NICKNAMED "the Beast", Barack Obama's new drive is a hulking, snazzed-up upgrade from previous presidential limousines, and will give him a better view of his inaugural parade than his predecessor.

Photos of the unfinished Cadillac leaked on the internet showed a hefty customised behemoth, reportedly tough enough to withstand a rocket-propelled grenade - and some joked, even an asteroid.

But Cadillac spokesman David Caldwell promised that the finished product will combine form with function, despite its unseemly appearance.