by Douglas Black August 11, 2016
The presidential limousine is always a big deal. Woodrow Wilson was partial to Pierce-Arrows and FDR enjoyed a cigar in the Sunshine Special. JFK thru Jimmy Carter cruised the Lincoln X-100, suicide doors and all. Obama has a Cadillac referred to as ‘The Beast,’ will be altered for the next President of the United States. My friends at the website Autoblog.com managed to capture photos of the vehicle testing.
According to Joel Patel of Autoblog, “The Beast 2.0 will follow closely behind the current presidential limousine that’s built upon a rugged commercial truck with a sedan-like body.” Instead of utilizing components from the now-retired Cadillac STS, the new presidential limo borrows parts from the new Escalade. Still bomb-proof, the prototype sports LED headlights for better gas mileage (what??), has a more angular grille that features Cadillac’s wreathless crest (branding is crucial).
There’s no word on whether the Beast 2.0 will be ready in time for zipping to and from Inaugural Balls in January, but the stealthy photographers reported that GM recently stepped up its testing for the limousine at its Milford Proving Grounds.
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Douglas Black is a writer and photographer in Chicago.
