[volkman10]

"As President, Barack Obama debuts a lot of things: economic plans, foreign policy... likely his own library one day. This week, however, the President debuted some serious hardware in the form of a brand-new presidential bus.

Codenamed "Stagecoach" when the President is aboard, the bus was built by well-known Canadian motorcoach builders Prevost,with an interior fitted by Nashville-based Hemphill Brothers Co,all to the tune of $1.1 million. The Secrete Service actually bought two of these buses using a fund for transportation and armored vehicles. The second will be used by whoever winds up being the 2012 Republican presidential nominee. The President's protectors also claim this purchase will turn out to be both cheaper and safer than what they used to do, which is lease a bus and temporarily outfit it with the required safety equipment.

As for what keeps the President safe in his tuxedo black motorcoach, the Secret Service is understandably silent on the issue of specs. If we use the limousineas a baseline, the new bus can likely withstand bullets, small bombs and chemical attacks, at the very least. It also probably has a supply of the President's own blood on board in case of emergencies, just like the limo, not to mention a robust cache of arms. A motorcade of over two dozen support vehicles also travels with the bus.

We're also in the dark about what's inside, but we hear it's nothing like what NASCAR drivers get. ABC News reports those who have seen the inside called it "subdued," and that the full bedroom in back has been replaced with a meeting room. Not many people beyond Obama's senior staff have even seen the inside of the bus. A cabinet secretary reportedly hitched a ride for a leg of the trip, but other guests on the tour travel behind the president in a dark red bus."

Source: Autoblog

Obama's New Tour Bus - YouTube

[WindRide]

Another example of American excess? These guys just can't keep it small, can they?!

I was used to seeing lots of "Air Bus"es in Kerala and in Bangalore roads.
This is now officially the "Air Bus One"

[NevGin]

I would not be parading in a $1 MM bus if my country is in the state his is in, that's for sure

[julupani]

You may think that a 1.1million dollar is an extremely large excess, but its exactly the opposite.

This is due to the fact, that the President is entitled to travelling on the Air Force One all the time, even if it is for campaign purposes and return back to the White House every night. And the Air Force One movement also requires a large number of other vehicles etc to be transported to the airport where it will land. So it means not just the President, but also his limos etc have to be moved around.

Sp overall, if he visited all those places where he will take his bus tour, I think the fuel savings from Air Force one would be much more.

[Mr_Bean]

Nothing wrong in splurging money on such vehicles, a lot better than the tax payers money getting eaten by our retarded politicians.

[Swanand Inamdar]

Nothing wrong for sure, its just ironic that he roams around in a bus costing $1mill, given the state of his country!
But then, the other way to look at it is, he is saving a lot of money on fuel that the Air Force One would have required.

[Jayabusa]

Please don't create such threads. You are giving new ideas to our politicians!!

[BaCkSeAtDrIVeR]

What is the big deal?

Our stars and politicos have spent their hardly earned cash on better "devices".

And compared to the "parks" in UP, and latest reports from TN that a 10,000/- per sq. ft. building will be converted to a hospital, this just peanuts.

[NikhilReddy]

Most powerful man in the world! Takes decisions that affect most of the countries in the world. The safety bus cost is not more than Aston Martin One-77 priced around $2.3 million.

I am glad that they are building these buses as I know there is a lot of R&D that goes into it and we may see some of the benefits passing back to automobile industry,