What Is The Beast? Five Things You Need To Know About The Presidential Limo

President Trump and his entourage are off to Asia this week. There is a full agenda for his 12-day trip to the world’s largest continent. His journey, according to the New York Times, will be “the longest tour of Asia by an American president since the President George Bush [trip] in late 1991.” We aren’t completely sure who is accompanying the president since the official makeup of his entourage is confidential. But, there is one thing of which we are sure: The Beast is going.

What is the Beast? It is the president’s special limousine. And, what makes it so special? Here are five things you need to know about the Beast and what makes it so extraordinary.

The President Has Air Force One, The Beast Has A C-17 Globemaster

Everyone knows that the president flies in Air Force One, especially for long trips like the current Asia jaunt. But, what does the Beast fly in? According to Left Lane News, “the Secret Service makes use of a C-17 Globemaster transport aircraft to haul the Beast.” The inside of the C-17 was seen on Twitter just yesterday when the Secret Service put out the following tweet.

With #POTUSinAsia we couldn't very well leave The Beast behind! pic.twitter.com/iCnady6Ag0

— U.S. Secret Service (@SecretService) November 4, 2017

The Beast (Reportedly) Runs On Diesel

While no one knows for sure what is under the hood of the Beast, experts believe it uses “a Duramax diesel engine closely related to that featured under the hood of Chevrolet and GMC’s full-size heavy-duty pickup trucks.” But, why diesel? First, diesel engines tend to be more durable than gasoline engines. And second, diesel fuel is more widely available than gasoline. Since the Beast travels with the president on his trips all over the world, it needs to be able to fuel up wherever on the planet it is currently located.

The Beast Has A Cadillac Emblem, But Might Not Be Purebred Caddy

When you see a picture of the Beast, you see the Cadillac emblem on the front. But, what kind of Cadillac is it, anyway? According to a recent article in the Business Insider, “the headlights appear to be from the current Cadillac Escalade SUV,” but the taillights could be from “either the Cadillac XTS or CT6 luxury sedan.”

And, some of the parts might not be Cadillac at all. As noted before, the engine is probably the same as used in Chevy and GMC pickups. The chassis? It could be the same as “found on Chevrolet or GMC haulers.”

The Beast Is A Heavyweight

With all it has to carry, the Beast is a heavyweight. It reportedly carries “5-inch-thick bulletproof windows, a bomb-proof undercarriage, tear gas cannons hidden under the headlights, and night vision cameras,” according to The Drive. All that brings a heavy toll in the weight department, with the Beast rumored to be tipping the scales at somewhere around 20,000 pounds.

To give you some perspective on that kind of weight, one African elephant can weigh in the neighborhood of 10,000 pounds, so the Beast might weigh as much as two average-sized African elephants.

The Beast Gets Parked Strategically

When you see pictures of the Beast and Air Force One, it is almost always seen parked between the plane and the crowd. Why? This is a strategic move to provide an extra layer of protection for the president. His safety is of utmost importance to the Secret Service, no matter to what country the president is currently traveling.

Presidential travels are surely a logistical challenge, especially with all of the hardware involved. The Beast is only one piece of that hardware, structured to make sure that the U.S. president stays safe, no matter where his worldly travels might take him.

[Featured Image by Wilfredo Lee/AP Images]