The 2013 Escalade.
Escalade: v., from the Italian, the act of scaling especially the walls of a fortification.
Escalade: n., from Cadillac, to describe the standard-issue chariot for four-star U.S. military commanders, despite the fiscal vise known as sequestration.
There it was in Tuesday’s solicitations, under the modest heading Vehicle Lease.
You had to scroll down a bit to see that U.S. Special Operations Command had a specific kind of vehicle in mind: a 2013 Cadillac Escalade for up to three years (other vehicles could be substituted, but it was interesting to note that the exterior-color specification [“Black Raven”] and interior-color specification [“Cashmere w/Cocoa Accents, Nuance Leather Seating Surfaces,” featuring “elegant French-stitched seams”], are Escalade color schemes.
Here’s what USSOCOM says its Escalade needs, to help provide security for Admiral William McRaven, its commander and the SEAL who led the mission that killed Osama bin Laden:
— All-wheel drive
— 18″ x 7-spoke Aluminum Wheels
— 6-Speed Automatic Transmission
— 6.2L Vortec V8 Variable Valve Timing (VVT) Engine
— Audio System with Navigation and Bose 5.1 Surround Sound 10-Speaker System
— All-Weather Floor Mats for the First and Second Row (Dealer Installed) [$150 option]
— All-Weather Third Row Floor Mat (Dealer Installed) [$80 option]
— Rear Cargo Mat (Dealer Installed) [$85 option]
— Wheel Locks (Dealer Installed) [a $55 option, although one wonders why an SUV used to drive around a top U.S. general needs these].
The Escalade also boasts a heated steering wheel, “to eliminate the need for gloves while driving on a cold day.” Of course, one might question the need for a heated steering wheel in a vehicle that won’t stray far – it will be driven only about 500 miles a month — from its home at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Fla.
Special Operations Command spokesman Ken McGraw, when asked about the leasing inquiry, said everybody does it:
The headquarters is authorized to lease a Class IV SUV, just like other four-star headquarters, for the security detail to use when supporting the commander. The Cadillac Escalade is a Class IV SUV, but it is not the only Class IV SUV. There are a number of SUVs that are Class IV. If you read down a little further in the solicitation the Expedition and the Suburban are listed as other vehicles that meet the requirements.
This is a Request For a Quote. If a lease results from the solicitation, the determination will be made based on what is the vehicle that meets the solicitation’s requirements and has the best price, not what emblem is on the vehicle’s hood.
Speaking of which, the Escalade starts at $65,720 and costs about $700 a month to lease.