- General Motors donated 10 new cars to the United States Secret Service training facility.
- The new fleet includes two Cadillac CT4s, two CT5s, an Escalade, two Chevy Corvettes, a Colorado, a Tahoe with a police package, and a Suburban.
- Of the Cadillac sedans, two are equipped with manual transmissions to help agents hone their three-pedal driving skills.
Training for United States Secret Service agents just got a lot more fun. Earlier this week, General Motors dropped off a shipment of 10 new cars to the Secret Service’s James J. Rowley Training Center (RTC) in Laurel, Maryland. The video above features some overly dramatic music and mind-bending camera angles, but it also details why the agency wants a diverse testing fleet.The fleet of 10 consists of two Cadillac CT4 sedans, two CT5 sedans, an Escalade, two Chevy Corvettes (including a hybrid all-wheel-drive E-Ray), a Colorado ZR2, a Tahoe with a police package, and a Suburban. According to RTC driving instructor Mark Armstrong, two of the Caddy sedans are equipped with manual transmissions, which means both are the range-topping Blackwing models. The CT4-V Blackwing features a 472-hp twin-turbo V-6, while the mightier CT5-V Blackwing packs a 668-hp supercharged V-8.U.S. Secret Service Media Relations”Not everyone is able to operate a manual shift,” Armstrong said. “Having that platform here will enable us to give instruction on how to drive manual vehicles for overseas trips.” The other bonus is the different types of cars included in the fleet. Constantine Gerukos, another instructor at the facility, pointed out that advanced driving is a perishable skill, like a muscle that needs to be worked out, so having a variety of cars can keep trainees and instructors alike fresh. U.S. Secret Service Media RelationsWhat’s not clear is if training agents on manual transmission cars is a new focus awarded by having these Blackwing models in the fleet or if three-pedal driving is a long-standing prerequisite for Secret Service trainees. Car and Driver reached out to the Department of Homeland Security to inquire about the training, and we’ll update this story if we hear back.Related StoriesJack Fitzgerald’s love for cars stems from his as yet unshakable addiction to Formula 1.
After a brief stint as a detailer for a local dealership group in college, he knew he needed a more permanent way to drive all the new cars he couldn’t afford and decided to pursue a career in auto writing. By hounding his college professors at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, he was able to travel Wisconsin seeking out stories in the auto world before landing his dream job at Car and Driver. His new goal is to delay the inevitable demise of his 2010 Volkswagen Golf.
Source: caranddriver.com
