The New Escalade 2006 for the Rappers.. Bling..Bling..

**kiper** · July 29th, 2004 02:30 AM

Cadillac Escalade courts hip trendsetters
By Earle Eldridge / USA TODAY

When Cadillac launched a redesigned Escalade sport-utility vehicle two years ago, it scored a hit with rappers, athletes and hip-hop wannabes.

Cadillac certainly hadn't planned that. But now, it's actively courting hip-hop trendsetters, giving them secret previews of the next-generation Escalade, offering them limited-edition versions and creating a contest for celebrities to show off their customized trucks.

In September, Cadillac rented a closed movie studio lot in California and invited rap artists, hip-hop entertainers and professional athletes, including several Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers basketball players, to a secret meeting.

Cadillac wanted to give them a private preview of the 2006 Escalade, which has not been shown publicly. To improve attendance, Cadillac promised not to publicize the event and even today refuses to name the 30 or so athletes and entertainers who came and stayed for several hours.

Most of the invitees own at least one Escalade, and Cadillac executives wanted to get their thoughts on the future model. While Cadillac wouldn't confirm it, it's a safe bet that L.A. Lakers star Shaquille O'Neal and rapper Snoop Dogg were invited. Both are loyal and vocal Cadillac lovers.

"We were amazed at the number that accepted," says Jeff Kuhlman, a Cadillac spokesman who attended the preview.

"They are passionate about the Escalade," says Mike Jackson, general manager of General Motors' western region. "When you've got a product like next-generation Escalade that is very, very critical to Cadillac as a whole, you want to make sure you get it right."

Participants weren't allowed to drive the SUV. But Cadillac officials wanted to get feedback on what sort of wheels, audio system and interior features would appeal to them.

During the NBA All-Star weekend last month, the Lakers' O'Neal hosted an event called the GM All-Car Showdown contest, pitting professional athletes against entertainers to see who had the best customized Escalade or Hummer H2, another big SUV.

Lakers' star Bryon Russell was crowned "King of Bling" for his dressed-up H2. (Bling is a slang term to describe fancy jewelry, derived from the "bling, bling" sound that heavy gold and silver necklaces make when they are dropped.)

"The GM All-Car Showdown was a cool event," O'Neal told USA TODAY. "It was a good mix of old-school vintage GM rides with the latest and greatest.

"I was proud to show off my cars for the world to see that Shaq not only has the game but rides, too."

The GMC Yukon Denali, a corporate twin of the Escalade, is attracting buyers who are as young and as wealthy as the Cadillac's.

Some might be opting for the Denali because they don't want the attention-grabbing Escalade, which, with its growing popularity, has become one of the most stolen vehicles in the USA.

"Everyone talks about Escalade, but Denali is a story, too," says Tom Beaman, a GMC spokesman. It's "among the top vehicles considered among young, affluent males, trailing only luxury cars and trucks."

But it's Cadillac that is out front in courting the hip crowd.

Marketing analyst Gordon Wangers, president of Automotive Marketing Consultants in Vista, Calif., says that's a smart move.

"I give them a lot of credit," he says. "They are going right to the opinion leaders. They got lucky with the Escalade, and now, they are taking the ball and running with it."

The only potential risk Wangers sees is if Cadillac focuses on pleasing buyers in Los Angeles and New York and ignores the rest of the nation.

In a bow to those who love to customize their trucks with lots of add-ons, Cadillac has created the Escalade ESV Platinum Edition, which sells for about $65,000.

The Platinum Escalade has two ceiling-mounted TV screens, 20-inch chrome wheels, and heated and cooled cup holders.

I just love that BLING..

**kiper** · July 29th, 2004 02:43 AM

Escalade to get bigger engine
Cadillac extends high-performance 'V' strategy to big SUV

By Richard Truett
Automotive News / January 26, 2004

DETROIT - The Cadillac Escalade luxury SUV will muscle into the fast lane with a V-10 or V-12 engine, possibly as early as the 2006 model year.

The move is in keeping with General Motors' plans to create a series of exclusive high-performance cars and SUVs for Cadillac called the V Series. The first of those models, the CTS-V sports sedan, is in showrooms. The CTS-V is powered by a V-8 derived from the engine used in the Chevrolet Corvette.

GM is building a plant in Wixom, Mich., to produce engines for low-volume, high-performance vehicles.

The automaker expects the plant to be building engines by the summer of 2005. That means an engine could become available for the 2006 model year. "Obviously we wouldn't be putting in place a low-volume build center if we didn't choose to have a little fun here," says Tom Stephens, GM vice president in charge of global powertrains. "It's part of our product strategy. We'll need a place to build some of those high-image products."

Those high-image products will carry a higher price tag. The CTS-V sells for $49,300 - about $18,000 more than a base CTS. The Escalade, which is sold with a choice of two V-8s, starts at $52,830, including destination charges.

Engineers are testing on Detroit roads at least four high-performance engines in a fleet of Escalades.

"You will find Cadillacs running around with higher-output V-8s, running around with V-10s (and) V-12s," Stephens says, "and you will find even one variant with even more cylinders."

That other variant is the 16-cylinder engine from the Cadillac Sixteen concept car. GM Powertrain engineers have installed a 16-cylinder engine in a test Escalade. But that engine, rated at 1,000 hp, may be too expensive to produce.

The most likely big displacement engine for the high-performance Escalade is the Northstar-based XV-12, which fits in the same space as the vehicle's current optional 6.0-liter V-8.

That means the Escalade could get a V-12 without extensive reworking of the sheet metal.

The Escalade is scheduled for a redesign in 2007 or 2008. A high-performance engine for 2006 would help keep interest in the current model strong while Cadillac prepares the next version.

BULGARI for whuut..?

**mazdamazda** · July 29th, 2004 01:24 PM

**mbt** · July 29th, 2004 06:26 PM

just in time for the gas crises!! :bwahaha:

**Cardo818** · July 29th, 2004 08:59 PM

Maganda rin yun escalade ni Chris Mills. Almost 100k na ata yun gastos nya sa mods- not in pesos... 100k dollars! hehehe. Part owner din ata sya ng 310 motoring

check it out:

http://www.sounddomain.com/memberpage/181480