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Spy photos show Trump's new Cadillac-badged rolling fortress

Development on the new presidential limo, oh-so appropriately nicknamed The Beast, is moving along at a GM proving ground. We got a brief glimpse of the Cadillac-badged rolling testament to safety and security late in February thanks to some clever drone work. We now have a new batch of ground-level photos that show the limo cruising around, presumably being put through the vehicle equivalent of boot camp. Currently, President Trump is making do with the first-generation Beast. While still likely safer than anything else on the road, it's starting to be a bit dated. In addition to the updated styling that makes it look like a comically oversized Cadillac CT6, The Beast v2.0 is likely packing a whole new suite of technology and safety equipment. That's just an assumption, as there's no press release with a full list of features. We can't imagine that the government would want everyone knowing what's beneath The Beast's skin. Expect Trump's ride to have reinforced doors, extra-thick glass, and even a filtration system that would protect against a biological attack. There's speculation that it's equipped with tear-gas cannons, similar to one of James Bond's rides. Even the relatively normal-looking tires are likely to be strengthened in some way, allowing them to still roll if punctured. Add up all of the extra reinforcement, and the truck-based ride is likely to have a mass that's equivalent to a small moon. All that tech doesn't come cheap. Expect The Beast to cost taxpayers somewhere around $1.5 million. Hey, it's still less than the new Bugatti Chiron. Related Video: Featured Gallery The Beast 2.0 spy shots View 10 Photos Image Credit: KGP Photography Spy Photos Cadillac GM Trump limousine limo president

Weekly Recap: New bosses try to jump-start Cadillac and Lincoln

Both of America's domestic luxury brands seem to be stuck in neutral.
It's ironic that Cadillac and Lincoln got new bosses within days of each other this month. It's also a commentary on the fact both of America's domestic luxury brands seem to be stuck in neutral.

GM's Cruise Origin EV platform to be shared by many electric vehicles

GM on Monday announced that it was spending $2.2 billion at its Detroit-Hamtramck facility, part of its $3 billion commitment made after the UAW strike to transform Hamtramck into the company's first plant to exclusively build a wide variety of electric and autonomous vehicles. The operation will eventually employ 2,225 people. Hamtramck is still building the Cadillac CT6 and Chevy Impala. Production of those cars will wind down Feb. 28, when GM will idle the lines for 18 months of retooling. During the transition, more than 800 workers will likely be transferred to build pickups at Fort Wayne, Indiana, or Flint, Michigan. When Hamtramck production of new EVs begins in late 2021, the Cruise Origin electric shuttle revealed last week will be among the first vehicles built there. Also, an electric pickup likely branded as a Hummer to be sold as a GMC, which will be debuted by LeBron James during the Super Bowl this Sunday. GM made quite a few pronouncements during the unveiling of the electric, autonomous Cruise Origin last week in San Francisco. We heard that the Origin was designed to last for for 1 million miles, be "roughly half the cost of what a conventional electric SUV costs today,” and riders could save as much as $5,000 per year by giving up their cars for Origins. Much was left out, as well, such as detailed specs on the platform, and when the Origin could see wide deployment. Carscoops addressed one open question about the platform, reporting that the Origin's bones will be shared among a number of other GM battery-electric vehicles, probably starting with the Cadillac EV due in 2021. The site received confirmation of that tidbit from Megan Soule, the automaker's assistant manager of Electrification, Battery Technology, Fuel Cells, R&D and GM Ventures Communications. It seems what we've been shown in the Origin is the first fruit of the multi-vehicle EV strategy GM CEO Marry Barra presented at the 2017 Barclays Global Automotive Conference. One of the slides (below, full PDF presentation here) touts an "All new multi-brand, multi-segment platform" with a "Structurally integrated all new battery system." The next slide places that modular platform at the center of 11 new vehicles, the van-looking silhouette on the upper right labeled "SAV," for shared autonomous vehicle, apparently in reference to the Origin.