Trump's new presidential limo is almost ready for primetime

President Donald Trump may be close to taking delivery of a new car - the heavily armored Cadillac sedan known as "The Beast."

A disguised version of the new model was seen testing on public roads in southeast Michigan, hinting that it just might be ready for its official debut.

Different iterations of the new limo have been spotted in road tests since last year, but as of now, Trump is still commuting in the old "Beast," the same Cadillac that served former President Barack Obama. 

It is not known when the new wheels are set to hit the road, but some eagle-eyed car enthusiasts will likely know it when they see it.

The Beast is traditionally designed from the ground up by the US Secret Service, and there are usually multiple copies of the same car in rotation, housed in the basement of Secret Service headquarters, and kept under 24-hour surveillance, AutoWeek previously reported.

Due to heavy armoring throughout and likely a host of top-secret protection and counter-assault equipment, these cars are as heavy as a tank, and get fewer than 5 miles to the gallon.

The new one is likely to ride on a medium or heavy truck platform, produced by General Motors. By some estimates, it will be fitted to the same chassis found on some Chevrolet or GMC haulers - the kinds of vehicles you would typically see as large moving trucks, for example.

That bulky chassis is heavily fortified to make it bulletproof and bombproof, durable enough for years of rigorous duty, and prepared for any worst-case scenarios. 

On the design side, the updated car could be a mashup of at least a couple different models in the GM lineup. The headlights appear to be from the current Cadillac Escalade SUV. Out back, the taillights bear some resemblance to either the Cadillac XTS or CT6 luxury sedan.

Its bodywork features a combination of various heavy materials, including steel, aluminum, titanium, and ceramic.

Naturally, details of the security treatment these armored state cars receive are not for public consumption, but here's what we know about modern US presidential limos, based on what is currently in circulation:

 

Amanda Macias contributed reporting.