincoln limos, according to Business Insider.
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GM | GENERAL MOTORS CO. | 55.59 | +0.09 | +0.16% |
Even though “The Beast” is meant to look like an elongated Cadillac CT6, the armored vehicle is built on a truck chassis, or frame, in order to carry its extreme weight.
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It is part of a $15.8 million contract
GM was commissioned by the Secret Service to make about a dozen of the armored limos under a $15.8 million contract, Fox News reported when the first debuted.
President Trump's limo is parked on a hill in front of a private residence in April 2019. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
It has plenty of security features
Though the Secret Service hasn’t revealed many details about the specs of the limo, Fox News previously reported that it's believed to have its own oxygen supply -- in case of a biological or chemical attack -- as well as “protection against ballistics and explosives, built-in tear gas launchers and an emergency medical suite equipped with a supply of the president’s blood type.”