"Renegade" and "The Beast"

Photo by Chris Doane/Brenda Priddy & Company.

[The more code names related to Obama ("Renegade") that I hear from the Secret Service, the more I like these guys and gals. I wonder how the president-elect would react if the USSS had named him "Mr. Pink"? ;) - c]

A new model of a presidential limousine made by General Motors Corp. has been delivered to the Secret Service and will make its debut on Inauguration Day.

The vehicle, referred to by the Secret Service as "the beast," will reportedly feature heavy armor that is at least 5 inches thick and comes complete with run-flat tires, bulletproof glass and a completely sealed interior to ward off a chemical attack, among many other high-tech security features.

One news agency, noting its 8-inch-thick doors, said the limo can withstand a "direct hit from an asteroid." But GM spokeswoman Joanne K. Krell laughed off the comments. -- FOX News

While I do not know what type of weapons such thick windows are designed to guard against, a half-inch of transparent armor is enough to stop a .44 Magnum round at point-blank range; at a thickness of 1.25 inches to 1.5 inches, the same material can withstand bullets fired from military assault rifles.

In an attack, the ballistic forces of bullets fired into the windows would be absorbed within a succession of glass and plastic layers, after which a flexible inner coating known as an antispall shield would keep glass from entering the passenger compartment.

Though the materials protecting the car's body are also classified [reactive armor?], they are probably intended to break up incoming projectiles with a hard substance before their energy is dissipated by a softer one. Material traditionally used for this purpose includes dual-hardness steel, aluminum, titanium, and ceramics.

Large steel overlaps are also typically added to the body openings of armored autos to deter attackers who might try shooting through the door gaps. -- Gregg D. Merksamer, New York Times

Fully dressed, the finished beast will look a lot like it's predecessor. One might also say the same of the incoming president.

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Reservoir Dogs - The Names Scene [NSFW - language]