SAN DIEGO – Big pimpin’. After a day of driving the 2007 Cadillac Escalade in and around San Diego, a GM public relations executive handed me the keys to a black-on-black model for a round-trip home, about 200 miles, with the Caddy due back early the next morning. While cruising along I-5 through Camp Pendleton, the ‘Slade hanging out in the passing lane with the blue-lit speedometer needle registering about 80 mph, those two words were pounding clearly out of the Bose surround sound system. Big pimpin’ indeed.

Let’s set things straight – I’m a short, balding white guy in my early 30s from the sticks of the Northeast – not exactly Jay Z’s targeted demographic, to the degree that I had to google Big Pimpin’ to determine the lyrics. But behind the wheel of that Cadillac, I was the man…or da bomb…or something. More than 400 horsepower, 22-inch chrome rims, and the knowledge that everyone from the established CEO to the affluent NBA star chooses this ride, well, it all adds a certain something to the driving experience.

Maybe it’s the style that accounts for impressive sales, maybe it’s the snowball effect after a Hollywood superstar was first spotted in one, or maybe, just maybe, buyers are interested in Cadillacs again. Whatever the reason, the Escalade is a rarity, a GM success story, and the updated 2007 model will surely keep the momentum going, especially since it stickers for the same price as the 2006 truck. Those responsible for the Escalade’s popularity, the shoppers who fork over more than $50,000, are as diverse as they come. You’re just as likely to see a black-and-chrome Escalade driven around your cul-de-sac by a 60-year-old executive as rolling along Sunset Boulevard with someone famous behind those deeply-tinted windows. Or maybe it’s a regular guy who’s just borrowing it for the night. Regardless, everyone feels like they’re big pimpin’ in the 2007 Cadillac Escalade, a ride that offers a surprising level of refinement, a potent powertrain, a long list of features, and a proud background for the Cadillac crest.