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Try the TB12 Method with Tom Brady's fancy Escalade limo

ESPN's 10-part documentary "The Last Dance" recently gave viewers an inside glimpse at the basketball GOAT Michael Jordan's rides. This week, the public has a chance to ogle one of the football GOAT's vehicles, and it's significantly different from any of the car's MJ drove. While No. 23 was most often seen in speedy sports cars, Tom Brady just listed a Cadillac Escalade limo for $300,000, or best offer. Posted by Becker Automotive Design, the builder of the vehicle, this is a 2018 Cadillac Escalade ESV Mobile Office. The Escalade has been stretched by 20 inches, including 10-inch lengthened rear doors, and it features additional headroom thanks to a five-inch extended-height roof. Inside, the rear row facing forward features three regular seats upholstered by Becker. The added middle row that looks toward the rear of the vehicle features two six-way power reclining VIP seats with electric leg rests. The VIP view sees a 32-inch HD LCD TV, while a 12-inch screen is mounted behind the VIP seats. Additionally, the Escalade has a Savant remote-control audio-visual system, two aviation-style folding tables with burlwood veneers, and a "high-end mobile internet router that allows for multiple service providers." “Parting ways with my Becker ESV wonÂ’t be easy," Brady said in a provided press statement. "From day one it became my sanctuary from the outside noise. I took pride in picking out all the customizations of the ESV; from the trim of the seats to the color of the rug. With such limited time in my busy schedule, the ESV gave me those extra minutes to study my play book, make phone calls and be with my family. Immediately my productivity went up and my stress came down. I hope the next owner will take great care of her; she will always be a part of the Brady family.” P.R. speak aside, the Cadillac is surprisingly cheaper now than it was when Brady purchased it. The ESV originally sold for $350,000, and with 13,000 miles on its clock, it is now listed for $300,000, or best offer. Considering Brady is the greatest football player of all time, no debate, and is set to have his own nine-part ESPN documentary, we wouldn't be surprised if the best offer is higher than the asking price. Maybe he'll take the money and trade up for a Lexani Escalade Mobile Office. Related Video:

Why an independent rear suspension for GM's new, full-sized SUVs wasn't easy

A Motor Trend report last month laid out how Cadillac's 4.2-lier twin-turbo Blackwing V8 could be an orphan due to cost concerns in the GM empire. Last-minute chassis changes to Cadillac's new sedans and XT6 crossover led to engine bays that couldn't fit the Blackwing. On the SUV side, according to the report, the new independent rear suspension for big people haulers cost so much to implement that GM ruled out reworking the Escalade to accept the Blackwing. At least one commenter rightly asked how could a suspension swallow that much money. A new piece in Motor Trend has the answer. The excellent Alissa Priddle spoke to Tim Herrick, GM's executive chief engineer for full-size trucks, about why the clean-sheet IRS cost "multimillions of dollars."  First, GM would need to build a new body shop at the Arlington, Texas plant that assembles the automaker's big SUVs to stamp the numerous wholly new parts and panels accommodating an IRS. Then GM would need to design and pay for a new assembly process. On top of those up-front costs, there was the incremental cost of the four-link IRS components being more expensive than those in the trucks' former leaf-sprung solid axles. Herrick endured so many rejections for so long that he remembers the date and time when he got approval for the new unit. He said it came down to a meeting where he told a higher-up, "I'll make you a deal: If we get to the reveal, or if we launch this and you think this was a dumb idea, I'll hand you my badge and let you walk me out." Head to Motor Trend to read the full story. Based on Herrick being on stage to help present the new SUVs to the press, and on our First Ride in the new Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban at GM's Milford Proving Grounds, it appears this will have a happy ending for all involved. Furthermore, since Herrick worked on the T1 platform that supports the big SUVs as well as the light- and heavy-duty pickups, he understood the demands on the commercial side, too. That could be why when Roadshow asked Tim Asoklis, chief engineer of the Tahoe and Suburban, if the new IRS could endure life in the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra, Asoklis answered, "Oh, absolutely." Related Video:    

40+ cars that barely avoid the gas guzzler tax

The Gas Guzzler schedule, with mpg ratings and charges that haven't changed since 1991, lays out which fuel-swillers owe what to Uncle Sam.
I started thinking about the "Gas Guzzler Tax" - considerably less well known as The Energy Tax Act of 1978 - when I was driving Dodge's new Challenger SRT Hellcat last week. Unsurprisingly for a car that can burn 1.5 gallons of gas per minute at max tilt, theoretically able to empty a full tank of premium in about 13 minutes, the Hellcat will be subject to the Gas Guzzler Tax schedule when it goes on sale.