Hummer Guy

Four Wheeler Magazine is the new owner of a 2008 HUMMER H3 Alpha, courtesy of General Motors. The H3 is a project vehicle that is undergoing heavy modification to increase its offroad prowess. After having the vehicle for a few weeks, they’ve decided to begin stage one.

The first stage in their project HUMMER H3 Alpha is to remove all chrome and ‘bling’ factor from the vehicle. Black door handles and mirrors have been provided by HUMMER, and the vehicle will soon be going in for a new paint job. Kind of. Four Wheeler mag is keeping the red paint, but changing the clear coat to a flat finish. This will completely remove the shine from all the HUMMER’s exterior surfaces. What’s up next for the project H3? Stay tuned!

We’re always looking for new places to off-road, but we hadn’t thought about our neighborhood 7-Eleven. According to a Herold-Mail.com report, a HUMMER H3 “drifted” from a 7-Eleven parking lot while the store’s co-owner was behind the wheel. The vehicle ramped up on a trash can and broke through the storefront window. No one was hurt, and the HUMMER looks ready to backup and take on another convenience store!

With both Autoblog and AutoblogGreen releasing articles with new interpretations on the H2 spy shots, and the idea of a diesel engine coming for H2, it’s time to settle the diesel debate.

HUMMER already announced late in 2006 that within three years, its entire vehicle lineup would offer bio-fuel options. We also know that General Motors is planning on having a diesel option on the H2 – but they said it may be some time. So WHEN is a diesel option coming to the HUMMER lineup?

Anything can happen, but according to HUMMER’s #1 Martin Walsh, model year 2011 HUMMER H2s (and presumably H2 long bed SUT, if produced) will be the first time HUMMER offers a turbo-diesel option. The 2011 turbo-diesel HUMMER H2s will arrive very early calendar year 2010, making good on their 3 year commitment.

The guys over at The Car Connection have happened upon some new photos from KGP of what appears to be a modified HUMMER H2 SUT. The vehicle was spotted outside a GM testing facility sporting a military-style paintjob, and sports a longer wheelbase and truck bed. A vehicle similar to this has been rumored for years, but this is a promising sign that HUMMER is thinking of bringing a full size pickup truck to market. The new truck would be in addition to the HUMMER H3T which debuts next year, and is a pickup based on the H3. Currently, the H2 SUT has a small bed, and declining interest in that setup may be the catalyst in the production of something similar to these spy shots.

A group of 50 journalists were recently invited by GM to visit the HUMMER design studio, where they got a glimpse of what’s around the corner for the one-of-a-kind brand: The HUMMER HX and H3T. HUMMER General Manager Martin Walsh announced today that the group will have to keep the details of what they saw under wraps until the HUMMER H3Ts official debut at the 2008 Chicago Auto Show in February. Walsh commented that a group of journalists who’ve seen more vehicle concepts than anybody can be a pretty tough group to impress, but he’s confident they came away excited about what they saw. From what we’ve seen in spy photos, expect the H3T to be a quad-cab pickup based heavily on the H3’s passenger compartment, and have a 5 foot bed, give or take. Since it will be from HUMMER, expect nothing less than best in class off-road ability. GM Officially announced the production of the HUMMER H3T when they announced the expansion at the Shreveport, LA production facility that currently produces the HUMMER H3.

According to Autoblog, HUMMER will begin shipping and selling models in Japan starting in the spring of 2008. With the HUMMER H3 being the main export to other countries, expect it to be the main seller in Japan. The right-handed drive version of the H3 was also shown at the recent Tokyo Auto Show – and featured a unique forward facing camera (pictured below). SUVs in Japan are required to have a system to enhance the view of the front corners. Some manufacturers use mirrors mounted on the hood at the corners, while HUMMER opted to go with the camera system.

HUMMER will unveil its newest concept, the HX, at the 2008 North American International Auto Show in January (AKA, the Detroit Auto Show). The design was the brainchild of three recent graduates of the College for Creative Studies in Detroit, MI: David Rojas, Min Young Kang, and Robert Jablonski. Their first real project? Provide the vision of the future design for off-road vehicles. In the release, it mentions the final product will be E-85 capable, and offer a fully customizable platform.

“The HX offers an open-air driving experience via a pair of removable roof panels above the driver and front passenger and a modular, removable rear roof assembly enabling a quick conversion from closed vehicle to open vehicle SUT. It also features a slant back assembly removable doors and fender flairs.”

Check out more photos and the complete HUMMER news release below:
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We know that HUMMERs are safe vehicles, they do after all have a 5 star frontal crash rating, the highest any vehicle can receive. Reinforced doors, standard roof rail air bags, low glass ratio, and being built to take a beating all play a role in keeping occupants of the HUMMER H3 safe. The incredible safety benefits were realized first hand when a Sewell Hummer customer was in a 2008 HUMMER H3 loan car while their vehicle was in for service. The HUMMER H3 was struck from behind by a cement truck, then crushed underneath a semi truck. Amazingly, the vehicle’s driver and sole occupant only suffered a broken leg along with some scrapes and bruises.

We hear stories of these amazing accidents all the time – and individuals swearing they’ll never buy another vehicle because having a HUMMER saved their life. This one hit a little closer to home since it was in our backyard one of our customers. We hope this doesn’t happen to anyone, but we’re glad to see how well HUMMERs stand up in the worst scenarios.

The crew at Kroyman’s HUMMER Europe, the official European importer of HUMMER, will offer a limited run of 50 all-black H3s. Maybe they saw the success of the tactical editions H3s in the US? They’ll have black wheels, black steps, black roof rails, black leather interior, etc. Good looking trucks – but it looks more like a local initiative for Europe, rather than a true Limited Edition from HUMMER.

Want to hang out with Kobe Bryant and go to a Laker game in a new 2008 HUMMER H3? Now you have your chance while helping a great cause at the same time. As part of HUMMER’s partnership with After-School All-Stars, they have teamed up with Kobe Bryant to participate in a 10-day auction on eBay for a chance to bid on a “like nothing else” package which includes a 2008 HUMMER H3, a meet and greet with Kobe and 4 tickets to an upcoming Lakers game. After-School All-Stars is a nonprofit organization that provides comprehensive out-of-school programs that keep children safe and help them achieve in school and in life.