Cadillac has released more details on the 2009 Cadillac Presidential Limousine that will be pressed into service next Tuesday at President-Elect Barack Obama's inauguration. For obvious security reasons, any specifications on the vehicle are held close to the chest, even among the General Motor engineers who work on the project.
However, says Cadillac spokesman David Caldwell, "it is a little more upright with a larger glass area [than previous presidential limousines], because that was one of the requirements given to us by the Secret Service -- that there be a little more outward visibility."
In addition, the 2009 Presidential Limousine has a similar footprint to the previous version, which was redesigned for 2005.
Though the press release makes mention of "ample seating areas" and "useful mobile office features," Caldwell cautions against speculating about possible customizations President-Elect Obama may have specified. A redesign of a presidential limo spans several years, he says, and the 2009 version was about 99 percent complete by the time the November election results were final.
"This is not a process that responds to [individual customization], because of the required functional elements. The exterior design is a little more expressive this year, but it's largely a heritage vehicle."
The front fascia and bulging fenders pay homage to the Cadillac CTS. The flags are exclusive to the Limo, of course, and at night LED spotlights assure proper and dignified illumination.
In addition, various interior components in the 2009 Presidential Limousine are hand-sewn, just as in the CTS and XLR-V. The idea here was not to create a decadent enclave suitable for Louis XIV, but to make the President's ride feel more consistent with the times. And we're sure the bump in perceptual quality won't hurt a bit when it comes time for the new administration to make decisions that might affect GM's future.
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