Autoblog Canada

Top 10 Strange Rides of Barrett-Jackson Palm Beach 2013

Justin Mastine-Frost — Sun, 14 Apr 2013 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Bentley, Aftermarket, Car Buying, Celebrities, Classics, Ford, Hummer, USA, Humour, Event Alret, Concept Cars, Specialty, Performance

Of all the Barrett-Jackson auction events that occur throughout the year, Palm Beach is easily the most peculiar of the bunch. Scottsdale is always more geared towards classics and charity cars, Vegas always brings out good hot rods, but Palm Beach consistently rolls out a certain kind of strangeness alongside the expected '69 Mustangs and Camaros.

Just to keep it interesting, we took a dig through the docket from last week's Palm Beach auction, and sure enough there were plenty of cars on the list that left us scratching our heads and wondering what poor soul shelled out the cash to bring these ugly ducklings home.

Click on our gallery to see our top 10 list of strangest vehicles sold at Barrett-Jackson Palm Beach 2013, then click through to watch a video covering the 2013 Barret-Jackson.

Gallery: Auction Cars: Barrett-Jackson 2013

Continue reading Top 10 Strange Rides of Barrett-Jackson Palm Beach 2013

Top 10 Strange Rides of Barrett-Jackson Palm Beach 2013 originally appeared on Autoblog Canada on Sun, 14 Apr 2013 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Electric mini Hummer tempts motoring ironists

Zach Bowman — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 16:30:00 EST

Filed under: Electric, Hybrid, Aftermarket, Hummer, UK, Technology, SUV

There's good news for you if you're still lamenting the loss of Hummer. UK-based customizer Prindiville will gladly whip you up a new officially-licensed, pint-sized version of General Motors' fuel-thirsty off roader.

This machine doesn't get its power from a heady V8, though. Instead, the company built the baby hummer as a plug-in hybrid with a 96 kilometre range. Using a 72-volt driveline coupled to an as-yet named internal combustion engine and a set of lithium-ion batteries, the Electric Hummer can whir around town on the buyer's choice of either 15 or 18-inch wheels. The driver gets to enjoy a set of full-LCD gauges to help keep an eye on remaining power, and a Pioneer head unit supplies passengers with tunes.

Prindiville currently plans to turn out 25 examples of the Electric Hummer, each with a price tag of roughly CAD$40,000. Still, something tells us that if the machines turn out to be wildly popular, there won't be anything stopping the company from turning out a few more. Head over to the Prindiville website for more information.

News Source: Prindiville via Wired

Electric mini Hummer tempts motoring ironists originally appeared on Autoblog Canada on Mon, 10 Sep 2012 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

AM General ready to offer civilian Humvee kit car

George Kennedy — Thu, 02 Aug 2012 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Diesel, Military, Off-Road, Hummer, Truck, SUV

For anyone feeling nostalgic about the passing of the Hummer brand, or the actual wartime vehicle that inspired it, now is your chance to own a version of the original HMMWV, albeit without an engine.

After a 12-year hiatus from the civilian vehicle market, AM General is reportedly set to offer a kit-car of the C-Series Humvee. The kit will conform to U.S. government regulations and has been made possible by a deal with General Motors.

The kit costs US$59,000 - and you still need an engine. A likely favorite would be a Duramax Diesel V8 and Allison transmission combination, as was found on the H1 Alpha. AM General estimates that an owner could buy the kit Humvee and outfit a powerplant and transmission for US$75,000. Not bad, considering that H1 Alpha had an MSRP of US$140,000 in 2005.

How is this possible? If you recall, GM was trying to unload the Hummer brand to Chinese-based Sichuan-Tengzhong, among other suitors. As we all know, a deal never happened and the brand rumbled off into the sunset. The deal with AM General worked so that the military Humvee producer could offer a vehicle to the public as long as it was fundamentally different from the H1. By offering a kit car, they apparently end-around much of the legal confines.

But that also means are other setbacks. The final product will not look like the civilian Hummer H1, and it will not have niceties like interior trim, power locks, door mounted mirrors, or even hard doors. It will simply be a four-seat, soft-top, soft door vehicle. AM General will offer 'add-on' factory options such as the Central Tire Inflation System, rocker protection, and potentially two-piece beadlock wheels.

As the story over at Hummer Guy puts it, "just remember - its a Humvee, not a Hummer."

Click here for a video tour of the Humvee refurbishment workshop in Limestone Maine.

News Source: Hummer Guy

Image Credit: AM General

Gallery: U.S. Army HMMWV (Humvee)

Continue reading AM General ready to offer civilian Humvee kit car

AM General ready to offer civilian Humvee kit car originally appeared on Autoblog Canada on Thu, 02 Aug 2012 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Automakers tussle over owners of 'orphan' makes

Autoblog — Thu, 10 May 2012 08:29:00 EST

Filed under: Budget, Luxury, Coupe, Crossover, Car Buying, Classics, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Ford, GM, GMC, Honda, Hummer, Lincoln, Mercury, Pontiac, Saturn, USA, Marketing/Advertising, SUV, Sedan, New Cars

When General Motors put down several of its brands in recent years, it also let loose thousands of brand-loyal customers who will eventually need another car.

R.L. Polk Associates estimates there are more than 18 million cars from 16 discontinued makes on the road today. Those "orphan owners" have sales-hungry competitors seeing dollar signs. GM in the US is offering Saturn owners US$1,000 cash toward a Chevy Cruze, Cadillac CTS or a GMC Acadia. Ford is giving its Mercury lease customers a chance to get out of their contracts with no early-termination penalty and offering to waive six remaining payments if they drive off in a Ford or Lincoln.

Edmunds.com research shows the efforts are paying off somewhat for GM, with 39 percent of Pontiac owners, 37 percent of Hummer owners and 31 percent of Saturn owners taking delivery of another GM-branded vehicle. But that leaves as much as 69 percent of owners going elsewhere. Ford, Honda and Toyota seem to be attracting many former GM owners.

As Forbes points out, if you're driving an orphaned nameplate, you just might be able to use that to your advantage when shopping for a new vehicle.

News Source: Forbes

Image Credit: Copyright 2012 AOL

Continue reading Automakers tussle over owners of 'orphan' makes

Automakers tussle over owners of 'orphan' makes originally appeared on Autoblog Canada on Thu, 10 May 2012 08:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

"Old GM" quietly dead and buried

Chris Paukert — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 17:30:00 EST

Filed under: Canada, Buick, Chevrolet, GM, GMC, Hummer, Pontiac, Saab, Saturn, USA, Government/Legal, Earnings/Financials

After 103 years of stratospheric heights and immeasurable lows, General Motors Corp. has died. Motors Liquidation Co., or "Old GM," as it became known during the 2009 bankruptcy reorganization, was quietly dissolved on Thursday, Dec. 15, taking the company's bad debts and liabilities along with it.

The dissolution leaves the newly formed General Motors. Co. to live on as the company's fitter and better-financed replacement. The latter, as you'll recall, benefited from a massive government bailout of nearly US$50 billion and the ability to restructure contracts with its suppliers, dealership bodies and unions. The surprisingly expedient reorganization saw GM shed its Hummer, Pontiac and Saturn nameplates, along with Swedish automaker Saab (whose own efforts to find footing as an independent automaker sputtered into bankruptcy earlier today.) A far healthier company today, "New GM" is turning a profit with just four North American nameplates - Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet and GMC... and it's enjoying a newfound run of competitiveness.

For a quick refresher on the history of Old GM, check out a eulogy of sorts on The Detroit News.

News Source: The Detroit News

Image Source: Bill Pugliano/Getty

"Old GM" quietly dead and buried originally appeared on Autoblog Canada on Mon, 19 Dec 2011 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Humvee reborn on the battlefield... with a chimney?!

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 09:28:00 EST

Filed under: Military, Hummer, Technology, Government/Legal, Design/Style

The military's High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV), better known to most of us as the Humvee, has already served a long and distinguished career in the battlefield, and there have been a number of replacements waiting in the wings to take over where the HMMWV left off. Or, should we say, leaves off... assuming that ever happens.

It seems that the Humvee is set to get a new lease on life as military budget constraints are forcing the government to reconsider its replacement. But there are still some pesky safety issues to work out before American soldiers will feel comfortable inside the confines of the off-road box on wheels.

As you're likely aware, improvised explosive devices are an ever-increasing threat to the lives of American troops serving overseas. The Humvee, which traces its design all the way back to the year 1984 when it first saw duty as a replacement for the long-running series of military Jeeps, has seen a number of incarnations over the years that added armor and improved safety, but the latest version may feature something hitherto unseen: a chimney.

No, not a chimney like the one that peeks out of your house. This chimney, along with a V-shaped hull, serves to channel explosive forces up and away from the occupants inside. The structure of the chimney also serves to reinforce the vehicle, connecting its floor with its roof. Other advancements include a new set of doors that open up like barn doors, seats designed to absorb shocks and a sling that promises to lower the gunner into the vehicle in the event of a blast.

Read more about the vehicle here, and be sure to scroll down for the illustration.

News Source: Car and Driver

Humvee reborn on the battlefield... with a chimney?! originally appeared on Autoblog Canada on Fri, 09 Dec 2011 09:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Architects design home made entirely of busted Hummers

Jeff Glucker — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 14:29:00 EST

Filed under: GM, Hummer, Technology, SUV

Architects Craig Hodges and HsinMing Fung joined forces in 1984 to create their agency HplusF. Since then, the pair have gone on to apply their stylistic skill to the UCLA library, Hollywood Bowl, Egyptian Theater and a number of other works of architectural art. HplusF also tackles unique installations and showpieces, one of which involves the now-departed Hummer brand.

What could easily be a luxury apartment in the video game Fallout 3 is in fact HplusF's HummerHaus. Eight identical Hummer body shells wrap around a a steel skeleton to form a living space like no other.

Of course, this is merely a concept, but it's a rather interesting one. Could old vehicles be rehabbed into affordable living spaces? Could the Hummer body have a new lease on life after it was cut from the General Motors family?

Check out the gallery below to see how HplusF lays out its HummerHaus.

Gallery: Architect's Hummer Home Concept

News Source: dornob

Architects design home made entirely of busted Hummers originally appeared on Autoblog Canada on Tue, 26 Jul 2011 14:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

MEV rocks up with electric mini Hummer HX

Aaron Richardson — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 08:57:00 EST

Filed under: Electric, Hummer, Videos, Concept Cars

2011 MEV Hummer HX - Click above to watch the video after the jump

The 2008 Hummer HX concept was supposed to be General Motors' answer to the Jeep Wrangler. To put it mildly, that failed to materialize. General Motors killed Hummer as part of its bankruptcy-induced limb severing in 2009, before the HX could be brought to fruition as the H4, as had been rumored.

For those of you who wish the HX had indeed surfaced, we have some excellent news: My Electric Vehicle, or MEV, has appropriated the HX concept, added an electric drivetrain and created the MEV Hummer HX. The MEV HX is a fully electric ~~golf cart~~ resort vehicle, licensed by GM and sporting Hummer wheels and skid plates.

We're still trying to figure out if the MEV Hummer HX has any practical purpose, which could take some time. While we're doing that, feel free to hop the jump to see a video of the U.S. $16,000 electric Hummer knockoff in action.

Continue reading MEV rocks up with electric mini Hummer HX

MEV rocks up with electric mini Hummer HX originally appeared on Autoblog Canada on Tue, 07 Jun 2011 08:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Must-read stories: Driving on ice and the ugliest cars ever

Renee Sylvestre-Williams — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 15:17:00 EST

Filed under: Chrysler, Hummer, Toyota, Design/Style

Ice, Ice, Baby

Let's start this post with a courtesy throw on how not to drive on ice. This article from Fox 4 News gives you all the information you need to drive safely. Yes, it's aimed at Texans which is slightly hilarious but even Canadians, who are supposed to be used to driving on snow and ice, can learn something.

Nothing Funny about This

The massive winter storm that dumped snow on New York frustrated many New Yorkers who couldn't get home or to work. Huffington Post reports that a man who killed himself in his car wasn't found for a week because the car was buried under snow.

Continue reading Must-read stories: Driving on ice and the ugliest cars ever

Must-read stories: Driving on ice and the ugliest cars ever originally appeared on Autoblog Canada on Wed, 02 Feb 2011 15:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

2009 Hummer H3 Alpha

Autoblog — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 16:25:00 EST

Filed under: Hummer, Reviews, SUV

A Whole New Era for Hummer?

Think back about a decade ago and honestly tell me whether or not you considered Hummer one of the top ten coolest new vehicle brands. For some, it would have ranked number one. How far the mighty have fallen.

It didn't seem like long after the Gulf War ended that Arnold Schwarzenegger showed up in Times Square driving a prototype H2 as part of a New York auto show publicity stunt. It worked, and GM's Hummer division was born amid more glitz and fanfare than any new brand I can remember had previously enjoyed... but the party didn't last very long.

Schwarzenegger might literally rule Hollywood now, as California's governator, but it's activist actors such as Tim Robbins rolling up to the Grammy's red (er.... green) carpet in Prius hybrids that run the agenda, and Hummer has decidedly become uncool. Of course, there are those that find Robbins' constant environmental vigilance about as cool as Martha Stewart eschewing her mother's tollhouse cookie recipe, and for these people there are Hummers available for the literal taking, or almost.

The H3 was Hummer's foray into the great unwashed masses, an SUV designed to appeal to the slightly less fortunate as its starting price point was much lower than the H2. Designed with even more muscular haunches than its larger stable mate, it was an immediate success when launched in the summer of 2005 as a 2006 model. Then two years later, after some complaints about a lack of grunt from its 3.5L five-cylinder mill, which initially only put out 220hp and 225 lb-ft of torque, Hummer upped the ante to 3.7L for 239hp and 241 lb-ft. It made all the difference, or at least almost all the difference. That same year Hummer introduced the H3 Alpha, a 5.3L V8-powered variation on the theme that took the H3 into a loftier realm with 300hp and 320 lb-ft of torque, but in case you're wondering it doesn't include GM's fuel-saving cylinder deactivation system, dubbed Active Fuel Management, because the H3's poor aerodynamics don't let the motor stay in four-cylinder mode long enough to make it worthwhile. C'est la vie.

A modest right foot could yield 18 L/100 km (13 US mpg) in the city and 15 (16 US mpg) on the highway, with a combined average of 17 L/100 km (14 US mpg), which is one of the main reasons why GM is saying arrivederci to the Hummer brand. Even H3-lite only bests this by a fraction at 17 L/100 km (14 US mpg) in the city and 13 (18 US mpg) on the highway, with a combined average of 16 L/100 km (15 US mpg). Hummer was talking about a new small-block diesel offering during the H3 Alpha launch I attended in Durango, Colorado a couple of years ago, but sadly this have yet to materialize for reasons that shouldn't need explanation.

During that launch program, where we drove from Durango to Aztec, New Mexico for a day of seriously intense off-roading, I gained a new respect for GM-designed Hummers in general and the H3 Alpha in particular. Truly, if you need an off-roader that can take you deep into uncharted territory, the H3 is up for the job. Its features ultra-short overhangs for an optimal approach angle of 39.4 degrees and a departure angle of 36.5 degrees (with the 33-inch tires), and vaulted ground clearance of 231 mm (9.1 inches) as well as a shorter wheelbase than the H2 at 2,842 mm (111.9 inches), making for a 25.0-degree breakover angle, so it won't hang up on rocks or stumps jutting out of the roadway... er, trail.

A trail would have been nice, but rather I found myself scaling vertical "cliffs" that I would never have dreamed of attempting without the coaxing of event staff that had obviously made certain the baby Hummer was up to the job before we arrived, and I left breathless. Breathless also from the temperature which measured 48C at midday, making me wish there was 610 mm (24 inches) of water to ford through (its maximum) so I could have taken a personal dip. This time around I didn't spend any time off-road, as opportunity did not allow, but as it turns out the H3 Alpha makes a great everyday vehicle as well.

Its modest size offers good room inside for four adults or five in a pinch, while there's still space left over for gear in back. Interior quality was great, for Hummer at least, as the original H1 was quite deplorable (albeit good as far as troop carriers go) and the first H2 offered great style but plastics quality and fit and finish that reflected the pickup truck it was based on (since upgraded to premium levels in MY 2008, btw). The H3's centre stack is especially attractive and well made while switchgear is good and plastic surfaces are nicely textured. The SUV features three auxiliary 12-volt power outlets, OnStar with Turn-by-Turn Navigation, and the usual luxury goodies such as leather in Alpha trim, plus for 2009 there's Bluetooth hands-free connectivity, a rearview camera integrated into the rearview mirror (a smart place for it), hill start assist and a front locking differential added to the Off-Road Adventure Package. I should also mention that the seats are supportive, and sizeable enough for larger adults.

Safety features include two airbags up front, of course, plus head-curtain side airbags for all window seats, as well as a tire pressure monitoring system. Also important, GM has engineered vehicle-to-vehicle crash compatibility so that occupants of smaller, lower vehicles will be protected from impact as much as possible in case of an accident. It's always good to respect that this vehicle is truck-based, so that that you don't have to experience the H3's myriad safety features.

In other words, don't expect the H3 to excite in the corners, unless body lean is what gets you excited. Certainly it handles well enough for a body-on-frame SUV and better than the H2, but it has been designed primarily for city and highway use at moderate speeds, plus fully capable towing, up to 2,721 kg (6,000 lbs), and 4x4ing... in other words, if you want to fling an SUV through the corners, opt for one of GM's numerous crossovers and don't expect it to deliver off-road, not something born off the back of a pickup truck. Speaking of pickup trucks, you may also want to consider the all-new H3T, a midsize pickup that features a four-door Crew Cab configuration plus a 1.5-metre (five-foot) bed. It looks great too, if you're into Hummers.

Yes, it will certainly be interesting to look back at the H3 and Hummer on the whole ten years from now. We found out early last month that Hummer will indeed continue to be available to the public in future years (something we were concerned about after GM announced that it, along with Pontiac, Saturn and Saab would get the heave-ho) and not just the military, thanks to a deal struck with Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machinery Company Ltd, a Chinese industrial company. GM will continue to build H2s and H3s in their various forms for the time being, and current Hummer management will stay in place. Just how the new owners will modify the brand to make it more appealing to a changing market is unknown. Hollywood has certainly eaten it up and spit it out like it does to many of its rising stars, but there are other global markets that will appreciate Hummer for what it is, without the negative brand image brought about by environmentalists looking for an automotive scapegoat to hang all of the world's air quality problems on. Speaking as an automotive enthusiast, here's hoping that Hummer becomes a viable SUV alternative, and one that potentially takes care of its fuel economy and environmental challenges with clean diesel technology.

As for the here an now, the 2009 H3 Alpha is definitely the best midsize Hummer ever offered. No doubt it will deliver years of faithful service and look good doing it. And you'll only have to fend off the occasional negative leer from hybrid driving do-gooders. Then again, if you're the kind of person who wants an H3, you'll hardly care what they think anyway.

2009 Hummer H3 Alpha originally appeared on Autoblog Canada on Thu, 01 Jan 2009 16:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments