|
Browse by Tags
All Tags » SUVs » Hummer ( RSS)
-
|
Filed under: Aftermarket , SEMA , Tuners , SUVs , HUMMER Click any image for a high-res gallery HUMMER's presence at this year's SEMA show will be typified by a trio of tuned H3s, ranging from a mildly modded Alpha to an H3T ready to traverse the desert surrounding Sin City. The most sedate of the three is the warmed-over H3 X Alpha concept, which features new 18-inch wheels shod in 35-inch all-terrain tires, black chrome trim, body-colored bumper extensions and clear turn signal housings. The exterior is coated in Canyon Metallic, while inside, the leather seats, armrests and shift knob all receive contrasting orange stitching along with matching piping and a HUMMER Accessories DVD headrest system. Far more impressive is the H3T Weekend Warrior concept (above), which capitalizes on HUMMER's off-road cred with a series of engine and suspension mods. Output of the 5.3-liter V8 has been increased by around 70 hp through the use of an LS2 cylinder head, high-lift cam and custom...
|
-
|
Filed under: SUVs , GM , HUMMER , Earnings/Financials General Motors is moving full steam ahead on its hopeful sale of HUMMER, moving to make a decision on the SUV marque "as quickly as practical." Shortly after appointing Jim Taylor to the head of the brand, the automaker has contacted interested parties with a full sales prospectus. By now, you're surely aware that sales of the gargantuan 'utes are very slow, posting declines of over 50-percent so far this year. No surprise then that the General would be anxious to get the former military-spec brand off its books. Though GM claims it is not necessarily committed to selling the marque, we're not so sure they have many other options. An entire revamp of the HUMMER line would use up precious resources that would surely be better spent on more fuel efficient, forward thinking products like the Chevy Volt, Cruze and Orlando. In any case, look for an announcement regarding the brand's future in short order . Thanks...
|
-
|
Filed under: In the Autoblog Garage , SUVs , HUMMER , Toyota , First Drive Click the image above for high-res gallery of the Autoblog Comparo: H2 vs. Landcruiser The world's maddest battles usually earn a brief sobriquet: Red vs. Blue, Holyfield-Tyson, Lingerie Bowl. Although the battle we'll describe today isn't finished, the clash of HUMMER vs. Any Decent Off-roader - especially HUMMER vs. Jeep - has made so much noise on Autoblog alone that we decided it was time to investigate. Not having a Jeep at our disposal, we pitted an H2 against the Toyota Landcruiser on three trails in the California desert to find out if either of them had any quit - or if they'd keep going but complain about it. Follow the jump for the answer we came up with, and check out the gallery of off-road shenanigans below. Gallery: Autoblog Comparo: H2 vs Landcruiser Continue reading Autoblog Comparo: Moving Mountains - Toyota Landcruiser vs. Hummer H2 Permalink | Email this | Comments
|
-
|
Filed under: SUVs , Government/Legal , Safety , HUMMER , Police/Emergency , Australia Question: What's more intimidating than a group of Australian Police roaming the streets in search of drunken party-goers? Answer: Aussie Police driving Hummer H3s with the same intent... supposedly. The Hummers in question were provided by the General in all-black before getting custom livery from the authorities, complete with a blue-and-red flashing light bar on top. Police hope to be a bit more conspicuous in the SUVs, which will be prowling the nightclub districts in Melbourne. There may be a few problems with this scheme, as there will only be five such vehicles making the rounds and they are only equipped with the standard five-cylinder powerplant. We think the Police should have visited another side of the General and raided the Holden parts bin for flat-black Mad Max-style Police cars made from the HSV W427 . For added attention, a straight-through set of true duals with Cherry Bombs would...
|
-
|
Filed under: SUVs , HUMMER , Earnings/Financials HUMMER, a brand that has seen its sales drop by a shocking 40% so far this year, is apparently burning an SUV-sized hole in General Motors' pocket. Main money-man at the biggest American automaker, Fritz Henderson, says that GM wold like to rid itself of the brand as quickly as possible, saying that its sale is being approached "on an urgent basis." The time frame given was by the end of this year or early 2009 for a completed transaction. So, who would want the brand that represents wretched American excess? We have no idea, but it seems that somebody does as Henderson reiterated that the General's been approached by multiple suitors. Interestingly, these comments were made in India, a country that had previously been rumored to have two separate bidders for the HUMMER brand. Considering the growing sentiment for small cars in the U.S., it wouldn't be surprising to see HUMMER sold to a company that does most of its...
|
-
|
Filed under: SUVs , GM , HUMMER The HUMMER brand isn't exactly sterling here in the States due to high fuel prices and its standing as the poster vehicle for green groups trying to save the environment from the evils of CO2 emissions. That's probably the biggest reason GM is looking to offload the brand , and while it doesn't seem likely that anyone would want the marque, there are interested parties. According to GM's Middle East Managing Director, Terry Johnsson, one group is a pair of Arab investors. The Middle East has been a player in the automotive landscape over the past few years, as the region is rife with cash and oil and has growing transportation needs. Arab investors were 50% of the Aston Martin sale in 2007, and Abu Dhabi's investment group purchased 5% of Ferrari in 2005. Many of the early suitors for the HUMMER brand have since decided to bow out . Whether the final buyer is Tata Motors, investors from the Gulf, or some yet unknown party, the General...
|
-
|
Filed under: Motorsports , SUVs , HUMMER The TSCO Vegas to Reno race, part of the Best in the Desert off-road racing series, is 457 miles long through the Nevada sand and scrub. From start to finish takes many racers 12 hours or more, and a driver that goes the entire distance is known as an "Ironman." For this year's edition, Emily Miller of Team HUMMER plans on being the race's first ever Iron woman . Miller will be piloting an H2 in the stock class with a navigator, Jake Povey. Some will undoubtedly think it crazy to try winning off-road races in an H2, but Miller's teammate Josh Hall has won the race three years in a row in his H2 SUT. Miller's no stranger to the podium herself, having come second at this year's Terribles 250. The TSCO Vegas to Reno race happens this Friday, August 22 (that'd be tomorrow), where Miller will probably have some vintage Cake playing on the iPod. You can keep up with all the live action at www.rodhallracing.com, and to...
|
-
|
Filed under: SUVs , HUMMER , India , Tata Despite assurances from top GM brass, every bidder for the troubled HUMMER brand appears to be removing itself from the rumormill. Considered one of the strongest suitors interested in the off-road marque, India's Mahindra is the latest brand to pull out of consideration. According to Vice Chairman Anand Mahindra, "There has been a lot of speculation. I want to say categorically we are not pursuing HUMMER." That sounds pretty definitive to us, leaving Tata Motors as the only company from India still reportedly interested. Russian billionaire Oleg Deripaska has pulled his name out of the mix, as has China's Hunan Changfeng Motor Co . Until an official announcement is made, all of this is just speculation, but we have to wonder just how valuable the HUMMER brand could possibly be now that its sales have plummeted so far and so fast. [Source: Automotive News - sub. req'd] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
|
-
|
Filed under: SUVs , HUMMER , Special/Limited Editions Click above for a hi-res gallery of the H2 "Black Chrome" Edition HUMMER is having a bad year. Year-to-date sales are down 43% versus '07, and last month saw the iconic off-road nameplate take a 61% drop compared to July '07. High fuel prices have massacred truck and SUV sales in general, and HUMMER is simply reeling. GM threw the brand's future under the bus into limbo back in June when it announced a strategic review was underway, and the latest round of news has a sketchy Russian billionaire sniffing around, looking to acquire the marque. Happy times. So, while the backdrop is grim, business continues, and GM has released photos of its annual H2 special edition for '09. The 2009 H2 "Black Chrome" Limited Edition is pretty self explanatory: it gets darkened "black chrome" applied to all the usual blingifiable surfaces, from the 21-inch wheels to the fuel filler door. Three paint colors...
|
-
|
Filed under: SUVs , Trucks/Pickups , HUMMER , First Drive Click above for hi-res gallery of the HUMMER H3T If HUMMER had a theme song, it'd probably be the Allman Brothers' Whipping Post -- the one that goes "Sometimes I feel, sometimes I feel, like I been tied to the whipping post..." The brand has been the go-to effigy when something needs to burn on the altar of eco desecration. But HUMMER doesn't have a theme song, it has the tagline "Like No Other." It also has a new pick-em-up truck we had the chance to drive recently in the High Sierras: the H3T. Follow the jump to find out if it's another HUMMER like no other, and check out the gallery of hi-res images below. Gallery: First Drive: HUMMER H3T Continue reading First Drive: HUMMER H3T Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
|
-
|
Filed under: Aftermarket , SUVs , Bentley , HUMMER You can click to see more of the Bentley-bodied HUMMER, but we wouldn't recommend it Bentley doesn't make an SUV. Though they've contemplated and toyed with the idea , the boys in Crewe ultimately decided against it . Sure, some of their sedans and coupes are roughly the size of trucks, with engines of similar proportions and torque output, but they hardly fulfill the same purpose as a sport-ute. So what's a guy to do? Well, most would pick up a Range Rover, frankly. Or a Q7 from Bentley sister-brand Audi. Badges aside, even a VW Touareg V10 TDI would fit the bill. But one driver apparently didn't like any of those ideas, so he had his own Bentley SUV made up. Er, sorta. The abomination you see above is actually based on - yep, you guessed it - a HUMMER. Yes, it's horrible, but don't blame us. We're only the messengers. And just where might you stumble upon such misplaced gluttony? You'd be forgiven for...
|
-
|
Filed under: Car Buying , SUVs , Trucks/Pickups , HUMMER , Earnings/Financials Click above for a high-res gallery of the HUMMER H3T. To say that HUMMER's launch timing for the H3T sport-utility-truck couldn't be worse seems like an understatement. Trucks which had been flying out of showrooms just a few short years ago are now languishing on dealer lots. What's more, the entire HUMMER brand could get the axe any day now from ( current ) parent company General Motors. Still, the H3T is coming to a dealer near you in September , and there's nothing that the General can do but price it competitively and hope for the best. We've got some detailed pricing information pasted after the break, but the short version is that the five-cylinder base model, which comes standard with a five-speed stick, will go for $31,495 and be equipped with the expected four-wheel drive along with 32-inch tires and a clothe interior. Upscale Alpha models get upgraded with the 5.3L V8 hooked to...
|
-
|
Filed under: Concept Cars , SUVs , Plants/Manufacturing , HUMMER , Military , Special/Limited Editions It sure ain't pretty, though beauty, in this case, is likely in the eye of the beholder. A few years back, a new take on the taxi was provided by Standard Taxi , a company based in Troy, Michigan. The design for the purpose-built people hauler uses GM running gear and is able to haul four passengers in relative comfort. We hadn't heard a peep from the company until today when we learned that Standard is now working on negotiations with AM General to build the vehicle in its plant in Mishawaka, Indiana, where AM General builds the Hummer H2 SUV and SUT. So far, no announcements have been made regarding whether or not the plant would continue working full-time in the face of lagging Hummer sales , though we imagine that plenty of excess capacity is available. According to AM General, the deal would in no way impact the assembly of military Hummer models. We can't say whether...
|
-
|
Filed under: Car Buying , SUVs , Trucks/Pickups , HUMMER Click above for a high-res gallery of the HUMMER H3T. HUMMER is on the skids and pickups aren't flying off dealer lots, but if you're smitten with the H3 and need to haul more than its covered cargo bay can handle, the H3T is yours for the taking. Pricing starts at $31,495, including a $745 destination charge -- $850 less than a comparable H3. For that kind of cash, you get a five-foot-long bed covered with an integrated liner and built-in storage system, full-time electronically controlled four-wheel-drive, 32-inch tires, functional skid plates and the five-year/100,000-mile warranty. The base model will pack the 3.7-liter five-cylinder, but a 5.3-liter V8 will be available, along with Bluetooth integration and an upgraded OnStar system. GM hasn't released details on what that kind of kit will set you back, but you can hit up your local dealer to find out when the H3T goes on sale in September. Hit the jump for HUMMER's...
|
-
|
Filed under: SUVs , Trucks/Pickups , GM , HUMMER It's no secret that GM is looking to sell or kill its once valuable HUMMER brand , but the big question now is whether the General will do the same with other brands. Unfortunately for GM, there isn't much to be gained from either killing or selling most brands. Saturn, GMC, and Pontiac are all US-only brands that don't exist without Chevrolet, and the bow-tie is GM, so it's safe as can be. Buick is a Chinese gold mine, so it's off the market. Selling Saab, Vauxhall or Opel likely wouldn't result in the kind of cash the General is going to need going forward, but at the expense of losing its European market share. Killing any brand, as GM already knows from its experience with Oldsmobile, would result in lawsuits from dealers and a dip in sales, which the General can hardly affort. What is likely to happen is that GM will take the same road Chrysler is already traveling by cutting overlapping models. Do we need a G5...
|
More Posts Next page »
|
|
|