A little automotive quiz

General Discussion
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Full Disclosure:
This is not my creation. I copied it from Morning Brew.

MOTORCADE TRIVIA

Nothing gives you goosebumps quite like a motorcade that is 18 black SUVs deep. For today’s quiz, we’ll give you a world leader, and you have to figure out the make of the (very souped-up) car that drives them around.

  1. President Trump
  2. South Korean President Moon Jae-in
  3. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson
  4. German Chancellor Angela Merkel
  5. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe

Scroll down for the answers!
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MOTORCADE TRIVIA ANSWERS

  1. President Trump = a Cadillac nicknamed “the Beast”
  2. South Korean President Moon Jae-in = Hyundai Nexo SUV
  3. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson = Jaguar XJ Sentinel
  4. German Chancellor Angela Merkel = Audi A8
  5. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe = Toyota Century Royal
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I have seen a couple of presidential Caddys being built at GM’s Technical Center… from afar. It was in an open area in the basement but cordoned off to prevent closer inspection. And annoying the techs with questions, I’d guess.

The older ones were not nearly as “custom” as the current Beast. When the Deville was a big RWD car, less was custom. These days, there is no Cadillac with these proportions.

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Officially, it’s a secret, but “The Beast” is rumored to be built on the lengthened chassis of a Chevy Suburban. Then, special, hand-made “Caddy-like” body panels are used.

2 Likes
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That makes sense to me!

The American President drives an American car (Cadillacs have been a U.S. brand and U.S. symbol of prosperity for well over a century) and foreign leaders all drive foreign brand cars, symbols representing their countries.

I knew about the President’s car and didn’t care what the others were driving.
:us: CSA :us:
:palm_tree: :sunglasses: :palm_tree:

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The Suburban chassis — the 3/4 ton Suburban! - was used after the Deville was down-sized and even more up-armored. Plus it has a BIG Dana 60 axle and the heavy truck front suspension. I think that was the second one I saw built.

I was told the engine still met emissions regulations back then. It was 7.4 liter (454 CID) big block Chevy. I’d guess the Beast is sporting the 560 HP Caddy supercharged LSA V8 but no one is talking!

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Wow, a 454! Is that the same engine we had in our FWD 76 Toronado that we got from my father-in-law many years ago or is it a much newer version?

That puppy didn’t even use oil in its old age.

That Olds got like 10mpg and had a small gas tank. Range was limited. It was a 4,700 pound, 2-door beast. The doors weighed a ton and the trunk was quite small, but man could it go in snow and on ice.
CSA
:palm_tree: :sunglasses: :palm_tree:

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Not the same engine… Oldsmobile had their OWN big block 455 engine. Buick had their own 455 engine. Pontiac had THEIR own 455! Cadillac had a 472 and also a 500 cid engine… ‘cause Cadillac had to have the biggest. back in the day, each GM division had their own engine designs that shared little to nothing with their sister divisions. Heck, Chevy had their own transmission BOLT pattern different than the common pattern used on Olds, Pontiac, Caddy and Buick. Chevy’s big block soldiered on much longer than the other divisions’ big engines.

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I think the Beast is a diesel. Probably a DMax.

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I read that in a few places but I also read a piece that had the Secret Service reply that it was gasoline powered. Too secret for my clearance, in any event!