—-    Specifications  —-

Price		–	Production		–
Engine		6.2 liter V8	Weight		–
Aspiration		natural	Torque		417 lb-ft
HP		403 hp	HP/Weight		–
HP/Liter		6.5 hp per   liter	1/4   mile		–
0-62   mph		–	Top   Speed		–

 
 (from
 General Motors Press Release)  Cadillac announced the introduction of
 the 2008 Escalade Rentals Platinum, a special edition of the segment-leading
 
 renting large luxury SUV that takes Cadillac’s dramatic design, elegance and
 technology to its fullest expression.Making its world premiere alongside the upcoming
 Escalade Rentals Hybrid,
 Cadillac announced the Platinum edition will come to market in the spring of
 2008 as the most luxurious model in the Escalade Rentals lineup. It rounds
 out a full series of Cadillac Platinum models, including the XLR Roadster,
 DTS luxury sedan and STS performance sedan. Each model in the Platinum
 lineup is characterized by elegant cabins featuring handcrafted leather,
 advanced technology and unique design details throughout.
 
 

“The new Platinum edition elevates and extends Escalade’s position as the
 large SUV Rentals  of choice among luxury consumers,” said Jim Taylor,
 Cadillac general manager. “The growing Platinum series highlights the
 handcrafted details and technical sophistication of Cadillac’s overall
 product renaissance.”

 

Advanced technologies

Offered on
 Escalade Rentals and
 the extended-length
 Escalade Rentals ESV, the Platinum edition includes a blend of technical
 innovations and aesthetic enhancements. Escalade Rentals Platinum will be
 the world’s first SUV to be equipped with Cadillac’s advanced Magnetic Ride
 Control (MRC) technology.  

 Magnetic
 Ride Control, originally developed for performance vehicles such as the STS
 sedan, XLR Roadster and Chevrolet’s legendary
 Corvette Rentals, is the world’s
 fastest reacting suspension system and gives the
 Escalade Rentals Platinum
 more precise body motion control. It is a real-time damping system –
 “reading” the road in 1-milisecond intervals – that replaces conventional
 mechanical-valve shocks with electronically controlled shocks filled with a
 synthetic fluid containing minute iron particles. Under the presence of
 magnetic charge, the iron particles align to provide damping resistance
 almost instantly.

 Segment-first, innovative LED headlamps

Escalade Rentals Platinum will
 be the first SUV – and one of the first vehicles of any kind – to offer
 Light Emitting Diode (LED) headlamps. Used previously only on concept
 vehicles or exotic sports cars,
 LED headlamps mark another step in Cadillac’s application of advanced
 lighting technology and design.LED headlamps emit a greatly more precise light pattern, while emulating the
 characteristics of natural daylight much more closely than traditional auto
 lighting. LEDs are environmentally friendly, using much less power and
 lasting more than 20 times longer than traditional halogen bulbs. LED
 headlamps will be an enhancement added to the
 
 Escalade Rentals Platinum in the summer of 2008, shortly after the start
 of production of the Platinum model itself in the spring of 2008.

“Escalade Rentals is world renown for making a distinctive design
 statement,” Taylor said, “With the introduction of the world’s first
 large
 luxury SUV hybrid as well as the new Platinum edition,
 Cadillac Escalade
 Rentals is now bringing some of the world’s most sophisticated
 automotive technologies into the luxury SUV category.”

 

Dramatic exterior, elegant interior
 

 
 Escalade
 Rentals Platinum also elevates the already-dramatic design of Escalade.
 The exterior features a unique front fascia and grille patterned after
 Cadillac’s acclaimed and hot-selling CTS sport sedan. The Platinum includes
 unique 22-inch wheels and wears exclusive Platinum exterior badges.The cabin is the latest example of Cadillac’s 21 st-century return to
 handcrafted luxury details. The instrument panel, center storage console and
 door trim are wrapped and stitched by hand. They feature decorative French
 seams that convey an elegantly tailored look and feel. Materials include
 rich leather on the instrument panel, with unique wood inlays and aluminum
 trim.

Aniline leather is unique to the
 
 Escalade Rentals Platinum and is used to trim the first- and second-row
 seats. Contrasting-color stitching is used on the French seams for a
 distinctive, luxurious appearance and the seatbacks feature embroidered
 Cadillac wreath and crest insignias. The leather-covered seats are
 comfortable and convenient, with the industry-exclusive power
 fold-and-tumble second-row seat feature that eases access to the third-row
 seat.

Additional standard interior features include Platinum-specific door sills
 and floor mats, a heated steering wheel and heated and cooled cup holders
 and a power liftgate that opens and closes with the touch of a button.

 

 Also,
 the DVD entertainment system adds screens integrated into each front seat
 headrest, in addition to the existing roof mounted screen. Each front-row
 headrest screen has its own driver and input controls. The headrest units
 can be operated independently or in tandem. This system enables passengers
 in different seats to watch or listen to different entertainment choices,
 while leaving ultimate control with the driver. Escalade Rentals Platinum
 models will include the acclaimed Bose 5.1 Digital Surround system, as well
 as the eight-inch touch screen for DVD-based navigation and control of the
 DVD, CD, MP3 and XM Satellite radio entertainment.
 
 

Plentiful power

 
 Platinum
 models are powered by the Escalade’s exclusive 6.2L V-8 rated at 403
 horsepower (301 kW)* and 417 lb.-ft. of torque (565 Nm).* It is an
 all-aluminum engine that uses variable valve timing (VVT) to optimize
 camshaft timing to improve low-rpm torque and high-rpm horsepower. The
 introduction of variable valve timing through the unique, dual-equal cam
 phaser is the industry’s first application of VVT on a mass-produced V-8
 overhead-valve engine. A Hydra-Matic 6L80 six-speed automatic transmission is matched with the 6.2L
 engine. One of the industry’s most advanced automatics, the 6L80 features
 clutch-to-clutch shifting and has a wide, 6.04:1 overall ratio – including
 two overdrive gears – that helps deliver an excellent balance of performance
 and fuel economy.