RussStang

Depends on what your definition of stupid is. I see mom's in SUVs all of the time gabbing on their cellphones, yelling at their kids, or doing something in general that involves them not paying attention the rode. Some guys in z28s may drive pretty aggressively (and stupidly), but they generally seem to have an idea of what is going on around them. I can't remember the last time I saw someone in an fbody go straight in a left turn lane, or not use their turn signals for anything. I see SUVs do it all of the time.

Threxx

Sometimes yes, sometimes no but regardless I bet you could ask the average wrecker truck driver which vehicles he sees most often at the more grusome/horrific scenes, sports cars (of any sort, ricers, domestics, whatever) or soccer mom mobiles. I bet he'd say sports cars, and that's saying a lot since the soccer mom mobiles are probably more numerous or at least more common out on the road.

Jim S. '95 Z28

I don't really care about the Escalade, but its 6.2L L92 motor is going to be the hot ticket in the LS1 world. With its 4.065-inch bore, just drop of 4-inch Eagle crank in the thing and - BAM - 418 cubic inches. Since the block's aluminum, there will be no weight penalty. The heads of those motors are very similar to an LS7s but without CNC porting.

As soon as GMPP starts selling the L92 block and heads, building a big hp LS1 will be dirt cheap.

dav305z

It's amazing how the performance world has moved the chains in the past ten, fifteen years.

It wasn't that long ago that 6.5 was a repsectable time for a Camaro. My GTP was a serious sport-sedan contender with that. It's just unbeleivable that a truck will do that - and it's not even a performance oriented vehicle persay.

RussStang

Yeah, that may be, but I haven't talked to any wrecker truck drivers, so there is no way for me to know that for certain. Besides, one of the benefits of driving a big SUV is that if you slam into another vehicle, the other vehicle is more likely to end up on that wrecker, not the SUV driver. That in itself could account for some of the discrepancies between which vehicles more often find themselves on the wrecker, if you remark is accurate.

RussStang

A lot of guys have been waiting for these head to hit the market. These heads should be good for just about any LS engine. The LS7 heads only work with the damn 4.125" bore of the LS7, due to the bigger valves, which is something you probably already know.

Threxx

Well, I haven't talked to one either... it's just a hunch, though.

And my remark was intended not to ask what vehicles were taken away from the scene on a wrecker truck but more importantly, what vehicles were present/involved in those scenes.

Chrome383Z

Wouldn't that be a big hp L92...

91_z28_4me

That is D*MN impressive!

Eric Bryant

Normally I'd agree with you on this point, but after testing a Tahoe for a week, I completely understand the need for the power-assist second-row seat flipping. Trying to manually flip those seat was a bit of a clumbsy task when both hands were free; trying to do it while holding a band of groceries in one hand and a screaming kid in the other would get tiresome very quickly.

I still think that proper use of assist springs and struts would make the power-actuated rear hatch unnecessary, but hey, if it's already going to be remotely unlocked... (and it's exactly that mindset which brings about all these features).

With regards to the Caddy's speed, I think that the GMT900 platform handles better than most older RWD passenger car platforms (frankly, the new SUVs are much closer to cars than they are to trucks), and thus I have absolutely no concerns about it doing 100+ down the highway in the hands of a competent driver. It's a remarkable vehicle.

Z28x

The new Escalade is awesome and is what American luxury has always been about. Big, flashy, fast, loaded with feature that no one needs but everyone wants. I'm glad an American car company is finally making a car like that again, even if it is an SUV.

Hybrid Escalade comes out next summer, will it be faster?

Jim S. '95 Z28

Yeah, you're right Everyone seems to call all Gen III/IV motors LS1s, though.

RussStang

Yeah. Guys tend to call all Gen III/IV motors LS1s, in kind of the same way that guys called all of the SBC configurations simply SBC. Even an engine with an LQ9 block, and 5.3 heads is still usually referred to as an LS1 engine, at least in the aftermarket world.

DrewSG

You can buy bare L92 heads from GMPD for $174. Not bad for heads that can flow 300+cfm out the box.

Threxx

Where have you heard that? They most definitely need cylinder deactivation, too - that motor could easily run on 4 cylinders on the highway, with the extra power and better highway gearing it offers over the 5.3/4L6xE combo in the Tahoe.