Waido Gives the Cadillac IQ's 9000 Pounds of Electric Ego a Shouty Outfit
Image Credit: WAIDO.
Some folks think the Cadillac's 9,000-lb electric behemoth needs more presence. Honestly, it does feel a lot like putting a spoiler on the back of the Empire State Building, but alright, let's have a look at this electrified leviathan and the folks who reckon it's a tad too subtle.
Cadillac has finally plugged in its answer to the question nobody asked: "What if a cruise ship went on land but, you know, was electric?" The Escalade IQ. It's already a statement, a rolling declaration of modern automotive excess. Every IQ should probably come with a bumper sticker that reads: "Yes, I have arrived, and my electricity bill is higher than your mortgage."
But apparently, merely resembling a small postcode on wheels isn't enough. Enter Waido, the folks who look at a perfectly functional, albeit gargantuan, vehicle and think, "Needs more stuff." They've taken one look at the IQ and decided it's ripe for a visual overhaul that would make a Liberace stage show look understated.
First off, they've slapped on a new front fascia, complete with what they're calling "distinctive aero accents" and an "extended chin spoiler." I'm no aerodynamicist, but I'm fairly certain the air flowing around something the size and shape of a garden shed isn't exactly crying out for a chin spoiler. Unless, of course, the goal is to perfectly plow through particularly deep puddles with maximum splash.
Image Credit: WAIDO.
And then there are the wheel arches. Apparently, the standard IQ's already substantial girth wasn't quite girthy enough. Waido has decided to give it some extra hips, flaring those arches out like a startled pufferfish. They've done the same at the back, because symmetry is key when you're trying to make something the size of a small bungalow look even wider. Naturally, they've plonked it all on a set of aftermarket wheels, presumably something forged from unobtanium and styled by someone who's never seen a subtle curve in their life.
Around the back, the visual feast continues with a redesigned bumper, a new lip spoiler, and a "small diffuser." A diffuser! On an electric SUV that likely handles corners with the grace of a drunken rhino! I can just imagine the airflow benefits. Still, it looks… dramatic. Let's be honest here, ok? Folks who buy these sorts of things aren't always prioritizing sensible airflow management.
Image Credit: WAIDO.
I wouldn't do my job properly if I didn't mention the pièce de résistance: forged carbon fiber accents. Apparently, nothing says "eco-conscious electric vehicle" quite like swathes of expensive, lightweight carbon fiber bolted onto every available surface. Putting a racing stripe on a mobility scooter much? Technically possible, but slightly missing the point.
Of course, all this visual drama adds to the "overall package," as they say. The Escalade IQ, tipping the scales at over 9,000 pounds (that's a hefty 4,082 kilograms for those of you still clinging to sensible units), already makes a pretty significant statement just by existing. It probably generates its own gravitational field. Adding all this extra visual firepower is like shouting through a megaphone when everyone in a three-mile radius can already hear you perfectly.
Waido isn't new to this game. They were among the first to offer a widebody kit for the Tesla Cybertruck, with prices starting at a cool $9,990. There's no word yet on the damage to your bank balance for this Escalade IQ makeover, but the liberal use of forged carbon fiber suggests it won't be cheap. We're likely talking about the kind of money that could buy you a perfectly lovely, normal-sized electric vehicle. But then again, where's the fun in normal?
Image Credit: WAIDO.
The Cadillac Escalade IQ, already a monument to American automotive ambition, is now seemingly destined for an even more pronounced existence, courtesy of Waido. We live in a world where subtlety is often lauded, but there are still those who believe that more is more. Even if that "more" involves enough carbon fiber to build a small stealth fighter and styling that could curdle milk at fifty paces. And you know what? The younger me would salivate all over this monster, and probably sell a kidney and half the liver just to have it parked up on the driveway. The older me? The older me wishes he was younger…
