White House Beast #002?

[Mike McDonald]

Although I wasn't able to watch much the ceremonies yesterday, last night, CNN had a short clip of Obama standing by the RR open door of DC Plate # "002". Are there (2 or More) "Beast's" and is that one normally assigned to VP Biden? That's the 1st time I have seen a close-up of the open door.... it's very thick and massive! MM

 

[Todd Merrifield]

The one that had the front end break a while back was in the President's motorcade, but did not contain the President, so I would assume there are at least two or more.

 

[Wayne Krakowski]

Mike saw that beast on the channel I was watching, glad it was on flat ground could not imagine opening that door on a hill its like a bank vault and the side windows,they have to press their faces against them to be seen......

 

[Kenn Evans II]

On youtube, they showed two of the Presidential limo's together, they travel in pairs around the world as a constant back-up if one has a malfunction. It is set up like Airforce One there are two identical planes.

 

[Mike McDonald]

Mike saw that beast on the channel I was watching, glad it was on flat ground could not imagine opening that door on a hill its like a bank vault and the side windows,they have to press their faces against them to be seen......

I've been told..... that it has some kind of device that "de-tints" the rear windows so people can see in.... and the "insiders" can always see out well? In that same clip showing the massive door you could you could see how (wide) the special tires are.

 

[Jim Jordan]

I thought I saw 4 identical limos at point near the end of the parade.

 

[Steve Lichtman]

There are two (at least) "beasts". In a formal motorcade, they always travel together. Both have the DC "800-002" tags. You can see the second one behind the limo in this news photo:

They have been using the armored Suburbans more lately for the less-formal motorcades. The Presidential Suburbans also carry the 800-002 tags.

Yes, you can do that in DC.

The limos are supposed to have adjustable tinted windows, but I think it's the same technology that is available from Horton, PL Custom, and MedTec for ambulances, which quite a few rigs around here use.

Biden flew into the airport where I work, but he had a Suburban. I don't know what he rode in yesterday.

Again, nothing secret here, just stuff anyone can see from the street or on TV.

 

[John ED Renstrom]

now that GM has doped the suburban this year what are the boy in the suites going to use

 

[Steve Lichtman]

Here's a photo from NBC from Inauguration Day showing just how thick the doors are on "the beast".

Remember, too, that President Obama is over 6' tall, so you can also see how tall the car is in general.

 

[Steve Lichtman]

Here's a similar shot of VP Biden getting out of his limo on Inauguration Day. As you can see, definately not "the beast".

 

[Wayne Krakowski]

Found it interesting prior to the prez doing his walk,the cue that he was about to emerge was the rush of secret service men to assume positons of security,but near the end of the parade VP Biden was out of his limo and running from side to side,pretty sure the agents cursed him for this move....under their breath of course,and was most impressed by the military units in the parade,very impressed indeed,you should all be proud...

 

[James Fischer]

I was reading in the local paper today that said Obama was wearing a bullit proof vest......

Can anyone comment on that ??
If so it sure must have been thin.......

 

[Mitch Fiandt - Deceased 1957-2024]

The White House Beast #002?

I read an article on the beast yesterday. The only thing on the limo that is Caddillac is the body. The rest of it is an Chevy Kodiack truck

 

[Todd Merrifield]

Wonder how long it would take the FD to hack into that with the jaws of life if it were in an accident? In the demo I saw, it took them a good 5-10 minutes to peel back the roof of a Dodge Intrepid...

 

[Brad Ross]

I watched most of the parade and as Jim stated, there were four "beasts". One in front of the President and two behind. The photo below shows three of the cars, the first beast is out of frame and was only shown a time or two.




The Vice President had a 2006-2011 styled Cadillac DTS limousine. There were two of these that I saw and they looked to be the former presidential units.

 

[Gregg D. Merksamer]

Though I've been videotaping Presidential limos on parade since Clinton's First Inaugural in 1993, this was the first year I hooked up a digital DVD recorder permitting me to "grab" some stills I can now post for a truly-definitive account of the cars taking part in Obama's Second Inaugural.

Per tradition, the festivities of Monday, January 21st, 2013 officially kicked off with a morning service at St. John's Episcopal around the corner from the White House. This brought out a pair of the latest-generation Cadillac "Beast" Presidential limos of the style debuted at Obama's First Inaugural in 2009, which evidently teamed Escalade side mirrors and headlamp clusters with the first blackwall tires seen on a White House car since the 1940s at least.

The spaces adjacent to the two "Obamabeast" limos (which are thought to be scratch built with rear-wheel-drive GM medium-duty truck underpinnings) were occupied by a pair of significantly-smaller "Factory Formal" style Cadillac limousines built for VP Joe Biden's use by (I believe) Scaletta-Moloney Armoring of Illinois, using a FWD 2006-2011 DTS platform stretched perhaps 32 inches to accomodate squared-off #2 side doors and coupe style quarter windows recalling the old Fleetwood Seventy-Fives. The story I wrote on United Nations armored autos for TPC Issue 147 includes a photo of this basic car with 2000-2005 DeVille front and rear end styling, but yesterday was the first time I've gotten to see these cars with the newer DTS detailing. Technically, they're not limousines but long wheelbase sedans, as fleeting interior views revealed no partition between the front and rear seats. Judging from the attached, it is arguable the best "grabs" I got comparing the size of the Vice-Presidential and Presidential Cadillacs were taken during the 10:30 am motorcade from the White House to the Capitol.

Though only one "Obamabeast" was ready for the 2009 parade - the other Presidential limos taking part in the Inaugural that year were the DTS-style cars debuted when Bush 43 began his second term - my archives usefully include an old e-mail from Shelby Township, Michigan PCS member Tim Cenowa, where he recalls seeing the first prototype behind a fence when he attended General Motors' Centennial celebration at the Warren Tech Center in September, 2008. At the time, he was told NINE cars like it were being built by GM for the government, and there was plenty of TV footage yesterday confirming all -or at least the majority - of these cars have been delivered to the Secret Service at this stage. Though I can't say for sure how many there were in the entire 2013 Inaugural parade, previous posters to this thread have already noted correctly there were four of these essentially-identical cars in the "Presidential" cluster. For the majority of the parade route, the "Lead Obamabeast" preceding the President's car was flanked to starboard by a Ford van being used as a video camera platform, and to port by a Chevy pickup apparently being used by the still photographers. The row behind the President's car, meanwhile, was four-abreast, with two more of the 2009-style Obamabeasts flanked by Chevrolet Suburban "War Wagons" equipped with room flashers, running boards (possibly removable assemblies hanging from the fender skirts) and plenty of firepower, apparently. It was a shock, though not a surprise, to spot the butt of a military assault rifle inside the open rear window of one of these Suburbans when the Obamas took their second "walkabout" outside the White House! As for what sort of technological magic allows the President to be seen behind those thick armored windows when he's inside the car? It's nothing fancier than some flourescent lighting in the limo's ceiling ...

As the "Taxation Without Representation" D.C. license plates proved a popular conversation topic among the network news commentators, I'm surprised none of them noticed most of the White House cars in the parade - not just the President's - bore license # 800-002. Perhaps it's the Secret Service equivalent of a dealer tag!

 

[Mike McDonald]

There are two (at least) "beasts". In a formal motorcade, they always travel together. Both have the DC "800-002" tags. You can see the second one behind the limo in this news photo:

They have been using the armored Suburbans more lately for the less-formal motorcades. The Presidential Suburbans also carry the 800-002 tags.

Yes, you can do that in DC.

The limos are supposed to have adjustable tinted windows, but I think it's the same technology that is available from Horton, PL Custom, and MedTec for ambulances, which quite a few rigs around here use.

Biden flew into the airport where I work, but he had a Suburban. I don't know what he rode in yesterday.

Again, nothing secret here, just stuff anyone can see from the street or on TV.

Makes you wonder where Plate # 800-001 is? Hope they didnt lose it when the Beast (that day) got high centered out of the country a few months ago?

 

[John Royark JR]

By using the search function you can see a few other threads about the Beast over the last few years.

 

[Jim Ireland]

Other limos

Here are a few more motorcade photos.

 

[Gregg D. Merksamer]

It's interesting to see how the USSS' most heavily-armored Suburbans for "daily threat" protectees may have windows just as thick as President Obama's Cadillac "Beast." Aside from the effect all that added weight has on handling & braking, the thick roof pillars and smaller window openings make for obvious added challenges when maneuvering. One can't help but be impressed at the footage out there that exists of Secret Service agents putting these heavy vehicles through reverse J-turns and other evasive maneuvers at their Beltsville, Maryland training facility.