14 DAY TRIAL // Much has been written lately about Barack Obama’s Obamobile, a heavily armored Cadillac nicknamed “The Beast.” Apparently, it’s so high tech that no one seems to know exactly what it has on; apparently, it also boasts the ability of getting beached at the slightest ramp.
As the video below will show, the presidential motorcade was coming out of the US Embassy in Dublin, Ireland, when the incident occurred – in front of a live audience no less.
The first car went through the gates without a problem, but the second did hit the ramp with its lower belly. Somehow, it was to be expected for the 8-tone “Beast” to be up for a tougher challenge than this.
And so it happened: with a thud and a clank, the lower belly of the “Beast” hit a piece of metal on the ramp, on which the gates are fastened – and then stopped dead.
As the crowd cheered, laughed and mocked the driver (who is, according to AutoEvolution, trained with the Special Forces to deal with all types of situations), a van pulled in front of the Cadillac, as it became clear there was no moving it from where it had stopped.
Sources online say that President Obama and First Lady Michelle were in the vehicle at the time, and that the van was used for their protection, as they were moved from one car to another, in order to continue their journey as planned.
Oddly enough, a rep for the White House is singing a different tune to TMZ, saying the Presidential couple were not in the Cadillac at the time, which was carrying “staff and support personnel only.”
He also explains the incident by a “slight miscalculation.”
Also according to AutoEvolution, “The Beast” was built by General Motors and is one of the most impressive Presidential limousines ever: it cost over $1.6 million to make, weighs 8 tons, is 18ft long, is entirely armored, and is equipped with all the necessary items in case of a surprise attack.