2006 Gmc 3500, 6.6l, Duramax Diesel, Automatic, Box Vehicle, Dealer Maintained on 2040-cars

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GMC could have used Jeep's prized grille design on its born-again Hummer

General Motors confirmed it's bringing the Hummer nameplate back on an electric, GMC-badged pickup by publishing a dark photo of its front end. The battery-powered drivetrain under the sheetmetal represents a tectonic shift, but we noticed another flagrant break with tradition: it wears six slot-like inserts instead of seven like on every previous Hummer and countless Jeeps. Adding an extra slot wouldn't have landed GMC in hot water. The seven-slot grille has historically been associated with Jeep, and the company proved it's willing to go to significant lengths to ensure another automaker — especially one it perceives as a rival — doesn't use it. Parent company Fiat-Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) bitterly sued Mahindra over the Roxor's design, including its five-slot grille, and won in 2019, forcing the Indian firm to unveil a redesigned side-by-side for the 2020 model year. And yet, stylists would have very likely been able to get away with it on the Hummer. While General Motors owns Hummer, the brand traces its ancestry to 1970, when American Motors Corporation (AMC) purchased Jeep from Kaiser and changed the name of its General Products Division to AM General Corp. The division manufactured the rear-wheel drive, CJ-based DJ for the United States Postal Service and began developing the Humvee in 1979. Jeep and AM General went their separate ways when Renault began investing in AMC. Foreign companies weren't allowed to own defense contractors, and AMC had more to gain by gradually selling out to Renault than by keeping AM General, so it divested the division to LTV Corporation in 1983. Humvee production started shortly after, but no one protested its seven-slot grille because there was no risk of it stealing sales from a comparable Jeep model. It was manufactured exclusively for the U.S. Army, and civilian sales weren't planned. H2SUV View 4 Photos The original civilian Hummer released in 1992 must have raised more than a few eyebrows but, here again, it didn't directly compete with one of Jeep's off-roaders, so no one complained. It was huge, correspondingly expensive, and its portal axles made the YJ-generation Wrangler wet its pants. It's the H2 concept (pictured above) unveiled at the 2000 Detroit Auto Show that set off alarm bells in Auburn Hills. DaimlerChrysler's lawyers counted the slots in the chrome-plated insert that dominated its front end and shuddered when they reached seven.

GM exploring ways to raise half-ton Duramax diesel tow rating

Lots of truck owners cheered when GM announced fuel economy numbers for the 2020 Chevrolet Silverado with the 3.0-liter Duramax diesel inline-six. Even after Ram let loose its EPA mileage ratings for the 2020 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel, the Chevy oil-burner still took the trophy. The victory was years in the making, GM engineers spending an entire four-year development cycle refining the LM2 Duramax to increase mileage. The tradeoff, as well all know by now, is towing; the Duramax in half-ton duty pulls a maximum 9,300 pounds in the Silverado. Rivals across town can do more, the Ford F-150 PowerStroke rated at 11,500, the Ram 1500 EcoDiesel game to pull 12,560. GM engineer John Barta told Muscle Cars & Trucks that more hauling chops could be on the way, explaining, "We’re actually looking at upgrading some of the materials around (the engine bay) to see if we can maybe raise our tow rating." Engine bay materials are at issue due to thermal complexities underhood. John Barta, GM's assistant chief engineer of diesel engine controls, said the Duramax's inline-six configuration allowed engineers to get emissions hardware like the combined selective catalytic reduction, diesel oxidation catalysts, and diesel particulate filter unit closer to the engine, where it heats up quicker, getting emissions down quicker. But that filter puts another heat source in those confines, enforcing a cap on the tow rating to keep the engine and other systems from overheating. "If you look under the hood," he said, "youÂ’ll see a significant amount of silver ‘moon tapeÂ’ around to make sure things arenÂ’t getting overheatedÂ… if we were to go up in higher towing, which we can, we start impacting the possibility of deteriorating some of the components.” There isn't much space for more grille, so swapping for a better grade of "moon tape" or a different kind of material could reduce engine bay heat, extracting a higher tow rating in the process.  It's important to note a point Barta's been making for months about the Duramax figures, though. "Even though itÂ’s nice to brag about big numbers, in reality, light duty customers are not towing that large with their trucks," and, "We do know that (95 percent) of our light duty customers donÂ’t tow over 9,000 pounds." On our First Drive of the 2020 Silverado diesel we called out the tow rating, but emphasized that the Chevy and GMC have more important challenges to overcome.

Hummer EV range listed at 334 miles in MyChevrolet app

Forums of late have been cracking for interesting news, the Hummer Chat forum next in line to keep us intrigued. When member BahamaTodd updated his MyChevrolet app to version 5.7.0, he clicked through to the Energy Assist page and found three GM electric vehicles listed, plus their estimated range figures on a 100% charge. One was the 2022 Chevrolet Bolt, rated for 259 miles, the second was the 2022 Chevy Bolt EUV, rated for 247 miles. The third was an unexpected entry, being the 2022 GMC Hummer EV pickup, listed as able to go 334 miles on a full charge. When BahamaTodd clicked on the Hummer, a map appeared with a dotted line outlining the entire geographical area available to him based on his current location. The figures for both Bolts are the official EPA estimates. The mileage figure for the Hummer is a mystery, as is why it's popped up here in the MyChevrolet app instead of the MyGMC app. The EPA hasn't certified the 2022 Hummer yet, so that's not the source. On the other hand, a little more than a week ago, GM said the Hummer EV could go 350 miles or more based on the automaker's estimates. We assumed GM was referring to the Hummer Edition 1, the sold-out launch model which will be the only trim produced for the 2022 model year, fitted with three electric motors making a combined 1,000 horsepower. The first and safest assumption is that the app data is placeholder information, not intended to be spread on the Internet and dissected. If it does apply to a Hummer EV, it could denote a specific trim or options. The Edition 1 will be available with street tires. It's perfectly reasonable to believe the chunky, 35-inch knobblies that shown in all the press materials could eat up 16 miles or so of range, about a 4.8% loss. Or GM's range estimate could have been meant for one of the future Hummer EV variants, like the slightly less-powerful tri-motor EV3X with 800 hp, the 625-hp dual-motor EV2X, and the base, 625-hp dual-motor EV2. With pre-production of the Edition 1 slated to begin at GM's Factory Zero any day now, answers shouldn't be long in coming.  Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.