The US Secret Service Can't Drive Stick. GM Is Helping Fix That
We all know that the US President rides around a big Cadillac nicknamed
The Beast
. You probably also know that it's not really a Cadillac, but an armored behemoth built on a heavy-duty truck chassis. And should you ever see POTUS on parade, you'll definitely see the convoy that goes along for the journey. It's usually a cavalcade of black Chevrolet Suburbans, with perhaps a SWAT vehicle or two thrown in for good measure.
Here's the thing: None of those vehicles have manual transmissions, which is fine. But if there was ever an emergency that required a Secret Service agent to drive one, it might be easier said than done. That's why General Motors included two manual-equipped sedans in a fleet of 10 vehicles delivered recently to the US Secret Service training facility in Maryland.
'Not everyone is able to operate a manual shift,' Mark Armstrong, an instructor at the training facility, said in
a statement
. 'Having that platform here will enable us to give instruction on how to drive manual vehicles for overseas trips.'
He makes a good point. While manual-equipped cars are few and far between in the States, they're still widely used in other parts of the world, especially in Europe. The Secret Service usually takes its own vehicles when the President travels abroad, but not all activities involve direct real-time protection. It sure would be awkward for a tough-as-nails agent to climb behind the wheel of a Euro-spec surveillance van and not know what to do with that lever in the middle.
If the situation was dire—escaping with the President Hollywood-style in a commandeered vehicle to prevent a global nuclear war for instance—not having the correct training could destroy the world. Hey, it could happen. That's why everyone should learn to drive stick shift.
The two manual-equipped sedans aren't mentioned by name, but it's not hard to suss out. Blackwing versions of the
Cadillac CT4-V
and
CT5-V
are the only remaining three-pedal cars in GM's garage. Images shared by the US Secret Service show two of each being among the 10 cars delivered. Presumably, one of each has a six-speed manual. Corralling 668 manually shifted horsepower from the CT5-V Blackwing's 6.2-liter supercharged V-8 should be quite a training session.
Photo by: US Secret Service
The reason for this fleet goes well beyond manual transmission training. Among the fast Caddys are a
Chevrolet Suburban
,
Chevrolet Tahoe
, and
Cadillac Escalade
for full-size SUV familiarity. A beefy
Chevrolet Colorado ZR2
is in there, presumably for off-road training. And two
Chevrolet Corvettes
round out the fleet, though we're at a loss on those. High-performance training could be handled by the Blackwings. But if GM offered us a Corvette Z06 to play with, we wouldn't say no.
'Experience with different types of vehicles can help instructors teach students how to adapt their driving techniques based on the vehicle they are operating,' Scott Simons, special agent in charge at the James J. Rowley Training Center, said in a statement. 'Because each vehicle handles differently in any given situation, exposure to new cars will challenge instructors and give them an opportunity to develop more realistic training scenarios.'
Presidential Speed:
President Biden Took A Porsche To 171 MPH With Help From Launch Control
The Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing Still Kicks Ass: Review
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Source:
United States Secret Service
via
The Drive
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