LONG-LOST ESCALADE V; Milwaukee tuner builds the truck Detroit wouldn't.(News)(CAdillac Escalade V)

Byline: ROGER HART

Jason Fowler has owned a variety of muscle cars and sports cars over the years, but as his family grew and his fishing interests increased he started looking for an SUV that could also tow a boat. There are several performance-oriented SUVs on the market-BMW X5, Porsche Cayenne, Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8, not to mention luxury trucks from Range Rover and Mercedes-but none of these fit what Fowler was looking for. He's a self-admitted Detroit-iron kinda guy.

What Fowler really wanted was the rumored Cadillac Escalade V, powered by a 500-plus-hp V12. Unfortunately, a rumor is all it was. GM decided the market for such a beast was too limited, and spent the money elsewhere. Fowler got a base 2005 Escalade.

While that Escalade packs a 6.0-liter, 345-hp V8 (for 2007 GM gave it a new 6.2-liter V8 rated at 403 hp and 417 lb-ft), Fowler wanted still more. Enter Big 3 Performance. The small Waukesha, Wisconsin, shop has tuned a variety of Detroit iron through the years, and when Fowler dropped off his Cadillac the craftsmen went to work, making their own version of the Escalade V.

The list of upgrades to the 'Sclade is long: Eaton Magnacharger supercharger with intercooler, 6.6-liter stroker kit with forged pistons, Stage 2 heads that are ported and polished, Crane valvetrain, stainless-steel headers, high-flow catalysts, cat-back exhaust, double-roller timing chain and a high-flow oil pump. The upgraded fuel system has a bigger fuel pump, new injectors and a larger mass air sensor. According to Big 3's Anthony Stevenson, "This engine now makes a conservative 725 hp and more than 800 lb-ft of torque.''

All that ...