and Marine One, the president's chopper.

But few have heard of Cadillac One, the president's limo.

It's a pretty nice ride that's capable

of transporting and protecting the president,

letting the president work undisturbed, and if necessary,

allowing the president to unleash nuclear hell.

Today, we're going to take a look at some fascinating facts

about the president's limo.

But before we get started, be sure to subscribe to the Weird

History Channel and let us know in the comments below what

other historical transportation you would like to hear about.

OK, let's jump in and take this baby for a spin.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

The first president to ride in a car

was William McKinley, all the way back in 1900.

The car was a Stanley Steamer invented

by FO Stanley who had to reassure

the nervous McKinley that the machine was safe to ride in.

McKinley hated the experience and later confided in a friend

that he felt like the car might explode at any minute

or that the driver might lose control.

He also called Stanley overoptimistic for thinking

that cars would ever replace horses.

Despite McKinley's reaction, US presidents ever since

have been early adopters of automobile technology.

Howard Taft was the first president

to regularly use motor transportation as opposed

to horse drawn carriages.

And successive presidents have had more and more

monstrous state cars.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

Barack Obama's presidential state car

was an armored Cadillac DTS known as the Beast.

The exact details of the wait and outfitting of Obama's limo

were closely guarded secrets, but the car

was thought to be about 18 feet long

and weighed around 7 and 1/2 tons.

Its speed was also classified and it's

been speculated that the car got about eight miles

to the gallon.

Not exactly saving the planet, but it wasn't really designed

for fuel efficiency.

President Trump's limo, while being

a newer model than Obama's, is also called The Beast.

It's believed The Beast II's weight is about 20,000 pounds

and is protected by a mix of aluminum, steel,

and ceramic armors, and has walls

that are about 8 inches thick.

Both Beasts were designed to keep the respective presidents

safe from a variety of attacks, and in the modern era,

that's no easy task.

A United States president can face threats from everything

from handguns to grenades to missiles.

Moreover, the limo was also meant

to serve as a mobile command center in the event

that the White House has to be evacuated.

While the details of both Beasts are classified,

one of the most speculated about features

is a reinforced 5 inch steel plate

said to run underneath the car.

This innovation protects the president and the event

that a bomb is placed under the car,

a grenade rolls under the car, or the car

rolls over a landmine, or you hit a really, really deep

pothole.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

Given how important the president is,

the Secret Service has to anticipate

every conceivable type of threat when figuring out

how to keep the president safe.

This includes the possibility of a gas attack.

To defend against such threats, the main cabin of both Beasts

were designed to completely seal themselves

when the doors were closed.

This means poison gas or nerve agents can't get in.

The limos also have their own filtration systems

to ensure clean air is always being pumped to the president.

It's believed that both Beasts had

doors as heavy as the ones found on a 757 airliner.

These doors feature bulletproof glass windows

that are around 5 inches thick and are

covered in over 8 inches of armor plating.

Standard options might be good for your average car buyer,

but the President of the United States

usually requires the premium package.

This can even apply to details as seemingly innocuous

as the door handles.

The standard Cadillac DTS door handles

were actually replaced on the Beast

with special loops that allow the Secret Service

agents to run alongside the car while holding on.

They're also easier to grab and open in an emergency,

providing of course that the driver or president hasn't

locked the car from the inside.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

If an attacker could stop the limo,

the president would be a sitting duck.

So in the event of an attack, the limo

must keep moving no matter what.

To that end, the Beast's tires are heavily

protected from puncture or flattening.

In fact, the limo has special wheels

that are Kevlar reinforced.

These super tires can resist shred, puncture, and just about

everything else.

Even better, if something does manage to blow out the tires,

all isn't lost.

Why?

Because the Beast can drive short distances

on just its steel rims, thanks to special run flat devices.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

If there's one thing experience has made the Secret

Service paranoid about, it's the risk

of someone shooting as the president passes

by in the presidential limo.

Therefore, the windows on the Beast

are reportedly 5 to 6 inches thick, bombproof,

and capable of withstanding armor piercing bullets.

Moreover, they're mostly just for show.

The driver's window is the only one that actually opens,

and not even all the way.

It only cracks open about two or three quarters inches.

Why even bother?

Well, it's so the driver can speak with Secret Service

agents outside the vehicle.

Another event the president's ride is designed for

is an attack on its fuel tank.

After all, if an assassin could ignite the fuel in the tank,

president might meet a crispy end.

To guard against this the limos fuel tank

is armor plated to help repel bullets.

As a second line of defense, the lining of the tank

is filled with a special foam that

prevents it from exploding, even if it sustains a direct hit.

This is the same technology race cars

used to keep their gas tanks from exploding in a collision.

Let's say you're the president and you

want to have an awesome tailgate party.

Well, I've got some bad news.

Because while the Beast does have a trunk,

it's designed to hold something very specific.

The trunk of a Cadillac One is actually

said to house an emergency oxygen

supply, along with some basic firefighting equipment.

It's also rumored that the trunk holds bottles of blood that

match the president's blood type in case

an emergency transfusion is needed.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

The Beast is a very important vehicle,

but the truth is, it's not really a single vehicle at all.

It's actually more of a fleet.

There are likely 12 different armored Cadillacs

that serve as the presidential state car.

Each car is completely identical and the system

that determines which Beast is used

when is kept highly classified.

In fact, in order to help keep would-be attackers ,

guessing there's always another Beast around whenever

the president is traveling, usually somewhere else

in the presidential motorcade.

Like everything else about Cadillac One,

its special features are classified.

But rumor has it that the car comes

equipped with its own night vision

camera to be used in case of a blackout.

The limo was also armed with tear

gas cannons capable of dispersing a hostile crowd

and pump action shotguns for close quarters defense.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

Cadillac One is known to seat seven people,

including a driver and Secret Service agent up front.

In the back, the president sits facing forward,

while any guests sit facing toward him.

The president also has an array of defensive measures

available, including a glass partition to the driver

that only he can open and a panic

button for summoning help.

Like Air Force One, the Beast allows the president

to do his work even while he's on the road.

The president can stay connected safely

on a foldaway desk that includes a laptop

with secure Wi-Fi capabilities, as well as a satellite

phone with a direct line to the Pentagon and the vice

president.

The state of the art communications equipment

in the car is actually maintained directly

by the White House communications agency.

You ever want to launch a nuclear missile at a guy who

cut you off in traffic?

Well, if you're president of the United States,

it's an option, kind of.

But should the unthinkable happen

in a nuclear war breaks out while the president is

in the Beast, it has everything that's

needed to make a full response right there.

The president's motorcade always includes a vehicle known

as the Roadrunner or the MC2V.

This car carries equipment that links the limousine control

package, which allows the president

to conduct command and control functions, to a Defense

Department satellite.

Through this satellite, the president

can send and receive emergency action messages

through a special channel.

Long and kind of boring story short,

this allows the president to authorize and direct

a nuclear weapon release.

That's a new level of road rage.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

So if you're watching this video and thinking to yourself

that driving the presidential limo sounds like a job for you,

well, it's not an easy gig get.

First off, you have to be a Secret Service agent.

And not just any run of the mill Secret Service agent either.

The driver of the presidential limo has to be trained in CPR

and have specialized training in evasive driving techniques,

including the legendary J-turn.

Also known as the moonshiners turn

because it's based on a signature bootlegger driving

maneuver, the turn can flip the car

180 degrees while the driver guns the engine

at the same time.

Just as the president has a personal airplane,

the president's car also has its own plane.

Why?

Well, because it has to.

Nothing else can carry it.

Whenever the president flies anywhere,

the two limos that go with him, as well as the other motorcade

vehicles, are fit into a specially designed C17

Globemaster III aircraft.

We're not sure if the limos get an in-flight movie.

After hearing all this information

about the president's limo, you might

be wondering if you could pick one up for yourself.

Well, you can't.

They're specially made for the president.

And even if you could, you probably can't afford one.

Each beast reportedly cost somewhere

in the area of $1.5 million to build and maintain.

Of course, as with everything else related to Cadillac One,

the exact price is actually a closely guarded secret.

At $1.5 million a car, you'd probably

expect the presidential limo to function

like a well oiled machine, and the vast majority of the time

the complex machine known as Cadillac

One functions smoothly.

But when it doesn't, it tends to make the news.

This usually happens because the Beast

has terrible maneuverability.

It can struggle with narrow roads overseas.