The Pope's got himself a new ride, and boy is it, uh, white. Mercedes announced today that they have given his Holiness a highly-customized G500. Like previous Popemobiles, the G500 has a folding windscreen, and handrails and steps in the rear for entry.
The Vaticanmysitc white interior matches the Vaticanmystic white exterior which, we assume, matches the Pope's Vaticanmystic white robes.
Mercedes says the topless G500 will be the Pope's fair weather car and the S-Class in the Vatican garage can be summoned for less sunny driving.
Read the company's full press release after the jump, and click on the photo for high-res images.
[Source: Daimler]
New Mercedes-Benz for the Pope
Stuttgart/Rome – In future, Pope Benedict XVI will present himself to the 40,000 or so pilgrims in St. Peter's Square in a shining white, open-top Mercedes-Benz G-Class during his public audiences on Wednesdays. The new "Popemobile" was created over a two-year development period in close consultation with the Vatican, and has now been personally handed over to the Holy Father.
This open official car, which the Head of the Catholic Church requested for use during fine weather, was developed by Mercedes-Benz on the basis of the G 500. It is equipped with a folding windscreen and hand-rails, and like its predecessors it is painted in the Vatican mystic white finish. The interior is likewise white, and is accessed via steps lined in red at the rear. The Pope holds his audiences in a standing position, so that he is easily visible to all his flock.
The Holy Father is continuing a long tradition with the new Popemobile from Mercedes-Benz. Pope Pius XI was the first to receive a Mercedes-Benz as an official car in 1930 - a Nürburg 460 Pullman limousine. Over the following decades Mercedes-Benz regularly provided the Vatican with automobiles which had been specially converted for the use of the Holy Father.
Today the Pope has several Mercedes-Benz cars at his disposal. In addition to the new G 500 Cabriolet, the fleet currently includes M and S-Class models with special protection.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
k.w.a @ Dec 5th 2007 1:44PM
boy is it good to be catholic! (well at least for the pope). An S-Class AND a tricked out G class? he knows how to ride in style. I guess they dont need bulletproof glass boxes anymore?
Francis @ Dec 5th 2007 1:56PM
Somehow, after seeing the look on his face, you'd better shoot to kill because the Popinator may just pull his damaged endoskeleton out of the crumpled mass and hunt you down.
geo.stewart @ Dec 5th 2007 1:53PM
so, is vaticanmystic white more like white or pearlescent white?
Is THIS why white is the new color of choice according to Dupont?
Donald @ Dec 5th 2007 1:57PM
Something tells me he doesn't have to worry about carbon offsetting.
ericdj@gmail.com @ Dec 5th 2007 2:08PM
Wonder what happened to the VW Phaeton that VW gave him.
dskinner @ Dec 5th 2007 2:17PM
"Party like a rock,
Party like a rockstar"
Scratch that...
"Party like a pope,
Party like a pope-star"
Rob Federle @ Dec 5th 2007 2:20PM
I'm not sure why, all of the sudden, people are sardonically chiming in on the Pope and his new ride. I don't suppose "Bill" would like to comment on the bling or lifestyles of modern televangelists or the "pastors" of the USA's modern mega-churches? Over the course of 2,000 years, the Pope and his predisessors have amassed some nice things, but at least these things are in a museum for all to see, instead of someone's private house.
Joe @ Dec 5th 2007 2:41PM
I just wonder what Al Gore would roll in if he were pope...
Gregg @ Dec 5th 2007 2:45PM
Good point. Sort of reminds me of the fundie-crats calling Mormons a "cult." It is always easier to see the weirdness in the faiths of others, but it is quite difficult to stand back and look at how goofy your own religion is.
I say let the pope wear his dresses in public, put on tall, pointy hats and make delusional pronouncements about things like stem cells and condoms. After all, he wouldn't be getting free Mercedes vehicles if he stopped acting like the pope.
It's his job, and not entirely more weird than say Alan Mulally getting 35 million a year from a company like Ford that continues to lose billions, or Bush focusing on the danger Iran may represent even though there is plenty of evidence that there are far greater dangers afoot.
They are all doing their jobs. Critical thinking is not a requirement for great prominence. Much of the image is based on hype and pretend. And so it has always been with the cult of personality to which us pee-ons are addicted.
May the pope enjoy his Mercedes and be given some credit for clawing all the way up to that strange position. Every situation has its drawbacks, and if the perks v. downsides look like a good fit, go for it. I'll be on the sidelines, thank you.
Guenther @ Dec 5th 2007 2:21PM
Jesus was a humble man, but in his adult life never traveled very far. The world was a smaller place.
Edsel @ Dec 5th 2007 2:29PM
I'd like to think that at some point in the Pontiff's life, that he secretly desired a Ferrari.
Sam Gross @ Dec 10th 2007 7:03PM
Doesn't the pope have an enzo? I think #400 was given to him.
keg @ Dec 5th 2007 2:36PM
that is teh hotness
Alex @ Dec 5th 2007 2:41PM
Lets also consider Jesus was 30 at his oldest. Pope Benedict XVI is 80. Also today, security is of the utmost priority. Vatican security wouldn't him just walk around even if he wanted to.
Lets keep it to the cars (its why we are here). I'm sure there are plenty of other sites that'll welcome your trite.
Alex @ Dec 5th 2007 2:43PM
Does the Vatican have to pay for those cars? Do the auto companies donate them? Can they donate a standard G500 in Vaticanmystic to my house?
wayne @ Dec 5th 2007 2:52PM
Jeeze, just b/c some car company give the Pope a GIFT y'all have to bash him about this morality. It's not like he intentionally want that car or watever, it's a gift people. He might have just put it on auction for charity like that 400th enzo that was given to JPII. Get a grip of your jealous self already people.
Willem B @ Dec 5th 2007 3:35PM
actually, the pope requested it:
"This open official car, which the Head of the Catholic Church requested for use during fine weather, was developed by Mercedes-Benz on the basis of the G 500."
TBlueMax @ Dec 5th 2007 2:53PM
I would take care to distinguish between personal property and property of the Catholic Church (i.e. Vatican). The Pope may ride around in custom, purpose-built luxury vehicles (donated by the manufacturer) and be surrounded by seemingly "extravagant" trappings acquired over the ages but the Pope "owns" none of this and none of this will transfer to a family member as personal property upon his passing... a new Pope will be selected and will again assume the same responsibilities and trappings of the previous Pope.
For as nice a lifestyle as it may appear, being Pope is not a job I would want. BTW - I'm not Catholic nor have I dedicated my life to serving the Catholic church so I'm not even in the running for the job.
"Rob Federle" makes a good point in distinguishing the Pope's historical bling from the accumulated personal bling of modern-day televangelists.
Blair @ Dec 5th 2007 3:15PM
You would think he would roll a Toyota Pius.
Willem B @ Dec 5th 2007 3:37PM
ha
Pius.
Lol. Good one.