The Pope’s Fiat vs The President’s ‘Beast’

When Pope Francis arrived in the United States for his six-day tour earlier this week, security was no doubt very high. But with all the high-tech and expensive vehicles available, did you see the cool little Fiat in which the Pope rolled up to the White House?

According to this CNN story, the Pope was riding in a Fiat 500L, which retails for roughly $20,000. "The 500L is ideal transport for a frugal Pope who likes to keep fuss and luxuries to a minimum. When visiting other countries, he has taken compact cars like the Ford Focus. The Fiat 500L is a considerably more comfortable choice," the story explains.

Not that the Fiat isn't a cool little car-- it certainly is-- but it looks more like the car a couple of friends and I rode in when we headed out on a road trip in college. It doesn't look like the kind of car in which an important world figure like the Pope might ride.

Now, compare that little Fiat to the specially-designed limo our president rides in, nicknamed 'The Beast' by the Secret Security. While the Fiat costs around $20,000, the cost to build 'the Beast' is about $1.5 million, and there are currently 12 different 'Beasts' in the presidential fleet.

And this story says 'The Beast' is probably the most well-protected vehicle on the planet. "Its armor plating is said to be 8 inches thick and its doors weigh as much as those on a Boeing 757 aircraft. Five-inch thick bulletproof windows contain at least five layers to put a damper on any effort by subversives. And those gigantic, nearly bus-size Goodyear tires are Kevlar-reinforced run-flats capable of keeping The Beast on the road for quite some distance if needed. The interior is sealed off from the outside world to reduce risks of a chemical attack, while a special foam surrounds the fuel tank to insulate it in the event of an impact."

So, there are quite a few difference between the two cars in which two different world leaders ride. But even with all that extra security, 'the Beast' isn't completely immune to the embarrassment of getting stuck, as happened leaving the US embassy in Dublin a few years ago when the limo get stuck on a metal gate latch and eventually needed to be loaded on a truck and flown back to the US for repairs. I'm guessing that little Fiat would have made it over that gate with no problem...