The Hummer name is possible best known for its H1 model that has been used for many a military application in its time. This huge and rugged vehicle was also offered to the public, but with its massive size and huge price tag to match, there were very few who could enjoy this luxury SUV. The new H2 from GM is trying to make the Hummer a much more readily available and affordable version of the Hummer to the public.

The H3 is the third iteration of the original Hummer and each new model is more compact and cheaper. When GM took over the Hummer brand name they wanted to keep the style of the Hummer and still make it affordable to more people, so the smaller they go the cheaper it becomes. This Hummer is build on the standard GM midsized truck chassis and does offer some fairly powerful off-road options.

This February, following nine months of discussion between General Motors and China's Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machinery Company, negotiations to sell the Hummer brand collapsed. Even though other potential suitors were rumored, GM has halted its H3 assembly line in Louisiana and begun winding down Hummer retail operations. Desert Storm's poster child and the vehicle that Arnold Schwarzenegger personally help turn into every sportsman's dream machine has expired.

What if a Hummer suddenly became one of the greenest cars on the planet? This could happen given the right scenario, and two companies are attempting to align stars and planets to make it happen.

GAME OVER.
After almost half a century of fighting battles, America's Big Three - the Moderately Large Three, if you prefer - have at long last lost the war. Yes, it's official. From this day forward, fuel economy matters. From now on, judicious use of fossil fuels trumps road-hugging weight. Too bad Detroit carmakers weren't prepared. They only had fifty years to get ready.

With gasoline surging toward $4 per gallon and massive SUVs falling massively out of favor, it would seem that GM's Hummer division would be entering the autumn of its years. But according to J. D. Power and Associates, the brand captures and retains owners better than most, so it's worth nurturing. The trick is making hugeness less of a calling card - a process that started with the demise of the H1 - but preserving extreme off-road ability. As anyone who has done any serious off-roading can attest, size is your enemy on the trail, so a smaller but still off-road-ready Hummer, perhaps like the HX concept (below), makes perfect sense. The HX gives us a good look at the upcoming H4, and if that new entry has all the off-road gear of the show car, it'll be a strong addition to the lineup. The HX sports full-time four-wheel drive (naturally) with locking front and rear differentials, 35-inch tires, a 3.6-liter direct-injected V-6, and an electronically disconnectable front antiroll bar - not to mention that unmistakable blocky styling.

GM is swerving away from trucks and SUVs, its long-time profit mainstays, and toward small cars; it also may sell its Hummer division. High energy prices have altered the U.S auto market, and chairman Rick Wagoner characterizes the changes as "long-term and permanent."

You'll never hear auto writers complain that a Lotus Elise can't ford a two-foot-deep creek or climb a 60-percent grade, so why persist in deriding the lackluster on-pavement performance of off-road-focused SUVs and trucks? Probably because, image aside, most of these rough riders never meet anything more challenging than a heavy rainstorm or a gravel driveway. That includes General Motors' megamacho Hummers. Nonetheless, just as Lotus always conducts its press launches at racetracks, Hummer chose the rocky trails of Moab, Utah, for the first drive of its new four-door pickup, the H3T.

Throughout its short history, the H3 SUV has had dreams of being a truck. Hummer first showed a concept for a smaller offering at the 2004 Los Angeles auto show - a two-door pickup dubbed H3T. In 2006 the brand borrowed the Chevy Colorado/GMC Canyon truck chassis to underpin the H3 SUV. Now, in a crazy automotive circle of life, the truck-based SUV will spawn an actual pickup truck.

Hummer has now given us a look at the HX concept ahead of its unveiling at January's 2008 North American International Auto Show. The HX is a look at the brand's next step, a two-door, four-passenger open-air SUV smaller than the H3.

Arguably, most Hummer owners have no idea what their vehicle is really capable of. It's no big secret that many buyers of these squared-off suburban tanks do so for one primary reason: status. The Hummer's status-symbol status no doubt comes from its off-road ability, but you can bet the majority of them have no plans to ever leave the smooth pavement to go rough-riding in the hills. The truth is, it just feels cool to tool around town behind the wheel of one of these things. After all, a Hummer is pretty much as exotic as an SUV gets.

Hummers are an icon. Their buyers see them as a symbol of strength, freedom, and the American way - others think they're wasteful road-hogging monstrosities. Whatever side you are on, the new Hummers aren't likely to change your mind.

Since the day it was released (and even before for some prophetic pundits) the H3's worst quality has been that it could lose a race to Rosie O'Donnell riding a turtle. Who knew that a 220-hp compact pickup engine would seem sluggish in a 4700-pound SUV? Anyway, Hummer engineers have remedied the baby Hummer's biggest problem by dropping in a Chevy Silverado V-8 and calling the resulting monster the H3 Alpha. That engine is a 295 hp, 5.3-liter unit with an aluminum block. A high torque rating--317 lb-ft--allows the four-speed automatic H3 Alpha to tow up to 6000 pounds. The H3 has always been smaller and more maneuverable off-road than its big brother, but now it's a better vehicle on road, too.

Since the day it was released (and even before for some prophetic pundits) the H3's worst quality has been that it could lose a race to Rosie O'Donnell riding a turtle. Who knew that a 220-hp compact pickup engine would seem sluggish in a 4700-pound SUV? Anyway, Hummer engineers have remedied the baby Hummer's biggest problem by dropping in a Chevy Silverado V-8 and calling the resulting monster the H3 Alpha. That engine is a 295 hp, 5.3-liter V-8 with an aluminum block. A high torque rating--317 lb-ft--allows the four-speed automatic H3 Alpha to tow up to 6000 pounds.

Since the day it was released (and even before for some prophetic pundits) the H3's worst quality has been that it could lose a race to Rosie O'Donnell riding a turtle. Who knew that a 220-hp compact pickup engine would seem sluggish in a 4700-pound SUV? Anyway, Hummer engineers have remedied the baby Hummer's biggest problem by dropping in a Chevy Silverado V-8 and calling the resulting monster the H3 Alpha. That engine is a 295 hp, 5.3-liter V-8 with an aluminum block. A high torque rating--317 lb-ft--allows the four-speed automatic H3 Alpha to tow up to 6000 pounds.

It's been more than a year since the new Chevrolet, GMC, and Cadillac family of large SUVs was revealed, and now Hummer is playing catch up. While it may not look it from the outside--only a few details at the front have been changed--the H2 has been completely revamped for 2008. A twenty-percent horsepower increase comes courtesy of the Cadillac Escalade's 6.2-liter aluminum V-8. Here, it's good for 393 hp and 415 lb-ft of torque. The big Caddy's six-speed automatic is also carried over, and the combination makes this, in Hummer general manager Martin Walsh's words, "one of those rare instances where enhanced performance is matched with improved efficiency." Funny, we thought that was called "engineering." Towing capacity is also up 1,500 pounds, meaning that the H2 can now tow 8,000 pounds.

It's been more than a year since the new Chevrolet, GMC, and Cadillac family of large SUVs was revealed, and now Hummer is playing catch up. While it may not look it from the outside--only a few details at the front have been changed--the H2 has been completely revamped for 2008. A twenty-percent horsepower increase comes courtesy of the Cadillac Escalade's 6.2-liter aluminum V-8. Here, it's good for 393 hp and 415 lb-ft of torque. The big Caddy's six-speed automatic is also carried over, and the combination makes this, in Hummer general manager Martin Walsh's words, "one of those rare instances where enhanced performance is matched with improved efficiency." Funny, we thought that was called "engineering." Towing capacity is also up 1,500 pounds, meaning that the H2 can now tow 8,000 pounds.

For the five or so people who care, Hummer is releasing another special edition H2 in the vein of its Pacific Blue and the Fusion Orange models from 2006. The 2007 H2 Victory Red edition includes body-color moldings, a roof-mounted light bar, and more bling than Lil' Jon's mouth and neck. Inside, the cabin is decked out in faux carbon fiber trim. This H2 also has a heated windshield wiper system and a rear-seat DVD system with two headrest-mounted screens. The most exciting feature-bear with us now-is a rear-vision camera system with a 3.5-inch screen housed conveniently in the rearview mirror. The handy mirror is in the driver's natural line of sight and slides out of the way when the truck isn't in reverse.

Oversized sunroofs and panorama glass have become commonplace in the SUV market, but this Hummer H3 takes that concept one step further. It features a full-length retractable cloth roof created by aftermarket company ASC. Called "Infinivu," the roof should be enough to brighten up the otherwise cave-like interior of the H3 for your next safari adventure. Because this vehicle was first seen at the SEMA show in Las Vegas this past November, GM also tarted up the exterior with twenty-inch wheels and meaty Mickey Thompson tires. There's no word on whether Hummer will offer this special roof straight from the factory, but ASC would be glad to build you one if the price is right.

Director: Frank Saucedo

The H3's available oversized sunroof was removed and replaced with an even bigger fabric roof on this 2006 SEMA concept. It's supposed to give passengers a safari experience, though we're guessing the only jungle most H3s see is the urban one. The Open Top concept also has twenty-inch wheels and a host of Hummer accessories that are available at dealers, including black chrome accents, DVD rear-seat headrests, a cat-back touring exhaust, and extra exterior lighting.

A two-door H3 with a bed, this truck would boast excellent off-road capability and offer a practical cargo area when it goes on sale in 2009. After the loss of the H1, Hummer is desperate to expand its lineup beyond the H2 and the H3. A pickup serves as a good place to start branching out.

With king-size SUVs debuting on the General Motors stand (Chevy Tahoe and Suburban, GMC Yukon, and Cadillac Escalade), it's surprising to see GM's Hummer division with nothing but some gaudy trim packages.