Mansory’s Souped

The Cadillac Escalade is about as over the top as the automaker's vehicles get, but wait until you see what happened when Mansory got its hands on the SUV.

The German tuner has expanded its lineup to include the American marque's vehicles and up first is the carmaker's glamorous behemoth. The shop has taken the already mighty SUV, outfitted it with a striking appearance package that includes giant rims and upgraded its powertrain.

Mansory's latest is based on the standard version of the current-gen Escalade. The tuner has equipped the full-size SUV with a carbon-fiber aero kit that includes a new front splitter, color-matching fender flares, and a roof-mounted spoiler. The new elements combine to make the vehicle look even more dramatic than before (though the difference is subtle compared to what we’re used to from Mansory). The biggest change, though—and our favorite aspect of the exterior makeover—is a set 26-inch "FD.15" alloy wheels done up in gloss black.

Mansory has applied a relatively light touch to the SUV's interior. The tuner's logo can be found on the steering wheel, floor mats, and scuff plates, but that's about it for the changes. Everything else—including premium leather seats and polished wood trim—is just as it would be on the standard Escalade. We imagine Mansory is open to suggestions for further cabin modifications, though—just be prepared to pay extra.

The Escalade's power train is another story, though. Mansory has tuned and modified the vehicle's 6.2-liter V-8 so that it now generates 455 hp and 479 ft lbs of torque. That's a boost of 35 hp, though the torque output is basically the same. The mill is also mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission. The tuner doesn't say whether its Escalade has rear- or all-wheel-drive, suggesting both will be available as an option. Rounding out the mechanical modification is a new performance exhaust system.

On the off chance 455 horses doesn't sound like enough, Mansory says it is working on a more powerful version. Although no timetable has been announced, a tuned Escalade V-Series is confirmed to be on the way. Cadillac's version of the performance variant already comes with a supercharged 6.2-liter V-8 that pumps out 682 horses and 653 ft lbs of twist, so it will be exciting to see how much more power the tuner can wring out of the setup.

You can order Mansory's take on the standard Escalade now through the tuner's website. Pricing has yet to be announced, but it seems safe to assume that the SUV will cost significantly more than the standard version's $80,795. Meanwhile, you can bet Mansory's eventual Escalade V-Series will cost in excess of $149,990.