The presidential state cars of the United States and Russia, the Beast and the Aurus Senat, respectively, appeared ahead of President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin’s summit in Anchorage, Alaska, on Friday.
The U.S. uses a custom Cadillac, nicknamed the Beast, to drive its presidents. Russia uses a Senat model car by Russian automaker Aurus Motors. The Beast is made only for the president, while Aurus also makes a civilian version of the Senat.
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Both cars are considered some of the safest in the world, equipped with a built-in command center if needed.
The Beast, also known as “Cadillac One,” is estimated to cost $1.5 million. It was most recently commissioned in 2014 and put into service in 2018.
It weighs up to 20,000 pounds, and its body has 8-inch-thick armor to counter potential bombs or gunfire. The windows are three-inch thick and layered five times with glass. It is also equipped with a secure oxygen system and a supply of the president’s blood type.
The car, developed by General Motors, has been used by the president since the 1980s, when former President Ronald Reagan switched the presidential car to the Cadillac over the various Lincoln limousines used for much of the 20th century.
It is modeled to resemble a stretched version of a Cadillac XT6 sedan. In years past, Beast limousines were both gasoline and diesel-powered.
The Russian president’s Aurus Senat model, built to look like a Rolls-Royce, has been used by the Russian leader since 2018. It was unveiled at the 2018 Moscow International Auto Show. Aurus is a relatively new Russian luxury car brand.
The Aurus weighs under 14,000 pounds, lighter than the Beast. Little is known about its exact specifications, but Russia has said it is bomb and bulletproof, unlike the Beast.
It is unclear how much the custom model costs the Kremlin, but the civilian model is priced at about $160,000.
A limousine said to be a part of Putin’s presidential fleet exploded in Moscow earlier this year.
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Trump and Putin rode in the Beast together to the summit location after landing Friday morning. Putin was seen smiling in the back seat alongside Trump.
Trump is looking to bring an end to Russia’s war in Ukraine at the meeting. At a press conference after their three-hour meeting, Trump signaled it was up to Russia and Ukraine to end the war, while also touting the progress that was made, adding that he would be calling Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and NATO leaders soon.