HENNESSEY ANNOUNCES AN ESCALADE ALMOST AS POWERFUL AS WHAT YOU GET FROM THE FACTORY

General Motors has not made it easy to tune its current products. Starting with the current crop of Cadillac sedans, followed by the C8 Corvette, and then its line of new SUVs including the Chevrolet Tahoe, Cadillac Escalade, and GMC Yukon, aftermarket companies have been essentially locked out. That’s save for a very select few tuners that have otherwise figured it out, or figured out a workaround.

The latest member of that select group of aftermarket companies that appear to have found a way around GM’s Global B electrical architecture cybersecurity is Hennessey Performance Engineering down in Texas. And they’ve done so with a supercharged Cadillac Escalade.

Hennessey Supercharged Cadillac Escalade: Details

The potent upgrade for the Cadillac Escalade, also known as the H650 tune, is available for the luxury SUV and any other L87-powered SUV from General Motors, such as the GMC Yukon and Chevrolet Tahoe (so if you were disappointed that the RST Performance Pack lacks a supercharger, here you go). The tune increases the engine’s output ratings, boosting the power to 650 horsepower and 659 lb-ft of torque.

To compare, the stock 6.2L V8 engine in the base Escalade churns out a respectable 420 horsepower and 460 lb-ft of boost, meaning the H650 tune adds a 55 percent increase in output. On the dyno, the tuned Escalade puts 520 hp and 536 lb-ft of torque to its wheels.

However, please bear in mind that the Cadillac Escalade-V delivers 682 ponies and 653 lb-ft of torque to the crank, maintaining its supremacy in the full-sized SUV landscape. it’s also the most powerful V-Series Cadillac ever, thanks to upgrades to the LT4 V8 engine such as a larger supercharger compared to the application in the CT5-V Blackwing.

The increased power can send the Cadillac to 60 miles per hour in just 5.3 seconds, which is almost a second faster than the stock Escalade. The tuned SUV can also complete the quarter-mile in 13.5 seconds, a full second quicker than the standard model. Since Hennessey has cracked the cybersecurity code, it has also managed to get an extra 230 horsepower from the 6.2-liter L87 V8 by adding a 2.9-liter supercharger, an intercooler, and a stainless steel cat-back exhaust system. The company has also enhanced the engine management software and added crankcase ventilation, leaving the suspension, drive, and all-wheel-drive modes unchanged.

The H650 engine upgrade is also available on the Chevrolet Suburban, Chevy Tahoe, GMC Yukon, and other L87-powered GM vehicles from 2021 onward. The upgrade will cost customers $27,950, excluding the cost of the SUV, but for some, that price may be well worth it. It’s available with a three-year, 36,000-mile warranty from Hennessey, and each example will receive a serial-numbered engine plaque. Each vehicle will also undergo a final performance assessment that tests it on the track and dyno before Hennessey delivers it to the customer.

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