2009 Gmc Sierra Denali Crew Leather Sunroof Nav 39k Mi Texas Direct Auto on 2040-cars

Auto blog

GMC shows how the 2022 Hummer could have looked even more futuristic

Excitement filled the room when GMC asked its designers to resurrect the Hummer in April 2019, but a tinge of uneasiness permeated the department after executives locked in an early 2020 unveiling date. Luckily, stylists knew what they wanted early on in the development phase, and preliminary design sketches give us a fascinating look at how they shaped the electric off-roader that ended up making its global debut online in October 2020. Hummer, the brand, unceremoniously shut down in 2010 after General Motors failed to sell it to the Chinese, but its design DNA was so strong that stylists were able to pick up where their predecessors left off. All of the sketches published on Instagram by the official General Motors Design account show a boxy truck with a tall front end, a short windshield, and a generous amount of ground clearance. These styling cues trace their roots to the AM General Humvee that entered production in 1984 and made its combat debut when the United States invaded Panama in 1989. Even the wildest drawings still depict a pickup that's immediately recognizable as a Hummer. Most of the early design sketches wear some variation of the seven-slot grille that characterized Hummer's production models; it's a styling cue that hints at a heritage shared with Jeep under the American Motors Corporation (AMC) umbrella. Oddly, none wear the round headlights seen on the H2, the H3, and the HX concept that nearly became the H4. Was GMC afraid that its Hummer would end up looking too much like a Jeep? And, at least one sketch shows a fold-down windshield, a feature that will not make it to the assembly line. Sketches never reach production without modifications made in the name of packaging and safety concerns, and the Hummer is no exception, but stylists did a good job of reinventing the brand's design language without copying or erasing the past. If the company had stuck around long enough to make a second- and a third-generation H2, odds are it would look a lot like the GMC-branded model that will enter production in a year. GMC remains on track to start 2022 Hummer deliveries in late 2021, though it told Green Car Reports that it still hasn't built a fully functional prototype yet. When it arrives, this outdoorsy pickup will land in a burgeoning segment of the truck market that numerous models (including the Rivian R1T and Ford's electric F-150) will also call home.

GMC Safari GT, a rad-era hauler with custom-van swagger

The GMC Safari van, along with its Chevy Astro sibling, performed yeoman service ferrying passengers and hauling cargo for two decades starting in 1985. But one special variant, the Safari GT — and, at Chevrolet, the Astro RS — added an unexpected dollop of swagger. Those vans had a custom look that was straight out of the '70s "sin bin" era. One of those Safari GTs is up for grabs right now, fittingly, on the RADforsale auction site. The option package at both GMC and Chevrolet was coded BYP, the GT Sport Package, and it appears to have been offered from 1990 to 1994. Its defining element was the two-tone paint treatment shown here, with black on the lower body and the greenhouse, and your choice of white, silver, blue, gold, or red as the main body color. Blanked out rear quarter windows and "simulated air exhaust louvers" behind the middle side windows added a further bit of style (long-wheelbase XT versions skipped that flourish). Also included were a front air dam, blacked-out grille, aluminum rally wheels, and a sport suspension. This 1991 Safari GT appears to have been further sportified with a lower-body aero kit, a rooftop spoiler, and aftermarket wheels. This rear-wheel-drive, standard-wheelbase model is powered by a 4.3-liter V6 hooked to a four-speed automatic transmission. It has traveled a relatively low 126,000 miles and looks to be in exceptionally good shape — particularly given that most of these vans lived a hard life. At this writing, bidding stands at $5,100 with bidding to end May 21. That suggests this Astro GT will bring a strong price — but if you want one, you may be hard-pressed to find another.

Next-gen GM SUVs caught wearing new boxy bodies [w/video]

We recently drove the brand-new 2014 Chevrolet Silverado and found it to be vastly improved compared to the outgoing model. And now that The General's pickup trucks have been squared away, it's time to focus our attention onto their passenger-friendly companions, the Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon (above).
Our spy photographers have passed along a huge smattering of photos (and a video), showing the new SUVs out testing. Both the short- and long-wheelbase models were spied, and while the overall shape of the vehicles hasn't changed all that much, we expect the updates to be substantial. In addition to new powertrain options, like GM's new small-block V8, we expect the interiors of both SUVs to get massive makeovers, providing better materials throughout their cabins and quieter, more refined environments. We even hear that some trick new suspension developments may be in store for upper-end models.
Visually, these spy shots allow us to see a couple of new details on the SUVs' front and rear fascias, including LED running lamps on the Yukon and some interesting LED taillamp treatments. Of course, the obvious third party missing from this set of photos is the Cadillac Escalade, but as we reported earlier, GM is working to further differentiate the 'Slade from the rest of the fullsize SUV lineup, and is working to make the new model "much less ostentatious."