Photo: Cadillac
Revealed in a rather disappointing manner last month, the Escalade-V has been filmed testing on the Tail of the Dragon. One of the most scenic drives in the U.S., this road is also one of the most dangerous of the lot.
“Working on getting the store ready to open this weekend,” wrote killboy.com on social media. “We had a semi go up the hill into the Dragon, right after some GM and Cadillac test mules came roaring down the hill.”
I’m pretty sure you’re thinking to yourself that Tail of the Dragon testing is futile, and you are most likely right. Similar to lesser variants of the Escalade, the V is a body-on-frame leviathan with half-ton underpinnings and a high center of gravity. Even with the mother and father of high-performance suspension componentry and chassis tuning, the curb weight of more than 5,800 pounds (2,630 kilograms) renders the V lumbersome.
Although it doesn’t promise Lotus Elise-like handling characteristics, the full-size utility vehicle won’t disappoint in a straight line. Combined with a fast-shifting automatic featuring ten forward ratios, the LT4 supercharged V8 hiding under the hood is one hell of a powerplant. In the CT5-V Blackwing, for example, it belts out 688 ponies and 659 lb-ft (893 Nm).
Not to be confused with the gen-two small block from the 1990s, the gen-five powerplant that bears the LT4 regular production order code is a development of the LS9 that premiered in the C6 ZR1. In chronological order, this mill was used in the C7 Z06 and CTS-V. The Chevy Camaro ZL1 employs it as well, rated at 650 horsepower and 650 lb-ft (881 Nm).
Pictured with massive wheels mounted with Bridgestone rubber shoes, the V commands attention both visually and aurally. I mean, who can ignore the whining noises of a 1.7-liter Eaton four-lobe supercharging system in a truck-based utility vehicle that blends sporty with bling-bling aesthetics?
I’m pretty sure you’re thinking to yourself that Tail of the Dragon testing is futile, and you are most likely right. Similar to lesser variants of the Escalade, the V is a body-on-frame leviathan with half-ton underpinnings and a high center of gravity. Even with the mother and father of high-performance suspension componentry and chassis tuning, the curb weight of more than 5,800 pounds (2,630 kilograms) renders the V lumbersome.
Although it doesn’t promise Lotus Elise-like handling characteristics, the full-size utility vehicle won’t disappoint in a straight line. Combined with a fast-shifting automatic featuring ten forward ratios, the LT4 supercharged V8 hiding under the hood is one hell of a powerplant. In the CT5-V Blackwing, for example, it belts out 688 ponies and 659 lb-ft (893 Nm).
Not to be confused with the gen-two small block from the 1990s, the gen-five powerplant that bears the LT4 regular production order code is a development of the LS9 that premiered in the C6 ZR1. In chronological order, this mill was used in the C7 Z06 and CTS-V. The Chevy Camaro ZL1 employs it as well, rated at 650 horsepower and 650 lb-ft (881 Nm).
Pictured with massive wheels mounted with Bridgestone rubber shoes, the V commands attention both visually and aurally. I mean, who can ignore the whining noises of a 1.7-liter Eaton four-lobe supercharging system in a truck-based utility vehicle that blends sporty with bling-bling aesthetics?
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