Is there a category larger than weight class? Heavyweight maybe? Either way, that’s where these two monster machines go to war. In one corner we have the Cadillac Escalade-V, while the other corner is held by the Ram 1500 TRX. Combined, we’re talking 12,500 pounds of fast-moving American iron. And there are more big numbers to come.
Hennessey Performance set up this drag race, noting each vehicle is showroom stock so we get a comparison of true factory performance. In this case, share it doesn’t disappoint because combined, the Ram and Caddy make 1,384 horsepower. That’s the second big number from this article, with the nod going to the TRX with its 702 hp supercharged 6.2-liter V8. Cadillac Escalade-V 6.2 liter supercharged V8 only it has 682 hp, but it’s also slightly lighter. Of course, in this context it’s like saying an aircraft carrier is slightly lighter than a 1,400-foot container ship. That’s technically true, but it doesn’t matter.
And then there’s the price. If you can find a sale on the Escalade-V without a dealer markup, expect to pay a minimum of $150,000. Tick a few of the options boxes in Ram TRX and you’ll jump over the $100,000 barrier like this truck jumps over sand dunes. It’s no exaggeration to say this is a quarter million dollar battle, which is nothing for supercars these days, but we’re not talking supercars. So yeah, that’s a big number too.
So which American V8 has every right to be proud of? It depends on whether the two launch at the same time and in that department the advantage goes to Ram. The driveline is honed to push the 3.5-tonne TRX off the track with just a sneeze on the throttle.
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The Escalade-V isn’t nearly as sensitive, but once the power kicks in, the three-row Caddy is right there with the TRX. That was seen best in the final race, where the Cadillac drivers had a slight early advantage and kept it the whole time. However, that excuse would not save the Escalade-V riders in a fair race, so for this ultra heavyweight round, the trophy went to TRX.
