Tuned Cadillac Escalade-V Puts Down 695 Wheel Power on Hennessey Dyno

Called the LT4, the latter engine is rated at 682 horsepower and 653 ft-lbs (885 Nm) at the crankshaft. Hennessey Performance Engineering can do better, though. The company founded by John Hennessey offers two district upgrade packages, called the H1000 and H850, respectively.

The black-painted Caddy in the highlighted clip is rocking a slight upgrade package, which – as hinted at – promises 850 horses at the crankshaft. How many of them reach the wheels? According to Hennessey’s Dynojet, 694.51 horsepower at 5,680 revolutions per minute. Torque is impressive too, with Hennessey Performance Engineering recording 725.82 pound-feet (984 Nm).

HPE also did a few basic tweaks before updating the Escalade-V image. The best showed 586.70 horsepower and 589.53 feet (799 Nm) at the wheels, representing a loss of 13.97 and 9.72 respectively. The Sealy-based turbocharger’s drive for even more power and torque from the already powerful LT4 starts with a supercharged supercharger with high-performance pulleys, a hotter camshaft, and high-flow cylinder heads.

Hennessey further improves the pushrod V8 by improving the pushrods, lifters, valve springs, retainers, intake and exhaust valves, throttle body, and crankcase ventilation system. Each build is tested up to 500 miles (805 km) before delivery. Specific exterior badging and a serial numbered engine bay plaque are also included.

Pricing details for the H850 upgrade package have not been made public, although we do know that Hennessey wants $49,950 for the package in a separate program, namely the 2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse. The Escalade-V costs more than $200,000.

For added peace of mind, the H850 package is backed by a three-year/36,000-mile (approx. 58,000 km) limited warranty. The question is, how much of the H850 Escalade-V’s $200,000-plus total price tag will it retain in three years?

That’s a good question in itself, especially if you remember that Cadillac launched the first series-production Escalade for the 2025 model year on the same platform as the 1,000-horsepower GMC Hummer. EV SUV. The Escalade IQ develops an average of 750 horsepower and 785 lb-ft (1,065 Nm) from the three-engine configuration.

It’s also important for us to remember that GM isn’t ending its long-standing ban anytime soon. Detroit’s Big Three automakers will invest $854 million to prepare production facilities in the U.S. for a sixth facility. It is not known when the sixth generation will be launched into production, but we are pretty sure that the engine family will serve the next generation of large trucks, SUVs and the C9 Corvette.