“The Beast”: GM Tasked With Building The Next Generation Armored Presidential Limo

General Motors executives met this week with U.S. Secret Service Director Sean Curran in Warren to discuss a new presidential limousine, according to the Detroit Free Press.

The meeting follows Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick’s call to buy Tesla stock and President Trump’s recent showcase with Elon Musk and Tesla vehicles at the White House.

GM declined to comment on government contracts, but the Secret Service said the talks focused on “advancements that could benefit the next generation of armored SUVs.”

A Secret Service spokesman confirmed to the Free Press that GM has been contracted to build a new presidential limousine, but offered no details on the design or Director Curran’s talks with the company.

“The U.S. Secret Service is always exploring emerging technology to enhance our protective operations,” said spokesman Nate Herring, adding that Curran’s visit to GM’s Tech Center focused on advancements for future armored SUVs.

“Due to operational security, we are unable to discuss the means and methods used for our protective operations,” he continued. 

The Detroit Free Press said that in September, the Department of Homeland Security and Secret Service awarded GM a $14.8 million contract to develop the next presidential limo, with the deal potentially totaling $40.8 million by 2029. Nicknamed “The Beast” since 2001, these heavily armored vehicles have long served U.S. presidents.

U.S. Rep. John James praised the contract, saying, “I’m proud to see the efforts of our Michigan autoworkers, engineers and manufacturers… This is what we do in Michigan: use our grit and genius to innovate.”

The last Beast, a custom Cadillac CT6 built in 2018, weighs 22,000 pounds, runs on diesel, and features 8-inch armor. GM previously won limo contracts in 2010 and again from 2014–2017, totaling over $50 million.

Trump, a longtime Cadillac fan, once said of his father: “His biggest luxury in life was to get a brand new, dark blue Cadillac every two years… he didn’t know about a Rolls Royce. All he liked was Cadillac, and I love it.”

“…my father liked Cadillacs and that’s good enough for me. Does that make sense? Good.”