The next President of the United States will get a new, high-tech company car.

[csv8]

The next President of the United States will get a new, high-tech company car.

The United States Secret Service has confirmed that it is tendering for a new presidential limousine to replace the current high-security Cadillac that is known as "The Beast".

The luxury division of General Motors has provided the Presidential limousine for almost 30 years, but the Secret Service has opened the bidding to all American car makers to create a high-tech replacement that implements the latest in security and automotive technologies.

While details of the requirements remain top-secret, it is believed that Chrysler and Ford have both expressed interest in challenging Cadillac for the right to create one of the world's most high-security, high-profile limousines.



"We do not discuss specifics of design, dimensions, features or capabilities of the presidential limousine," a spokesman for the US Secret Service, Max Milien, told the New York Daily News.

However, Millian did confirm the agency is looking to improve on the already high level of security provided by the Beast, which has been in service since 2009.

"The United States Secret Service is always looking at incorporating emerging technologies and improving our design processes wherever possible to afford the highest level of protection," added Milien.

The tender process will reportedly involve four development phases; the first of which involves the development of the armour, the second is the integration of the armour onto the proposed vehicle, the third is testing and evaluation and the final phase is the construction. The bidding process is open until the end of August 2014 with the Secret Service then anticipating "receipt of the first redesigned presidential limousine later this decade."

The Beast is the first Presidential limousine that does not bear any resemblance to a production model. While it has clear Cadillac design cues, the seven-seat stretched limousine is a special one-off that is said to weigh more than 4.5-tonnes and uses a heavy-duty truck chassis as its base.

The current car is powered by a gas-guzzling V8 engine that is said to consume fuel at a rate of around 30L/100km - which is around the same as a V8 Supercar at full noise - but it expected the Beast's replacement will adopt some form of hybrid propulsion to assist with its low-speed performance.

The car is said to be able to withstand attacks from conventional artillery and bombs as well as chemical weapons thanks to a sealed cabin complete with its own oxygen supply. The car also reportedly carries a supply of the president's blood in the boot in the event of an incident and has an advanced night vision system.
http://theage.drive.com.au/motor-new...317-34wk3.html

[jpblue1000]

Originally Posted by csv8

opened the bidding to all American car makers to create a ...replacement

The key point I took from that! Support local jobs locally!

JP

[FalconXV]

Well it won't be a Lincoln, they have decided to move downmarket (although a Presidential Car would have as much of a halo effect as a loss-leader flagship Conti).
It won't be a Volt or ELR type car, that's too much wiring as it is.
Be cool if it was a Tesla but I don't think they're quite there yet...
I'd bet on another Caddy,based on the upcoming Elmiraj sedan but GM doesn't have much in the way of next gen powertrains, Volt notwithstanding.

[chevypower]

A lot of people don't realize "the beast" is a Chevy Kodiak with a 6.5L V8 diesel in disguise as a stretched Cadillac sedan, so the term "gas guzzling" in the article is incorrect. So it will never be based on an actual sedan, like the Elmiraj or anything else. Perhaps the next one will be a Ford F-650 with an armored Lincoln Navigator body on it, and a much more powerful 6.7L Power Stroke diesel.

[Trump]

If the leader of a nation was genuinely doing the bidding of his employers (the people), why would he need ever increasing amounts of protection...

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by chevypower

A lot of people don't realize "the beast" is a Chevy Kodiak with a 6.5L V8 diesel in disguise as a stretched Cadillac sedan, so the term "gas guzzling" in the article is incorrect. So it will never be based on an actual sedan, like the Elmiraj or anything else. Perhaps the next one will be a Ford F-650 with an armored Lincoln Navigator body on it, and a much more powerful 6.7L Power Stroke diesel.

I hope its not that wheezy diesel 6.5L V8 GM had going in the 80s/90s, a quadriplegic person would outrun it in a wheelchair.

[chevypower]

Originally Posted by Big Damo

I hope its not that wheezy diesel 6.5L V8 GM had going in the 80s/90s, a quadriplegic person would outrun it in a wheelchair.

That's what I read, but a Google search shows confusion between the old 6.5 (from the 90s and a 6.6L Duramax). 0-60mph in 15 seconds, and a top speed of 60mph. No wonder the motorcade is so slow! Obama's holding up traffic!

[STEALTHY]

Originally Posted by Loud_Noises

If the leader of a nation was genuinely doing the bidding of his employers (the people), why would he need ever increasing amounts of protection...

Because Airports?

[LeadFoot81]

Surely Fomoco can piece together a (light) new gen F Series frame, Fusion AWD and hybrid systems, as well as an EcoBoost engine, with a stretched Fusion Vignale top hat. Cost effective way to build a sweet ride.

[jpblue1000]

Just send him a pimped territory.

JP

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by LeadFoot81

Surely Fomoco can piece together a (light) new gen F Series frame, Fusion AWD and hybrid systems, as well as an EcoBoost engine, with a stretched Fusion Vignale top hat. Cost effective way to build a sweet ride.

Bullet proofing, bomb proofing and anything else that thing would have in it, this ain't no job for a gasoline engine!

[nstg8a]

Be pretty cool to check out the old one,

[aussie muscle]

Originally Posted by csv8

it is believed that Chrysler and Ford have both expressed interest in challenging Cadillac for the right to create one of the world's most high-security, high-profile limousines.

I doubt major makers will have the tools and techniques to build one. sure it might be based on a ford/chrysler, but everything else will be done by a specialist vehicle security firm, eg all the armor and such.