Hennessey Performance Engineering recently revealed the H850 upgrade package for the Cadillac Escalade-V. While not as potent as the H1000 package, the H850’s 850 horsepower is more than ample for a full-size luxury SUV with truck roots.
To showcase the impact of this upgrade, Alex from Hennessey Performance Engineering decided to pit the H850 Escalade-V against a stock supertruck. At the Pennzoil Proving Grounds at Lonestar Motorsports Park in Texas, the Ram 1500 TRX, equipped with a 6.2-liter V8 topped by a supercharger, stood ready for the challenge.
As the most powerful internal combustion truck between 2021 and 2023, the TRX delivers 702 horsepower and 650 pound-feet of torque. However, Ford Motor Company’s 2024 F-150 Raptor R, with 720 horsepower and 640 pound-feet of torque, now claims the crown. Nonetheless, the TRX’s replacement with the inline-six RHO ensures the F-150 Raptor R remains the most potent half-tonner in the US market.
Regarding the Escalade-V, its stock LT4 engine surpasses the Hellcat by three pound-feet of torque and boasts 682 horsepower. The H850 package raised these figures to 850 horsepower and 855 pound-feet of torque, with 694.51 horsepower and 725.82 pound-feet reaching the wheels.
Weighing in with a Ford-GM automatic transmission featuring 10 gears compared to the Ram 1500 TRX’s eight-gear ZF transmission, the Cadillac Escalade-V is not lightweight. The standard wheelbase model weighs 6,217 pounds, while the off-road Ram pickup tips the scales at 6,443 pounds.