US Secret Service gets Corvettes, Cadillacs to help train agents
General Motors this week sent 10 vehicles to the federal law enforcement agency's James J Rowley Training Center (RTC) in Laurel, Maryland in order for the company to not only get feedback from agents, but also to give them experience driving different vehicles.
The fleet of 10 vehicles is diverse. It includes three SUVs (a Cadillac Escalade, a Chevrolet Suburban, and a Chevrolet Tahoe with a police package), as well as two
Chevrolet Corvettes
.
Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal.
Browse now
.
GM also sent the Secret Service four Cadillac CT4 and
CT5
sedans, two of which have manual transmissions. That would make them hot twin-turbocharged V6-powered CT4-V Blackwing and supercharged V8-powered CT5-V Blackwing models.
You might think it's pointless for a government agency to be driving supercars and manual sports sedans, but the Secret Service has explained the rationale.
'Not everyone is able to operate a manual shift,' said Mark Armstrong, a driving instructor at the RTC for 10 years. 'Having that platform here will enable us to give instruction on how to drive manual vehicles for overseas trips.'
These overseas trips can include visits to foreign field offices or protective duties, so agents need proficiency in a range of driving skills and vehicle types.
'Experience with different types of vehicles can help instructors teach students how to adapt their driving techniques based on the vehicle they are operating,' added Scott Simons, the special agent in charge of the RTC.
'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.'
Having vehicles outside the norm also provides an element of surprise for students, who might be expecting a black Tahoe only to find a Corvette blast into the training area.
Ultimately, special agents in the field and uniformed division officers are more likely to end up behind the wheel of something like a Tahoe in their daily duties but, sorry agents, we don't think a supercharged V8-powered, manual CT5-V Blackwing will end up in your motor pool.
GM already supplies vehicles to the Secret Service, including presidential parade limousines and armoured SUVs for use in motorcades.
Initially established to investigate the counterfeiting of US currency, the Secret Service these days provides more than just protective services. It also conducts financial and cybercrime investigations.
Click an image to view the full gallery.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Advertiser
2 days ago
- The Advertiser
Honda revives sporty name from the past for first model on new EV platform
The Acura RSX is the latest sporty nameplate from yesteryear that's been revived, and reimagined for the modern automotive landscape. Instead of being a sporting-ish three-door coupe, the new RSX is a high-riding five-door SUV with an "expressive coupe-like silhouette". Scheduled to make its in-the-flesh debut at Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance this weekend, the RSX Prototype is in true Honda fashion a very thinly disguised version of the production vehicle, with the wing mirror design likely the only change. CarExpert can save you thousands on a new car. Click here to get a great deal. It will be the first production model based on Honda's new in-house EV platform, and will be manufactured in the company's Ohio factory. Sales of the new RSX will begin in the second half of 2026. According to Acura, the production RSX will have a dual-motor all-wheel drive system, double wishbone front suspension, and Brembo brakes as standard. No word yet on outputs, performance figures, battery capacities, or range. It will also feature the company's new Asimo OS that controls not only the infotainment system, but also driver assistance, autonomous driving, and basic hardware functions. Likened to a smartphone operating system — not to mention OSes in other brands, such as Tesla and Rivian — Asimo OS supports over-the-air updates, high levels of driver customisation, connected services, and machine learning to adapt to the driver's entertainment and driving preferences. The RSX is the second model name Acura has brought back from the dead for an electric SUV; the ZDX holds the honour of being the first. While the second-generation ZDX stayed true to the coupe SUV silhouette of the original, it and the closely related Honda Prologue are actually Honda designs on top of GM's BEV3 platform. Both not only use GM's EV technology, but are built by the General. Acura began mining its nameplate history in 2022 when it released the Integra liftback, basically a lightly restyled Honda Civic equipped with its most powerful engines. Sold for just one generation from 2002, the original RSX (above) was a rebranded fourth-generation Integra. Unlike the Integra, which was available in both three- and five-door liftback guises, the RSX only ever came with three doors. When it departed the scene in 2006, it became the last-ever non-NSX coupe from the brand, and ended the brand's opening era where it deliberately courted young enthusiasts. The shift from Integra to RSX came at the tail end of the marque's dumping of its original model names: Legend for RL, Vigor for TL, and Integra for RSX. The shift to letters was reportedly due to a desire to focus owners' affections on the overall marque rather than individual models. MORE: Everything Honda Content originally sourced from: The Acura RSX is the latest sporty nameplate from yesteryear that's been revived, and reimagined for the modern automotive landscape. Instead of being a sporting-ish three-door coupe, the new RSX is a high-riding five-door SUV with an "expressive coupe-like silhouette". Scheduled to make its in-the-flesh debut at Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance this weekend, the RSX Prototype is in true Honda fashion a very thinly disguised version of the production vehicle, with the wing mirror design likely the only change. CarExpert can save you thousands on a new car. Click here to get a great deal. It will be the first production model based on Honda's new in-house EV platform, and will be manufactured in the company's Ohio factory. Sales of the new RSX will begin in the second half of 2026. According to Acura, the production RSX will have a dual-motor all-wheel drive system, double wishbone front suspension, and Brembo brakes as standard. No word yet on outputs, performance figures, battery capacities, or range. It will also feature the company's new Asimo OS that controls not only the infotainment system, but also driver assistance, autonomous driving, and basic hardware functions. Likened to a smartphone operating system — not to mention OSes in other brands, such as Tesla and Rivian — Asimo OS supports over-the-air updates, high levels of driver customisation, connected services, and machine learning to adapt to the driver's entertainment and driving preferences. The RSX is the second model name Acura has brought back from the dead for an electric SUV; the ZDX holds the honour of being the first. While the second-generation ZDX stayed true to the coupe SUV silhouette of the original, it and the closely related Honda Prologue are actually Honda designs on top of GM's BEV3 platform. Both not only use GM's EV technology, but are built by the General. Acura began mining its nameplate history in 2022 when it released the Integra liftback, basically a lightly restyled Honda Civic equipped with its most powerful engines. Sold for just one generation from 2002, the original RSX (above) was a rebranded fourth-generation Integra. Unlike the Integra, which was available in both three- and five-door liftback guises, the RSX only ever came with three doors. When it departed the scene in 2006, it became the last-ever non-NSX coupe from the brand, and ended the brand's opening era where it deliberately courted young enthusiasts. The shift from Integra to RSX came at the tail end of the marque's dumping of its original model names: Legend for RL, Vigor for TL, and Integra for RSX. The shift to letters was reportedly due to a desire to focus owners' affections on the overall marque rather than individual models. MORE: Everything Honda Content originally sourced from: The Acura RSX is the latest sporty nameplate from yesteryear that's been revived, and reimagined for the modern automotive landscape. Instead of being a sporting-ish three-door coupe, the new RSX is a high-riding five-door SUV with an "expressive coupe-like silhouette". Scheduled to make its in-the-flesh debut at Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance this weekend, the RSX Prototype is in true Honda fashion a very thinly disguised version of the production vehicle, with the wing mirror design likely the only change. CarExpert can save you thousands on a new car. Click here to get a great deal. It will be the first production model based on Honda's new in-house EV platform, and will be manufactured in the company's Ohio factory. Sales of the new RSX will begin in the second half of 2026. According to Acura, the production RSX will have a dual-motor all-wheel drive system, double wishbone front suspension, and Brembo brakes as standard. No word yet on outputs, performance figures, battery capacities, or range. It will also feature the company's new Asimo OS that controls not only the infotainment system, but also driver assistance, autonomous driving, and basic hardware functions. Likened to a smartphone operating system — not to mention OSes in other brands, such as Tesla and Rivian — Asimo OS supports over-the-air updates, high levels of driver customisation, connected services, and machine learning to adapt to the driver's entertainment and driving preferences. The RSX is the second model name Acura has brought back from the dead for an electric SUV; the ZDX holds the honour of being the first. While the second-generation ZDX stayed true to the coupe SUV silhouette of the original, it and the closely related Honda Prologue are actually Honda designs on top of GM's BEV3 platform. Both not only use GM's EV technology, but are built by the General. Acura began mining its nameplate history in 2022 when it released the Integra liftback, basically a lightly restyled Honda Civic equipped with its most powerful engines. Sold for just one generation from 2002, the original RSX (above) was a rebranded fourth-generation Integra. Unlike the Integra, which was available in both three- and five-door liftback guises, the RSX only ever came with three doors. When it departed the scene in 2006, it became the last-ever non-NSX coupe from the brand, and ended the brand's opening era where it deliberately courted young enthusiasts. The shift from Integra to RSX came at the tail end of the marque's dumping of its original model names: Legend for RL, Vigor for TL, and Integra for RSX. The shift to letters was reportedly due to a desire to focus owners' affections on the overall marque rather than individual models. MORE: Everything Honda Content originally sourced from: The Acura RSX is the latest sporty nameplate from yesteryear that's been revived, and reimagined for the modern automotive landscape. Instead of being a sporting-ish three-door coupe, the new RSX is a high-riding five-door SUV with an "expressive coupe-like silhouette". Scheduled to make its in-the-flesh debut at Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance this weekend, the RSX Prototype is in true Honda fashion a very thinly disguised version of the production vehicle, with the wing mirror design likely the only change. CarExpert can save you thousands on a new car. Click here to get a great deal. It will be the first production model based on Honda's new in-house EV platform, and will be manufactured in the company's Ohio factory. Sales of the new RSX will begin in the second half of 2026. According to Acura, the production RSX will have a dual-motor all-wheel drive system, double wishbone front suspension, and Brembo brakes as standard. No word yet on outputs, performance figures, battery capacities, or range. It will also feature the company's new Asimo OS that controls not only the infotainment system, but also driver assistance, autonomous driving, and basic hardware functions. Likened to a smartphone operating system — not to mention OSes in other brands, such as Tesla and Rivian — Asimo OS supports over-the-air updates, high levels of driver customisation, connected services, and machine learning to adapt to the driver's entertainment and driving preferences. The RSX is the second model name Acura has brought back from the dead for an electric SUV; the ZDX holds the honour of being the first. While the second-generation ZDX stayed true to the coupe SUV silhouette of the original, it and the closely related Honda Prologue are actually Honda designs on top of GM's BEV3 platform. Both not only use GM's EV technology, but are built by the General. Acura began mining its nameplate history in 2022 when it released the Integra liftback, basically a lightly restyled Honda Civic equipped with its most powerful engines. Sold for just one generation from 2002, the original RSX (above) was a rebranded fourth-generation Integra. Unlike the Integra, which was available in both three- and five-door liftback guises, the RSX only ever came with three doors. When it departed the scene in 2006, it became the last-ever non-NSX coupe from the brand, and ended the brand's opening era where it deliberately courted young enthusiasts. The shift from Integra to RSX came at the tail end of the marque's dumping of its original model names: Legend for RL, Vigor for TL, and Integra for RSX. The shift to letters was reportedly due to a desire to focus owners' affections on the overall marque rather than individual models. MORE: Everything Honda Content originally sourced from:
7NEWS
2 days ago
- 7NEWS
Honda revives sporty name from the past for first model on new EV platform
The Acura RSX is the latest sporty nameplate from yesteryear that's been revived, and reimagined for the modern automotive landscape. Instead of being a sporting-ish three-door coupe, the new RSX is a high-riding five-door SUV with an 'expressive coupe-like silhouette'. Scheduled to make its in-the-flesh debut at Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance this weekend, the RSX Prototype is in true Honda fashion a very thinly disguised version of the production vehicle, with the wing mirror design likely the only change. It will be the first production model based on Honda's new in-house EV platform, and will be manufactured in the company's Ohio factory. Sales of the new RSX will begin in the second half of 2026. According to Acura, the production RSX will have a dual-motor all-wheel drive system, double wishbone front suspension, and Brembo brakes as standard. No word yet on outputs, performance figures, battery capacities, or range. It will also feature the company's new Asimo OS that controls not only the infotainment system, but also driver assistance, autonomous driving, and basic hardware functions. Likened to a smartphone operating system — not to mention OSes in other brands, such as Tesla and Rivian — Asimo OS supports over-the-air updates, high levels of driver customisation, connected services, and machine learning to adapt to the driver's entertainment and driving preferences. The RSX is the second model name Acura has brought back from the dead for an electric SUV; the ZDX holds the honour of being the first. While the second-generation ZDX stayed true to the coupe SUV silhouette of the original, it and the closely related Honda Prologue are actually Honda designs on top of GM's BEV3 platform. Both not only use GM's EV technology, but are built by the General. Acura began mining its nameplate history in 2022 when it released the Integra liftback, basically a lightly restyled Honda Civic equipped with its most powerful engines. Sold for just one generation from 2002, the original RSX (above) was a rebranded fourth-generation Integra. Unlike the Integra, which was available in both three- and five-door liftback guises, the RSX only ever came with three doors. When it departed the scene in 2006, it became the last-ever non-NSX coupe from the brand, and ended the brand's opening era where it deliberately courted young enthusiasts. The shift from Integra to RSX came at the tail end of the marque's dumping of its original model names: Legend for RL, Vigor for TL, and Integra for RSX. The shift to letters was reportedly due to a desire to focus owners' affections on the overall marque rather than individual models.
The Advertiser
5 days ago
- The Advertiser
Next Chevrolet Camaro could be an EV SUV to take on Mustang Mach-E
The next car to bear the Chevrolet Camaro name could an electric SUV designed to go head-to-head with the Ford Mustang Mach-E. According to Motor Trend, Chevrolet will launch a new "coupe SUV" to take on the Mustang Mach-E by the third quarter of 2026, and it could well be known as the Camaro EV. If this report proves to be true, the Camaro will be going full circle. The original Camaro went into production in 1966, and was designed to be a competitor to the Ford Mustang, which launched in 1964 and was an instant sales success. The Mustang Mach-E went into production in 2021, and so far has no direct GM competitor. With traditional body styles increasingly being shunned by buyers in favour SUVs, more and more historic nameplates are making the transition to high-riding vehicles, including the formerly sporty Mitsubishi Eclipse. A few weeks back GM's CEO Mark Reuss told Detroit News, the Camaro would only return if it could had the "formula of beauty, and a little bit of functionality and fun". CarExpert can save you thousands on a new car. Click here to get a great deal. The new Camaro EV will likely be based on the BEV3 architecture that underpins the Chevrolet Equinox EV and the slightly larger Blazer EV, as well as the Cadillac Lyriq, Honda Prologue and Acura ZDX. It's likely regular versions will share drivetrains with its Chevy platform mates, while high-performance models could use motors from elsewhere. A variety of drivetrains are available in the Blazer: 164kW/329Nm single-motor front-wheel drive, 224kW/481Nm dual-motor all-wheel drive, and 272kW/440Nm single-motor rear-wheel drive. There's also the top-spec Blazer EV SS (above), which has a dual-motor all-wheel drive system making 459kW and 881Nm, and capable of completing the 0-60mph (0-97km/h) dash in 3.0s. Two batteries are available in the Blazer EV: a 85kWh option with up to 500km of EPA range, and a larger 102kWh unit with up to 537km of range. Unlike the Mustang, which has remained in production since its debut in the 1960s, the Camaro name has been rested a few times. The first pause came in 2002, and ended in 2009 when the fifth generation car debuted on the Holden VE Commodore's Zeta platform. Production of the sixth-generation Camaro ended in December 2023, with the company promising "this is not the final chapter for nameplate". MORE: Everything Chevrolet Camaro MORE: A look back at the Chevrolet Camaro, the Ford Mustang's nemesis Content originally sourced from: The next car to bear the Chevrolet Camaro name could an electric SUV designed to go head-to-head with the Ford Mustang Mach-E. According to Motor Trend, Chevrolet will launch a new "coupe SUV" to take on the Mustang Mach-E by the third quarter of 2026, and it could well be known as the Camaro EV. If this report proves to be true, the Camaro will be going full circle. The original Camaro went into production in 1966, and was designed to be a competitor to the Ford Mustang, which launched in 1964 and was an instant sales success. The Mustang Mach-E went into production in 2021, and so far has no direct GM competitor. With traditional body styles increasingly being shunned by buyers in favour SUVs, more and more historic nameplates are making the transition to high-riding vehicles, including the formerly sporty Mitsubishi Eclipse. A few weeks back GM's CEO Mark Reuss told Detroit News, the Camaro would only return if it could had the "formula of beauty, and a little bit of functionality and fun". CarExpert can save you thousands on a new car. Click here to get a great deal. The new Camaro EV will likely be based on the BEV3 architecture that underpins the Chevrolet Equinox EV and the slightly larger Blazer EV, as well as the Cadillac Lyriq, Honda Prologue and Acura ZDX. It's likely regular versions will share drivetrains with its Chevy platform mates, while high-performance models could use motors from elsewhere. A variety of drivetrains are available in the Blazer: 164kW/329Nm single-motor front-wheel drive, 224kW/481Nm dual-motor all-wheel drive, and 272kW/440Nm single-motor rear-wheel drive. There's also the top-spec Blazer EV SS (above), which has a dual-motor all-wheel drive system making 459kW and 881Nm, and capable of completing the 0-60mph (0-97km/h) dash in 3.0s. Two batteries are available in the Blazer EV: a 85kWh option with up to 500km of EPA range, and a larger 102kWh unit with up to 537km of range. Unlike the Mustang, which has remained in production since its debut in the 1960s, the Camaro name has been rested a few times. The first pause came in 2002, and ended in 2009 when the fifth generation car debuted on the Holden VE Commodore's Zeta platform. Production of the sixth-generation Camaro ended in December 2023, with the company promising "this is not the final chapter for nameplate". MORE: Everything Chevrolet Camaro MORE: A look back at the Chevrolet Camaro, the Ford Mustang's nemesis Content originally sourced from: The next car to bear the Chevrolet Camaro name could an electric SUV designed to go head-to-head with the Ford Mustang Mach-E. According to Motor Trend, Chevrolet will launch a new "coupe SUV" to take on the Mustang Mach-E by the third quarter of 2026, and it could well be known as the Camaro EV. If this report proves to be true, the Camaro will be going full circle. The original Camaro went into production in 1966, and was designed to be a competitor to the Ford Mustang, which launched in 1964 and was an instant sales success. The Mustang Mach-E went into production in 2021, and so far has no direct GM competitor. With traditional body styles increasingly being shunned by buyers in favour SUVs, more and more historic nameplates are making the transition to high-riding vehicles, including the formerly sporty Mitsubishi Eclipse. A few weeks back GM's CEO Mark Reuss told Detroit News, the Camaro would only return if it could had the "formula of beauty, and a little bit of functionality and fun". CarExpert can save you thousands on a new car. Click here to get a great deal. The new Camaro EV will likely be based on the BEV3 architecture that underpins the Chevrolet Equinox EV and the slightly larger Blazer EV, as well as the Cadillac Lyriq, Honda Prologue and Acura ZDX. It's likely regular versions will share drivetrains with its Chevy platform mates, while high-performance models could use motors from elsewhere. A variety of drivetrains are available in the Blazer: 164kW/329Nm single-motor front-wheel drive, 224kW/481Nm dual-motor all-wheel drive, and 272kW/440Nm single-motor rear-wheel drive. There's also the top-spec Blazer EV SS (above), which has a dual-motor all-wheel drive system making 459kW and 881Nm, and capable of completing the 0-60mph (0-97km/h) dash in 3.0s. Two batteries are available in the Blazer EV: a 85kWh option with up to 500km of EPA range, and a larger 102kWh unit with up to 537km of range. Unlike the Mustang, which has remained in production since its debut in the 1960s, the Camaro name has been rested a few times. The first pause came in 2002, and ended in 2009 when the fifth generation car debuted on the Holden VE Commodore's Zeta platform. Production of the sixth-generation Camaro ended in December 2023, with the company promising "this is not the final chapter for nameplate". MORE: Everything Chevrolet Camaro MORE: A look back at the Chevrolet Camaro, the Ford Mustang's nemesis Content originally sourced from: The next car to bear the Chevrolet Camaro name could an electric SUV designed to go head-to-head with the Ford Mustang Mach-E. According to Motor Trend, Chevrolet will launch a new "coupe SUV" to take on the Mustang Mach-E by the third quarter of 2026, and it could well be known as the Camaro EV. If this report proves to be true, the Camaro will be going full circle. The original Camaro went into production in 1966, and was designed to be a competitor to the Ford Mustang, which launched in 1964 and was an instant sales success. The Mustang Mach-E went into production in 2021, and so far has no direct GM competitor. With traditional body styles increasingly being shunned by buyers in favour SUVs, more and more historic nameplates are making the transition to high-riding vehicles, including the formerly sporty Mitsubishi Eclipse. A few weeks back GM's CEO Mark Reuss told Detroit News, the Camaro would only return if it could had the "formula of beauty, and a little bit of functionality and fun". CarExpert can save you thousands on a new car. Click here to get a great deal. The new Camaro EV will likely be based on the BEV3 architecture that underpins the Chevrolet Equinox EV and the slightly larger Blazer EV, as well as the Cadillac Lyriq, Honda Prologue and Acura ZDX. It's likely regular versions will share drivetrains with its Chevy platform mates, while high-performance models could use motors from elsewhere. A variety of drivetrains are available in the Blazer: 164kW/329Nm single-motor front-wheel drive, 224kW/481Nm dual-motor all-wheel drive, and 272kW/440Nm single-motor rear-wheel drive. There's also the top-spec Blazer EV SS (above), which has a dual-motor all-wheel drive system making 459kW and 881Nm, and capable of completing the 0-60mph (0-97km/h) dash in 3.0s. Two batteries are available in the Blazer EV: a 85kWh option with up to 500km of EPA range, and a larger 102kWh unit with up to 537km of range. Unlike the Mustang, which has remained in production since its debut in the 1960s, the Camaro name has been rested a few times. The first pause came in 2002, and ended in 2009 when the fifth generation car debuted on the Holden VE Commodore's Zeta platform. Production of the sixth-generation Camaro ended in December 2023, with the company promising "this is not the final chapter for nameplate". MORE: Everything Chevrolet Camaro MORE: A look back at the Chevrolet Camaro, the Ford Mustang's nemesis Content originally sourced from:
