Donald Trump has finally added a Tesla to his fleet of luxury cars.
The United States President now owns a glitzy Tesla Model S along with his boisterous collection of four-wheelers. Trump stepped into the shiny red car outside the White House after checking out a lineup of five Teslas with CEO Elon Musk.
Trump described the car as "a great product, as good as it gets." But he didn't take the car for a test drive. He explained the reason why: "I like to drive cars, but I'm not allowed to."
The car is equipped with a dual-motor all-wheel-drive system with the front motor capable of producing 275 hp and while the rear one with a 503 hp capability. The 98.0 kWh battery guarantees a range of 524 km.
Donald Trump and Tesla CEO Elon Musk sit in a Tesla car model S, in front of the White House (Reuters)
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Since first taking office in 2016, Trump has not been allowed to drive due to a strict Secret Service rule that bars presidents and vice presidents from driving, even after leaving office. Instead, they travel in government-operated vehicles, including the heavily armoured presidential limousine, known as The Beast.
However, Trump has owned a fleet of high-end cars over the years. The Telegraph Online has a list of his previous vehicles:
Rolls-Royce Phantom and Silver Cloud: Before his 2016 election, Trump was spotted driving a Rolls-Royce Phantom. He also owned a 1956 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud, one of the first cars he ever bought, which he drove on special occasions.
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Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud (Wikipedia)
Cadillac Allante: A two-seater luxury roadster known for its Italian styling and Northstar V8 engine.
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Cadillac Allanté (Wikipedia)
Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren: A high-performance grand tourer co-developed by Mercedes-Benz and McLaren, featuring a supercharged 5.4L V8 engine.
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Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren (Wikipedia)
Tesla Roadster (1st Generation): Trump has been an early EV adopter, purchasing Tesla’s first-gen Roadster, a battery-powered sports car based on the Lotus Elise chassis.
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Musk's Tesla Roadster parked outside SpaceX, 2010 (Wikipedia)
Ferrari F430 F1 Coupe: A sleek, high-performance sports car with a 4.3L V8 engine and an F1-style transmission.
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Ferrari F430 (Wikipedia)
Lamborghini Diablo: A rear mid-engined V12 supercar, one of Lamborghini’s most famous models, capable of reaching 200 mph.
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Lamborghini Diablo (Wikipedia)
Cadillac Escalade: A full-size luxury SUV. Trump also worked with Cadillac in 1988 to produce a custom limousine called the Trump Golden Series, featuring gold fittings.
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Fifth generation Cadillac Escalade Overview (Wikipedia)
Chevrolet Camaro SS: A classic American muscle car with a powerful V8 engine.
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Chevrolet Camaro SS (Wikipedia)
The Beast: The US presidential state car, designed for security, featuring bulletproof armour, night vision cameras, and a sealed cabin for biochemical attacks.
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The current model of United States presidential state car, which debuted in September 2018(Wikipedia)
The fact that Trump won't be able to drive the car is no surprise. We can safely assume this purchase is a lucky one for his chauffeur.