One of the biggest perks of being the Head of a State is surely getting to choose a National Car. Well, apart from having a Private airplane, that is. Official state cars are one of the most visible symbols of a nation. Security being the topmost priority these cars are chosen to portray power, strength and professionalism at home and abroad. These supercars are visible so often that they become somewhat an extension of the person sitting inside.

Although the patriotic thing to do is choose a car that is built in your own country, but sometimes that is not an option. Surely, a home-built car is good to portray what your country is capable of, but because of the high stakes involved, many leaders choose to go with a car that is dependable and completely secure.

Here is a list of 4 such official cars used by the Heads of State of some powerful nations:

1) Cadillac One (Barack Obama, USA)

Source: gqindia.com

The Cadillac One can be called the Air Force One of the roads. Nicknamed 'The Beast' by the United States Secret Service, You might feel that the car looks like the Cadillac we have always known but it has been built more as a war vehicle, than a sedan. Used to transport the first man of the US, this Cadillac limo is powered by a diesel engine and is built on a robust truck platform.

The armor on the body and windows are stronger than you may think. They have the capability to stop an RPG attack on the President. The car contains a self-sufficient Mobile Communications Unit, an independent Oxygen system and enough firepower to ensure that the President can move safely away from a war zone.

2) Bentley State Limousine (Queen Elizabeth, UK)

Source: autoblog.com

The first thing that you will notice about this car is that you've never seen a Bentley quite like this. Yes, they're all a little gaudy, but this one takes the cake. The tall, round limousine bears aggressive looks due to the presence of bustle back trunk, round headlights, and upright grille. Unfortunately, Bentley has produced only two such pieces of marvel and both are increasing the beauty of the royals' courtyard.

Under the hood of the Queen's Bentley Limo is a 6.75-liter V-8 engine that pumps out 400 horsepower and 616 pound-feet of torque, which this car needs all of to get its near-9,000-pound body moving. Recently, the Limo was converted to run on LPG, which reduces the emission output of this Bentley. The body panel and glass are all completely bulletproof and there is also a provision to seal the cabin airtight, to protect the queen in case of a gas attack. What else can be said about this car, other than "IT DESERVES TO BE A QUEEN"!

3) BMW 7-series 760Li (Narendra Modi, India)

Source: blogspot.com

The choice of car for the Indian PM is not done by the PM himself, but by the SPG (special protection group) that has certain prescribed safety and security standards and measures. Coming back to the car, it is a highly secured armor clad luxury mobile, which sports a V12 engine churning out 546PS of peak power and can do a 0-100kmph sprint is 6.2 sec and has a top speed of 210kmph.

This high security car is compliant with a VR7 grade of ballistic protection along with other parts adhering to a higher protection of VR9 grade. To protect the occupant from a sudden gas attack, the cabin of the mean machine can be transformed into a gas-safe chamber with the availability of a back-up oxygen tank.

Similar to the Cadillac One owned by Obama, the BMW high security edition owned by our PM has a fire-fighting system, thick bulletproof windows and emergency exit. Also, on top of the other safety features and equipment is the presence of the armor plates beneath, which can withstand bombs and mines. The tyres, if flat, can work for several kilometres without being changed and the advanced heat sensors help in protecting the passengers from bomb and missiles attack.

4) Mercedes S600 Pullman Guard (Pranab Mukherjee, India)

Source: caricos.com

The Indian President surely loves to ride in style along with safety, of course. His Limo is completely soundproof and when we say completely we mean like COMPLETELY. There is absolutely no space for any sound to creep in, be it from the outside or the engine's. All this is ensured by the soundproof glass that separates President's cabin from the rest of the car.

The exteriors are definitely exceptionally beautiful but the charm is the security feature which makes it THE President's car. Be it arms fire or grenade explosion this vehicle can readily withstand everything. All the glass, be it windows or windshield, are as tough as it can get due to the 60mm polycarbonate coating. A self sealing 90-litre fuel tank, a fire extinguisher an emergency air supply system, a Surveillance camera for the driver who gets an alert in case of emergency and not to forget the Bullet proof tires, and many more features are the garland of this beauty.