President Obama takes inaugural ride in Presidential Limousine

, Posted by Sports Cars Fans at 7:47 AM

Presidential Limousine
Presidential Limousine
Presidential Limousine

Inauguration Day for President Obama has come and gone, and while our freshly minted Commander in Chief was probably most interested in making his title official, we like to believe the high point of his day was taking the inaugural ride in his new Presidential Limousine. Secrete Service agents have reportedly begun calling Obama's new whip the "Beast" for reasons that are readily apparent. General Motors released images of the new Cadillac-based limo last week, but were of course not permitted to reveal the car's specifications. We're still in the dark on most everything about the new Presidential Limo, but new images from yesterday's inauguration reveal its true scale and capabilities.

First of all, notice the roof height compared to a Secret Service agent walking next to the car. Though it has the basic proportions of a very long-wheelbase sedan, this thing is nearly as tall as a Tahoe. The sidewalls of the tires are enormous, kind of like the front tires on a semi-truck, which suggests a level of puncture resistance far beyond your average run flat. The increased ground clearance and large fender flares also suggest this car can go off-roading when the need arises, like if an ICBM takes out the road ahead. Lastly, this image of an agent holding the car door open for Obama while he enters the vehicle shows the true thickness of its doors. Based on that, we imagine the new Presidential Limo would score 50 stars if crash tested by the NHTSA. Check out more pics below of the Obama family taking their first ride in the Presidential Limousine.