The First Retail 2023 Escalade-V Sold for $500,000 in Charity Auction
The first production unit of Cadillac’s 2023 Escalade-V went up to the block at the Barrett-Jackson Vegas Auction, with the winning bid securing $500,000 for charity. The auction was set up to benefit the Pensole Lewis College of Business & Design, Michigan’s only historically Black college and university. On top of the half-million winning bid, an additional $25,000 was donated. “Cadillac champions big dreams and bold ambitions, and we are thrilled with this auction result,” said Global Cadillac Vice President Rory Harvey. “We are grateful to Barrett-Jackson for providing a platform that will help make a difference for the next generation of creatives in Cadillac’s hometown of Detroit.” This isn’t the first time Cadillac has donated a first-run production unit for charity; previously, the first production V-Series Blackwings (a CT4-V and CT5-V pair) and a CT5-V Blackwing 120th Anniversary edition went up for auction, bringing in $430,000 and $250,000 respectively. In the case of the Escalade-V, the winner will also have the opportunity to score a pair of customer one-off sneakers and a signed design-studio theme sketch of the car. We recently got our hands on the 2023 Escalade-V for a First Drive and we had an absolute blast-- of course, thanks to the hand-built 6.2-liter supercharged V8 engine. That’s displacing 682 horsepower and 653 lb-ft of torque, running an estimated 13-second quarter miles; 0-60 mph times are around 4.4 seconds. Thanks to an active exhaust setup, the engine is able to harmonize said performance in all its throaty glory. Handling isn’t exactly at the forefront of the Escalade’s abilities, but the Magnetic Ride Control 4.0 and Adaptive Air Suspension do help keep things in line.
