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Luxury carmakers make way more than just cars

Whether it's as simple as Ferrari offering model cars or as opulent as Bugatti with an $84,000-belt buckle, practically every automaker does more than just sell cars to keep their brands visible. The profits from these ventures might not be enough to keep the lights on, but in such a competitive industry, any extra cash is welcome. For the automakers that get licensing just right, there is a ton of profit to be made. According to a recent story examining the practice by The New York Times, Ferrari makes around $2.6 billion from merchandising each year, and General Motors tops that at $3.5 billion. Beyond just a profit center, merchandising can also protect an automaker's name. Take Hummer for example. The GM division shut down years ago, but it has continued to produce licensed cologne on sale around the world. "Because we still have the active fragrance, we're protecting the brand if we ever decide to bring it back," Gene Reamer, a GM licensing senior manager, told the Times. The whole piece is a fascinating look into this often ignored, but quite lucrative facet of the auto business. Read it for yourself, here. Related Video: News Source: The New York TimesImage Credit: Luca Bruno / AP Photo Design/Style Earnings/Financials Marketing/Advertising Read This Ferrari GM Hummer branding

Hummers are for Horses: Artist reimagines the monsterous SUV [w/video]

Horse-drawn Hummer H2 - Click above to view the video after the jump
When the internal combustion engine finally helped the automobile pass the horse-drawn carriage as the chosen method of transportation for a majority of citizens in the United States, that a step in the right direction. Right? Moving forward about a hundred years... when the behemoth Sport Utility Vehicle that never actually seems to venture off the beaten path passed the minivan in the hearts and minds of families across the country as the people-mover of choice, was that a step in the right direction?
If you answered no to either of the above questions, perhaps you'll enjoy the video pasted after the break. Created by artist Jeremy Dean (read about our initial post on the project here), the converted Hummer H2 is called Futurama and is pulled by two white horses named, appropriately enough, Duke and Diesel. Hummers are for horses? See for yourself.

Mil-Spec 006 Hummer H1 born into the darkness

Mil-Spec Automotive is up to build number six of its Hummer H1s, this one a customer commission for someone with the last name "Bane." This marks the halfway point in the Launch Edition series of 12 models that will run through to next year. Per customer request, the template started with Build 002, also a four-door slantback, but deviates in a few functional ways. That starts with the four-door slantback variant, but this one gets a much larger rear window. The Bold Body and Tire Package stretches horizontal footprint by eight inches, the bodywork by seven inches. Fender flares hulk over 20-inch gun-black rims wearing 38-inch Nitto Grappler tires. Build 006 shuns the executive interior package on Build 002, putting its cushiness on the outside with the Air-Ride Package. That installs eight-way adjustable shocks all around and automatic ride height adjustment. Sounds like the buyer could need it, since the newest unit also gets the 12K Package that ups GVWR to 12,000 pounds, with beefier axles, springs and braking. A 6.6-liter Duramax diesel sits beneath the $1,299 functional hood scoop, the oil-burner's output rated at 500 horsepower and 1,000 pound-feet of torque. And no road trip to Sonora or Medellin would be complete without a 12,000-pound Warn winch, lavish front brush guard and heavy duty rear step bumper, aluminum snorkel, 60-inch overhead light bar, and Paracord interior door handles. We'd think a locking front axle would be a given on this kind of rig, but apparently this H1 makes do with an ARB air locker on the rear. The brief for the design was "simple yet dramatic." Job done, we'd say, with Build 006 terrorizing the ground like black thunder. The price gets attention just as well: $295,039. This kind of drama doesn't come cheap. Featured Gallery Mil-Spec 006 Hummer H1 View 13 Photos News Source: Mil-Spec Automotive Hummer Truck Luxury Off-Road Vehicles Special and Limited Editions hummer h1