SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images
When US presidents aren’t flying on Air Force One or taking helicopter trips in Marine One, they’re driven around in a presidential limousine nicknamed “The Beast.”
Weighing in at 20,000 pounds and outfitted with advanced security and communications systems, the newest model of “The Beast” debuted during the first Trump administration in 2018. It reportedly cost around $1.5 million to build.
Take a look inside the famous vehicle.
US presidents travel in a secure limousine nicknamed “The Beast.”
Official White House Photo by Adam Schultz
US presidents rode Lincoln limousines for most of the 20th century until the 1980s, when the Reagan administration switched to Cadillacs.
The latest model of the presidential limousine was commissioned by the US Secret Service in 2014 and used for the first time in 2018 by President Donald Trump.
Designed to look like a longer version of a Cadillac XT6, the chassis of the car is actually that of a Chevrolet Kodiak truck produced by General Motors, NBC News reported. The vehicle weighs around 20,000 pounds and cost around $1.5 million to build.
The heavily armored vehicle is bulletproof, blast-resistant, and sealed to withstand biochemical attacks.
SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images
While details about the limousine’s security measures remain classified, NBC News reported that the vehicle features a night-vision system, tear gas firing capabilities, and door handles that can be electrified to prevent intruders.
The windows are believed to be 3 inches thick, and the vehicle’s armor is around 8 inches thick.
“The Beast” is also equipped with medical supplies, including a refrigerator stocked with the president’s blood type.
Official White House Photo by Adam Schultz
The limousine’s secure communications system is able to dispatch the launch codes for nuclear weapons.
The presidential seal appears throughout the design of the car.
ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images)
The seal, featuring an eagle holding an olive branch and 13 arrows in its talons below a banner reading “E Pluribus Unum” (“Out of many, one”), appears on both the interior and exterior of the passenger door.
The limousine can seat up to seven people.
Official White House Photo by Adam Schultz
The interior features water bottle holders and plush leather seats. Previous presidential limousines have also included a fold-out desk, according to the US Secret Service.
“The Beast” travels with the president.
US Secret Service
Presidential limousines are transported by military cargo aircraft, such as US Air Force C-17s, for use during the president’s travels, according to the US Secret Service.
When abroad, the presidential limousine flies the American flag and the flag of the host country.
Pool/Max Mumby/Getty Images
When Biden visited the UK in June 2021, the presidential limousine flew both the American flag and the Union Jack.
On Inauguration Day, Secret Service agents change the car’s license plates as a new president takes power.
Alex Brandon/AP
Some presidents have used the Washington, DC, “End Taxation Without Representation” license plates, while others have removed the slogan, Axios reported.
On President Donald Trump’s second Inauguration Day, Secret Service agents gave “The Beast” a good shine.
Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
Biden and Trump rode to the 2025 inauguration ceremony together in the presidential limousine.
Accompanied by the presidential motorcade, “The Beast” remains an instantly recognizable symbol of the power of the presidency.
Official White House Photo by Ana Isabel Martinez Chamorro
“It is safe to say that this car’s security and coded communications systems make it the most technologically advanced protection vehicle in the world,” the assistant director for the US Secret Service’s Office of Protective Operations said of “The Beast, ” according to the US Secret Service’s official website.
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