What’s Inside the President’s Limo?

President Barack Obama’s Cadillac limousine, affectionately called “The Beast,” is one one of America’s most highly guarded secrets. While we know it’s virtually Armageddon-proof, we don’t know much else – for good reason of course.

Autoweek recently published a short article that highlights the few facts we do know. The interior, possibly the most classified of its features, will blow your mind – armor-plated door-panels and a compartment to store the president’s blood are just the tip of the iceberg. This vehicle is straight out of a James Bond movie!

Autoweek writes:

• The fuel tank is armor-plated and encased in special foam to protect it from rupture in case of collision-or small-arms fire. And, perhaps not surprisingly, there’s an onboard Halon fire-suppression system.

• What’s in the trunk? Extra weapons, a separate oxygen supply under the president’s seat and emergency medical equipment, including bottles of the president’s blood type in case the ambulance (one always travels in the motorcade) gets cut off.

• The Beast is heavy: The armor plating (on five newer models) is so thick and the doors so heavy that it’s nearly physically impossible for the president to open them from inside.

• The interior is cut off from the outside world and sealed (in case of chemical attack). There’s an encrypted satellite phone inside and a special interactive video system so the president can conduct secure video conferencing with officials in the Situation Room, embassies abroad or the Pentagon.

• The car features military-grade armor (steel, aluminum, titanium and ceramic), surrounded by removable fiberglass sheets on the doors and fenders.

• The Beast has special locking mechanisms, and communications and fire-suppression systems. It rides on special Kevlar-reinforced Goodyear run-flats.

• The Secret Service has been experimenting with special night-vision cameras and monitors (the camera is mounted inside the grille) to be used in a doomsday scenario if, say, the windshield was somehow compromised or views were obstructed.

Here’s an infographic of the vehicle we found online (click the image to enlarge):

We want to hear from you: Tell us in the comments section below what interior feature you think the president’s Cadillac should have. Let your imagination run wild!

To read the full article, see “Inside the president’s armored limo“.