Supercharged Cadillac Escalade HPE800 Is RWD, Makes a Great Sound

However, there is one easy solution if you think 420 horsepower and 460 lb-ft (623 Nm) aren't enough. You can go to Hennessey Performance and ask them to install the HPE800 supercharger upgrade system. It boosts the total output to a mind-bending 805 horsepower and 827 lb-ft (1,121 Nm).

The funny thing is that it's even more of an uncontrollable beast than the Dodge Viper or Challenger Hellcat. By the time the power reaches the rear wheels, and only the rear wheels, you're left only with 637 horsepower and a very slippery traction situation.

You're going to see a dyno test quite like this one again. Seeing the Escalade, a vehicle people might call a luxury 4x4, strapped down at the front just isn't natural. Every time the driver goes off the gas, the body kicks to one side. It might not be easy to handle, but the supercharger makes one heck of a pleasant whining noise.

The HPE800 package's main feature is a 2.9-liter blower. You also get a 416 cu.in. stroker kit, 4-inch stroker camshaft, custom forged aluminum pistons, billet steel connecting rods with ARP bolts, ported cylinder heads and an intercooler.

Like with most packages from Hennessey, you also get some badges and a serial numbered plaque signed by John Hennessey, custom floor mats, and a 1-year/12,000-mile limited warranty. The HPE800 runs on Shell V-Power 93 octane gasoline and had its old changed to Pennzoil Ultra Platinum synthetic stuff.

What this rig really needs is some lowered suspension and something to deal with all that torque at the rear. After all, it's no use having 800 horsepower if you're just going to slam the Escalade into the wall at the drag strip. That's going to be a very expensive crash.