7 OF THE BEST CARS OF WORLD POLITICIANS

The UK General Election on the 8th June has thrown the country into a frenzy of manifestos, debates and a war of sound bites. To celebrate (or distract ourselves), we’ve compiled some of the most well known and unknown cars belonging to influential world politicians to see who has the sweetest ride.

CADILLAC “THE BEAST” – U.S. PRESIDENTIAL CAR

Who can forget one of the world’s most famous cars nick named “The Beast”. Although some details of the car are kept under wraps by the Secret Service, what we do know is that this colossal car is tough. At a speculated weight of around 8,000kg, the car can only reach circa 60mph. What it lacks in speed, it makes up for in accessories.
The Beast has no keyholes and the only way to get into the car is a state secret known only by Secret Service agents. All the glass in the vehicle is 5-inch bulletproof glass and the car comes with its own arsenal of weapons (not as standard obviously) including rocket-propelled grenades, tear gas, shotguns, anti-tank missiles and even the tyres are bulletproof.

JAGUAR LAND ROVER XJ SENTINEL – UK PRIME MINISTERIAL CAR

At less than half the weight of the President’s car, the UK equivalent is somewhat more subtle. However, don’t let this quintessentially British Jaguar fool you. The Prime Minister’s Jag has a supercharged 5.0 litre V8 engine and has a top speed twice that of the Beast at 121 mph.
As ever, much of the cars details are classified, but what is clear is that the car is lined with titanium and Kevlar to make it bulletproof, the tyres are run flat and there’s even ‘gun ports’ at the sides and back to allow security officers to fire back in the event of a shoot-out.
But it’s not all guns and missiles, this classy Jag comes with heated and cooled SEATs, an enormous 1200 watt Dolby surround sound system and some fairly plush interior leather SEATing.

FIAT 500L “THE POPEMOBILE” – THE POPE

Although not your typical politician, the Pope has long served as a diplomat and ambassador for the Catholic faith. Vatican City, the SEAT of the Pope, is its own country and as head of state, the Pope qualifies for our list.
There have been many Popemobiles over time the years varying from Leyland lorries through to SEAT Panda’s, but the current Pope, Pope Francis prefers a simple Fiat 500L. At 1,245 kg and a top engine of 1.6 litres, this isn’t a fast or glamorous car. However, recent Popemobiles have included bulletproof Plexiglas windows that can protect the Pontiff from gunfire, bomb explosions and any thrown objects.

PROJECT KORTEZH – RUSSIAN PRESIDENTIAL CAR

Not happy that his American counterpart has a fancy and bomb proof car, Vladimir Putin ordered his own car to be created specifically for him, ready for delivery this year. Simply known as Project Kortezh, this presidential limo is very reminiscent of a Rolls-Royce.
The car is expected to be equipped with armour, run-flat tyres, Kevlar reinforced cabin and boasts an enormous V-12 turbocharged engine built by Porsche (apparently!).
What other goodies it will have inside, we don’t know and suspect we will never know as the former KGB agent is likely to keep it under wraps.

BENTLEY STATE LIMOUSINE – THE QUEEN OF ENGLAND

As head of state for the United Kingdom, the Queen has had some fantastic cars over the years, but when you’re the Queen, you need something extra special. This custom Bentley is valued at around $15 million dollars and has a top speed of 130 mph. Bentley produced just two of these vehicles and both house 6.75 litre V8 twin turbocharged Rolls-Royce engines.
The Queen can never be seen struggling to get out of a vehicle, so this car comes with coach doors that open at almost 90 degrees. The car is armoured and can be sealed air-tight should the Queen ever come under a chemical attack. The car has since been updated so its engine can use biofuel as the Royal family look to become more environmentally friendly.

BUGATTI VEYRON – TURKMENISTAN’S PRESIDENTIAL CAR

Turkmenistan’s national leader drives about on state business in this bright green Veyron. In fact, he does much more than that. In 2012, the President entered his country’s first ever automotive race, and won.
At $1.6 million dollars, the 8.0 litre quad-turbocharged Veyron is undoubtedly the fastest of any of the politicians in the world and seems to have the would-be racing driver head- of- state to suit.

LANDAULET – LEXUS LS 600H L LANDAULET – PRINCE OF MONACO

What do you get a Prince who literally has it all? A Lexus apparently… No seriously, this one of a kind LS 600h L was given to Prince Albert in 2011 on the day of his wedding.
The Landaulet featured a transparent bubble roof (built using aerospace technology normally used for space shuttles) that allowed the world to see the newlyweds be chauffeured on their wedding day.
Ever environmentally-conscious, the vehicle is actually a hybrid and allowed the royal couple to travel with zero-emissions on the day. and Lexus even boast this was one of the most environmentally friendly cars ever built.