A 16-Cylinder Cadillac Escalade Was Briefly Under Consideration

The top of the Cadillac Escalade range is the mighty Escalade-V, packing 682 horsepower and 653 pound-feet of torque under the hood, compliments of its supercharged V8 powerhouse. While that seems plenty powerful, there was once a time when the luxury marque considered bringing something even more obscene to the table: a 16-cylinder Escalade. 

Escalade Product Manager David Schiavone spoke with Cadillac Society Executive Editor, Alex Luft, revealing that the luxury marque had quite a few considerations on the table for the iconic Cadillac Escalade throughout its 25-year history, some more outlandish than others.

“At one point we even talked about a 16-cylinder Escalade,” Schiavone told Cadillac Society. 

Cadillac did offer a 16-cylinder powerhouse at one point, but that was way back in 1940. The luxury marque hasn’t forgotten about that idea, as evidenced by the Cadillac Sixteen concept introduced in 2023, which was fitted with a 32-valve naturally aspirated 13.6L V16. This engine was said to be capable of 1,000 horsepower and 1,000 pound-feet of torque, and while that would have been quite the sight to behold, the vehicle never made it past the concept stage. 

Instead of a 16-banger Escalade, we have the Cadillac Escalade-V, which, as previously mentioned, harnesses the luxury marque’s supercharged 6.2L V8 engine (production code LT4). That same engine is found under the hood of the Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing, which was the most power Caddy ever made until the Escalade-V usurped the title. And while it’s dressed in a full-size luxury SUV body, the Escalade-V is no slouch, able to gallop from zero to 60 mph in just 4.4 seconds and covering a quarter mile in 12.74 seconds at 110 mph.

As the age of the gasoline engine wanes in favor of all-electric power, the idea of a 16-cylinder Escalade seems absolutely ludicrous. But that doesn’t mean that it wouldn’t have been a hell of a ride. 

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