When U.S. President Barack Obama paid a visit to Malaysia 2 years ago in April 2014, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak fell in love. No, not with the president but with the president’s limousine nicknamed “The Beast”. Najib had quietly expressed his desire about owning the babe, never mind it would involve a love triangle with his wife Rosmah Mansor.

 

That was after Obama invited Najib for a ride in the limousine. The subsequent year, Obama paid his second visit to Malaysia, and again Najib flirted with “The Beast”. Early of June this year, the prime minister couldn’t hold his feeling anymore. He openly expressed his intention to get the limousine for himself.

Screw his official national car Proton. Najib admitted “The Beast” was a “lovely car” that is not only spacious but well-equipped with tons of safety features. Considering none of Malaysian prime ministers since Independence, including Najib Razak, had experienced any assassination attempt, it is therefore safe to presume he wants it merely for glamour purpose.

 

What is so special about “The Beast”, one of many perks enjoyed only by the President of the United States? Do you know that the next president in 2017 – either Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump – will get a new presidential limousine?

 

{ 1 } The Beast Has Its Own Airplane

Just like the infamous nuclear “football” briefcase, “The Beast” must go with the POTUS whenever the president is travelling. But the limousine doesn’t travel on board the Air Force One, for obvious reason. Instead, “The Beast” has its own private jet – a C-17 Globemaster transport aircraft – which also transport a second limousine as backup.

The C-17 transport plane also carries a heavily armoured Chevrolet Suburban (the largest SUV on the market) used as a communications vehicle. The Suburban is nicknamed Roadrunner and it is said to be a rolling communications office directly linked to a military satellite – hence the SATCOM dome festooned to its roof.

 

{ 2 } The Beast Isn’t A Genuine Cadillac

The Beast is a Cadillac but not 100% Cadillac. To get the best of breed, the Beast is a mixture of everything. Its chassis, diesel engine and transmission are based on those used in the Chevrolet Kodiak, a rugged line of medium duty trucks that was marketed and sold by General Motors – from a dump truck to a U-Haul truck.

Essentially, the U.S. president’s limousine is car made by blending a truck’s capability with luxury car comfort. The headlights are from an Escalade and the tail lights are from the now-discontinued STS, which makes “The Beast” looks vaguely Cadillac-like.

 

{ 3 } The Beast Has Insane Armour

If Najib is afraid he might get assassinated because of his allegedly corruption, “The Beast” is the answer. The doors alone are 8 inches thick and weigh as much as the doors on a Boeing 757 aircraft. The windows are 5 inches thick and made of bulletproof glass. If you’re thinking on puncturing the tires to immobilise it, think again.

Those gigantic, nearly bus-size Goodyear tires are Kevlar-reinforced run-flats capable of keeping “The Beast” on the road if attacked. The interior is sealed off from the outside world to reduce risks of a chemical attack. Special foam surrounds the fuel tank to insulate it in the event of an impact so it won’t get exploded.

 

{ 4 } The Beast Is Fully-Equipped

The Beast is equipped with tear gas canisters, shotguns, fire-fighting equipment and even grenade launchers. Its trunk also contains oxygen tanks and supply of not only the president’s blood type, but also the first family’s blood types. If PM Najib plans to own his version of “The Beast”, his family, including Rosmah’s blood type would be kept here.

The front of the limousine is equipped with night vision cameras (mounted inside the grille) to enhance vision so that the driver could have advantage during a night attack. The cameras are also useful when the windshield was somehow compromised or views were obstructed.

 

{ 5 } The Beast Runs On Diesel

The Beast uses a 6.6-liter V8 Duramax diesel engine closely related to that featured under the hood of Chevrolet and GMC’s full-size heavy duty pickup trucks. The motor is capable of producing over 400 Bhp and 1000 Nm. Well, why diesel? The decision to go diesel has multiple reasons.

Big low torque low down for pulling the behemoth of the armoured Beast around at crawling speed. More importantly, diesel is less flammable, which helps to reduce the risk of it exploding. Diesel engines are also known for being durable, not to mention clean high octane petrol isn’t available every where.

 

{ 6 } The Beast Is A 7-Seater Limo

The U.S. President’s car is a seven seater that seats the driver and a secret service agent up front, and the President at the rear. The limousine also has another seat next to the president for a guest (the same seat that PM Najib took the ride together with President Obama), and a bench seat with room for three other personnel.

A folding desk separates the president from his guest’s spot. Surprisingly, the president’s bench is covered in a dark blue cloth rather than leather. Shoulder belts that retract toward the centre of the bench and buckle into the outboard corners – the reverse of a normal rear seat – are included.

 

{ 7 } The Beast Is A Slow Limousine With Huge Appetite

Although the limousine is packed with a 6.6-liter V8 Duramax diesel engine capable of producing 400 horse power, the car is extremely heavy at up to 20,000 pounds (9,100 kg). All that weight slows down the beast, which can only reach about 60 mph (97 km/h) and only achieves 3.7 to 8 miles per US gallon (64 to 29 L/100 km).

In comparison, the Rolls-Royce Phantom, one of the biggest cars on the road, weighs a paltry 5,600 pounds so the president’s limousine is roughly as heavy as 4 Rolls-Royce Phantom. A lot of the weight comes from the armour protection where the body is made up of steel, aluminium, titanium and ceramic.

 

{ 8 } There Are 12 Beasts In Service At Any Given Time

If PM Najib plans to buy a “Beast”, he has to buy and commission 12 units, if the U.S.’ SOP is to be followed. The White House is thought to maintain a fleet of around 12 of the cars, which are deployed around the world to protect the president, with each vehicle costing up to US$1.5 million each (£1 million; RM6.1 million).

However, in the case of PM Najib Razak, his controversial wife Rosmah would most likely get her own “Beast” should hubby Najib decides to proceed with the purchase. Therefore, the total cost would double to US$36 million (£24 million; RM146 million) for two sets of a dozen limousine for each of the prime minister and his lovely wife.

 

{ 9 } A New Beast Is Produced Every 4 Years

Just like any commercial vehicles, a new “Beast” will be built every 4 years for the president. The old one is handed down to the vice president or visiting heads of state. This ensures the president gets a reliable limousine with the latest security features and gadgets, if there’s any.

 

{ 10 } The Driver’s Window Is The Only Window That Opens

All of the windows except the driver’s cannot be opened. Even then, the driver’s window will open three inches to allow him to pay tolls (there’re tons of toll booths in Malaysia so this feature is very useful to PM Najib, although nobody dares to collect from him) or to talk to Secret Service agents who are running alongside the vehicle.

 

Considering Najib Razak has just won handsomely twin by-elections over the weekend, it’s highly likely he will win the next 14th general election, recapturing two-thirds majority and continue to rule for many years, even exceeds his mentor-turned-enemy former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad’s 22-year-old. Therefore, there’s a huge chance that PM Najib will get his new toy – The Beast.

 

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June 20th, 2016 by financetwitter

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