When Indy League driver Billy Boat needed something to run from the track to the grocery store, he went straight to the height of luxury in SUVs. With a new Escalade in his possession, Billy teamed up with Arizona Automotive Accessories to beef up the already impressive performance, safety, and convenience. To handle the demands of an Indy driver, the Escalade was fitted with newly developed components prototyped by B&B Fabrications in conjunction with Arizona Automotive Accessories.
The first phase was to gain the F1 handling everybody wants. This was accomplished with a set of Baer 15-inch slotted and cross-drilled rotors with six-piston calipers up front, while the rear retains stock calipers that have been upgraded with 13-inch slotted and cross-drilled rotors. Rolling stock consists of 23-inch OZ Vella wheels rapped in sticky Toyo Proxy rubber.
The Escalade’s stance was lowered with a 2/3 Belltech suspension drop kit and a pair of Hellwig sway bars. The result is an extremely stable ride with minimal body roll. When it comes to stopping and cornering with this package of components, make sure you’re buckled in!
With safety, handling, and stopping under control, lead tech Mark Hargrove moved on to making the 6.0L V-8 a screamer. The natural route of performance was to develop an engine package that would retain longevity and be a daily performer. This was accomplished in part with a supercharger from Coolcharger. The self-contained unit was squeezed in the engine bay and air ducts routed to match the Volant cold airbox. To allow the gas to exit the engine properly, B&B Fabrication prototyped its new Escalade headers and exhaust and then slapped ’em on.
As with all new powerplants, the engine’s computer was a bit out of whack with all that fresh air coming in. After many weeks on the dynamometer, Arizona Automotive Accessories nailed down a program code for the charger package that keeps driveability, longevity, and power to the max. When all was said and done, the Escalade was pumping out an impressive 525 ponies at the crank off 91 octane.
The final stage came with the goal of traveling convenience and style. The factory retractable sideview mirrors have been fitted with Muth signal mirrors for all others on the road to see. The clear night view is accomplished by way of RM Lighting’s high-intensity front lighting system. On the inside, a flush-mounted boost gauge fits where the clock once was and sits just below the entertainment control center. Linked to the head unit is a VCR, DVD, and four 8-inch Pioneer wide-screen monitors mounted in the head rests.
Luxury and performance all in one package. To quote Bill Murray from the movie Stripes, “This is one hell of a recreational vehicle.”