According to artists Adam Eckstrom and Lauren Was, most people playing scratch-off lottery tickets dream of buying a new car. The team has taken 35,000 losing lottery tickets to build a life-sized HUMMER H3, and called the piece “Ghost of a dream.” The “HUMMER H3” can be yours for you guessed it - $35,000.
Source: Jalopnik
This morning, we were on hand when HUMMER announced their 2009 H2 lineup will be E85-capable, helping make good on their commitment to offer biofuel powertrains in every model they build by the end of 2010. Alternative fuels can be tricky with a brand like HUMMER due to their strict off-road requirements, but the new E85 capable vehicles are showing that HUMMER is committed finding solutions. “A Hummer’s off-road capability and care for the environment are in no way mutually exclusive. This is simply one more step in our effort to promote responsible adventure,” said HUMMER’s General Manager Martin Walsh.
E85 consists of 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline, and is a cleaner-burning, less polluting fuel source. Right now ethanol is primarily made from corn, but there are several promising scientific endeavors underway to create ethanol from non food-based sources. GM has partnered with Coskata, one of the companies leading cellulosic ethanol research and production.
The 2009 E85 HUMMER H2 announcement came as Classic Chevrolet/HUMMER opened the first dealership-owned E85 fuel station in the country. To help raise awareness for the new pumps and E85 technology, General Motors sponsored a two-hour event in which flex-fuel customers could fill up at 85 cents a gallon, compared to the normal E85 price of $2.74 per gallon.
“There’s no telling where this might lead,” said Larry Burns, GM vice president of Research & Development and Strategic Planning. “We have to keep looking for ways to improve the overall ownership experience of our customers.”
The Prius vs. HUMMER debate on which is better for the environment has resurfaced on the blogosphere for a 4th or 5th time (I lost count awhile ago). Now, the photo above is making waves in the green community for the HUMMER H2’s controversial license plate: 2REEHGR. Not surprisingly, TreeHugger.com has denied having any involvement. More outspoken about the license plate is AutoblogGreen – claiming the HUMMER vs. Prius study that started the original debate has been debunked time after time. Fair enough – I didn’t give any credence to that study anyway.
But how do we know that the driver isn’t simply making his ‘green’ statement because he’s a vegetarian? After all, according to several studies, eating meat has a larger impact on global warming than what you drive. PETA and the Humane Society both point to a United Nations study that indicates the meat industry is worse for the environment than all cars and trucks combined:
“Environmentalists are still pointing their fingers at Hummers and S.U.V.’s when they should be pointing at the dinner plate…You just cannot be a meat-eating environmentalist,” - PETA.
“Switching to a plant-based diet does more to curb global warming than switching from an SUV to a Camry.” – Humane Society of the United States
I suppose HUMMERs are an easier to complain about than that big juicy steak on AutoblogGreen’s plate – here is their response to the Meat vs. HUMMER debate:
“I’m not touching this one… I have no problem admitting to eating and enjoying meat, though. I would prefer knowing that all the meat I eat comes from sustainable sources, but I am not naive enough to say that I am sure it does.” – AutoblogGreen
Sounds to me like they’re employing the ‘ignorance is bliss’ approach to what may be a more effective way of going green.
The makers of a new book on the HUMMER H2 must not have read our “HUMMER doesn’t mean big” article, since they just came out with a book of huge proportions. The H2 book called “HUMMER H2 – King Size America” weighs in at a whopping 17 pounds, with pages that are 17×25 inches.
Bruno Miller of H2book.com says they didn’t want to simply produce another H2 book; “we wanted to create the ultimate book matching this unique car.” He explains the H2 book’s $1500 is steep, partly because of the weak U.S. Dollar (the book is sold out of the UK), and partly because of high production costs. “The book completely handmade in Germany – the bookbinding alone takes more than three hours,” says Miller.
Only 999 limited edition copies will be made of the book – and you can even have it customized with your name, VIN, or license plate. The photo below is of the H2 Book’s “Centerfold” on a real H2…nice.
Team HUMMER continued it’s dominance in production class off-road racing last weekend in the San Felipe 250. Lead by off-road racing legend Rod Hall, Team HUMMER took first and third in the stock-full class, and first in the stock-mini class.
The #861 HUMMER H2 SUT raced without competition most of the race, and only had to stop once for fuel, and once to remove needles from driver Josh Hall’s person and race suit. Josh drifted into some kind of dreadful-sounding Mexican spiny bush mid-race, and still managed to take first place. Not bad!
Team HUMMER’s complete release below: (more…)
Update: Autoblog is reporting hisstank.com’s info on the HUMMER HX appearing in the upcoming G.I. Joe movie is false. However, HUMMERs of some kind will be used.
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Paramount pictures, producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura, and toy-maker Hasbro were automotive product placement experts with the movie Transformers. Now that trio may be eyeing the HUMMER HX concept for their upcoming G.I Joe movie.
According to a G.I. Joe enthusiast forum hisstank.com, the HUMMER HX concept will be used in the film as either the patrol vehicle “Cougar” or an armored truck known as “Grizzly.”
General Motors may be using the movie to keep people’s interest in the HUMMER HX concept while engineers are back perfecting a similar HUMMER production vehicle. This approach is similar to what The General did with the Camaro in Transformers, which, by the way, is still not available. When the Camaro is finally available, you’ll be able to reminisce about the movie it was in several years prior. For HUMMER’s sake, I hope the timing is better with this product placement.
During the HUMMER H3T demonstration run in Moab this week, PickupTruck.com’s Mike Levine learned that the H3 family will be getting an upgraded base engine. GM’s 3.6L, flex-fuel V6 will replace the 3.7L in-line 5 cylinder as the standard HUMMER H3 engine. No specific timeline was given, but since HUMMER has declared an all-bio-fuel friendly lineup by 2010, we’re going with that model year!
HUMMER was also talking power-trains at the New York Auto Show this week — Autoblog helped confirm the North American HUMMER H3 will receive a diesel engine in the future. Martin Walsh hinted to us in Chicago that a diesel was destined for the U.S., and now we have further confirmation. An exact timeline wasn’t given, but we expect it model year 2011 or later - we’d LIKE it model year 2010!
Photo: PickupTruck.com
If being under constant surveillance by the FBI isn’t bad enough, now a HUMMER dealership in Omaha, Nebraska is being fined $100,000 by a state licensing board. The dealership was accused of falsifying over 200 vehicle titles. Under the agreement, the dealership does not have to admit guilt – just pay $100 grand. Sounds like the same thing – probably why the FBI and state police will continue to monitor the dealership. But is $100,000 really that much? Considering some of those Hummers had several thousands in defrauded rebates, multiplied by over 200? You do the math. The only reason why they were allowed to keep the dealership was since customers weren’t adversely affected.
The (near) production model of the HUMMER H3T pickup truck made its off-road debut earlier this week at Kane Creek in Moab, UT. The HUMMER H3T trail truck includes body colored grille, brush guard, roof marker lights, Hutchinson two-piece bead lock wheels, BFG MT tires, DiamondBack tonneau cover, and H3T bed slide.
A smart idea on any off-road trip is utilizing a buddy system, and the H3T was joined by one of HUMMER’s engineering H3s (seen below), equipped with a front e-locker; front 4″ Rancho lift and rear spring over conversion; and 35″ BFG MT KM2 tires.
Today HUMMER is running another Moab trail, Hell’s Revenge, with another engineering H3 Alpha – except this is no ordinary Alpha. Instead of a 5.3L V8, HUMMER engineers put a 6.2L V8 into the H3 – the same engine that powers the 2008 HUMMER H2! More on that excursion and vehicle to come.
If you happen to be in the Moab area this week, HUMMER will have a display downtown starting Thursday with the 2009 H3T pickup, and Rod Hall’s H3 stock-mini race truck. Rod Hall will also be around signing autographs.
In part 4, we wondered how long it would take the team at FourWheeler.com to get their project HUMMER H3 some new shoes. Apparently, about two weeks! Taking an idea from the HummerGuy.net playbook, Four Wheeler put some flat-black, powder-coated, simulated bead-lock wheels to the HUMMER H3. But they didn’t stop there – they also added some BFGoodrich all-terrain tires. Almost identical to what comes stock on the HUMMER H2, they’re a great all-around tire.
While the wheel wells were accessible, the team also added some remote-reservoir Rod Hall Racing shocks. The shocks give the vehicle an extra inch of travel, and are built a little stronger than the standard factory shocks.
What’s in store next is anyone’s guess – maybe a roof rack with some rally lights? Although, sometimes I forget that everyone else isn’t as obsessed with huge lights as I am.
