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In the Autoblog Garage: 2007 Cadillac Escalade

Wednesday, December 31st, 1969

The Cadillac Escalade is good looking, charismatic, and larger-than-life — both literally and figuratively. People we encountered wanted to be in it, and one of the most common refrains heard was, “You’re driving.” We were happy to oblige.

If you were to compare the gaggle of new GMT900 utility vehicles to the Rat Pack, Escalade, without a doubt, would be Sinatra. It’s fully aware of what it is, and it makes no apologies; this is perhaps its most endearing quality. So many vehicles nowadays bend over backwards to be non-controversial that it makes things boring after a while. The Escalade embraces its excesses, and does so in a manner that one can’t help but enjoy. The idea of a truck-turned-luxobus is no longer a new concept, but it’s one that’s executed very well in Cadillac’s latest high-profile, leather-lined blingwagon.

Unlike the other GMT900s (

Yukon , Tahoe, Suburban, and Avalanche), selecting the big Caddy is a choice that’s made specifically because of its substantial cachet - cost be damned. If price was really a consideration, a fully-loaded Yukon Denali will give you just about everything the Escalade has — minus some of the glitz and around 20 horsepower - for $10,000 - $15,000 less.

So there you have the setup. Follow the jump for our detailed impressions after having one in the garage for a week.

Continue reading In the Autoblog Garage: 2007 Cadillac Escalade

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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD A new documentary series. Be part of the transformation as it happens in real-time

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Posted in Uncategorized, 2007 escalade, 2007Escalade, escalade | No Comments »

New York State moves to ban spinner wheels

Wednesday, December 31st, 1969

Filed under: Aftermarket, Etc.

Just as spinner wheels start to come off customized cars, the New York State Senate Transportation Committee has decided that it is time to ban them. It’s difficult to understand why the bill is gaining traction with no known associated risks to drivers. It’s not like cars are slamming into one another because awe-struck onlookers are failing to pay attention to intersections while the Escalade’s 24’s go round and round. This screams of hypocrisy. You can get hubcaps with advertisements on them. Talk about distracting! What about those naked lady mud flaps on all those big rigs? A couple of times I’ve seen pickup trucks with male body parts dangling from the rear bumper. I wonder how many people have rear-ended someone while trying to read the latest ‘my kid beat up your honor roll student’ bumper sticker. The list goes on.

SEMA is stepping up to defend the rights of customizers everywhere by lending its powerful voice in opposition to Bill 1640, which calls for fines of $750 for the the third violation and beyond. In the annals of automotive history, this bill could never be the reason for the demise of the spinner wheel. That decisive blow came when the first set of K-Mart spinner hubcaps when on sale.

[Source: Winding Road]

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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD A new documentary series. Be part of the transformation as it happens in real-time

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Posted in Uncategorized, escalade, wheels, sema, spinner wheels, spinners, SpinnerWheels | No Comments »

GeigerCars builds gaudy “STAR FORCE” Escalade for Oscar night

Wednesday, December 31st, 1969

Filed under: Aftermarket, SUVs, Cadillac

Click image for photo gallery.

GeigerCars STAR FORCE hood ornament We generally like what the folks at GeigerCars come up with. The German tuner/accessorizer loves American metal, and is known for creating whimsical rides like its Gulf-liveried HUMMER GT, 700-horsepower police-trim H2 and a Christmas-themed HUMMER complete with simulated fireplace. They do customer cars too, and last year, they organized a big meet for European HUMMER owners. That’s all well and good.

“Good” is not a word we’d use to describe their latest creation, a custom Cadillac Escalade for German TV network ProSieben. It will be used for the foreign press outlet’s TV coverage of Oscar night in Los Angeles, and it stands as a towering example (even with its 4-inch drop) of “When Bling Goes Bad.”

We get into the details (look at that hood ornament!) after the jump.

[Source: GeigerCars.de]

Gallery: GeigerCars STAR FORCE Escalade

Continue reading GeigerCars builds gaudy “STAR FORCE” Escalade for Oscar night

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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD A new documentary series. Be part of the transformation as it happens in real-time

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Posted in Uncategorized, escalade, GeigerCars, prosieben, Star Force, StarForce | No Comments »

Motor Trend: Next Escalade to go Lambda

Wednesday, December 31st, 1969

Filed under: SUVs, Crossovers/CUVs, Cadillac, GM, Rumormill

MotorTrend reports that GM insiders are saying that the next-generation Cadillac Escalade will jump from its current GMT900 truck platform to the Lambda crossover architecture that underpins the GMC Acadia, Saturn Outlook, Buick Enclave, and Chevy Traverse. MT points to the Buick Enclave Super that didn’t happen as evidence that an Escalambda would be able to handle an eight-cylinder engine, which would be a step up from the rest of El Generalissimo’s increasingly-crowded crossover lineup. Edgier, CTS-like styling would likely be a given, too.

Frankly, this is a good idea. The packaging afforded by the Lambda platform is vastly superior to what the GMT900 trucks offer. Remember that in the latter, the 3rd row is bolted to the cargo floor, it doesn’t fold flat, and it’s generally uncomfortable. The Lambda solves that instantly, and is better suited for what’s positioned as a luxury vehicle anyway. Ride quality would be much better, and if GM Design were to deliver an interior on par with what’s now found in the CTS, a Lambda-based Escalade would probably represent a quantum leap forward in terms of styling and refinement over the current vehicle.

As for the Avalanche-based Escalade EXT, MT says that GM’s mulling over the idea of moving to a unibody pickup, a la the Zeta-based GMC Denali XT concept, to replace both of those vehicles. Again, not a bad idea, especially for Cadillac. The downside is that owners of the current vehicles who use them to tow will likely need to look elsewhere to fill that need. Still, if Cadillac’s gig is to sell legit luxury vehicles, moving to more car-like platforms makes all kinds of sense. It’s going to be really interesting to see if any of this stuff actually pans out.

[Source: MotorTrend]

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