HENNESSEY

ESCALADE SUPERCHARGED H650 HENNESSEY...The Cadillac Escalade-V is a behemoth that arrives with Cadillac's most powerful production engine to date, a bespoke suspension, big brakes and an interior filled with luxurious features. It's a high-performance SUV, but its price doesn't make it available to every mortal. That's why the Hennessey Supercharged H650 Escalade has just appeared.

Hennessey's latest model is almost as fast as an Escalade-V, but for a much more affordable price. Remembering that the powerful crossover uses the same supercharged 6.2-liter V8 engine as the CT5-V Blackwing, but changes the sedan's compressor for a larger 2.65-liter unit. It delivers 691 hp of power and 885 Nm of maximum torque.

The Escalade-V sends power to all four wheels via a 10-speed automatic transmission. Although it weighs as much as an African elephant - 2,820 kg for the standard model and 2,906 kg for the ESV - its power figures allow it to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in just 4.5 seconds.

Now for the Hennessey Supercharged H650 Escalade, this one offers a 2.9 liter supercharger, an intercooler, improved push rods, better engine management and a stainless steel cat-back exhaust system. Thanks to this, the Escalade's original 6.2-liter V8 engine with 426 hp and 624 Nm of torque is boosted to an impressive 659 hp and 892 Nm of maximum torque.

In other words, it's just 32 hp and 7 Nm of torque from the Escalade-V. As a result, it completes the sprint from 0 to 100 km/h in 5.4 seconds. It's nearly a second slower than the Escalade-V, but the package costs just under $30,000. The Cadillac Escalade-V starts at $150,000.

Hennessey points out that the update can be applied to other vehicles that use General Motors' 6.2-liter V8 engine. This is the case of the Chevrolet Suburban, the Chevrolet Tahoe and the GMC Yukon.

Autonews