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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.

Mil-Spec M1-R First Drive Review | The ultimate Hummer H1 gets better

In 2018, we got our first introduction to Mil-Spec, a company that sought to do to Hummer H1s what other resto-mod companies like Singer and Icon have done to other classic cars. Its initial run of hopped-up Hummers showed quite a bit of promise with an array of mechanical upgrades, including a particularly potent and entertaining diesel engine, plus major improvements to interior livability and luxury. As good as the initial trucks were, Mil-Spec wanted to do even better. It focused on details such as better materials and ergonomics for what it’s calling the second-generation of restored H1s. And all those upgrades are on display in the M1-R, which takes the second-gen M1 and adds some pretty extreme customer-requested modifications. @autoblog WhatÂ’s that? Oh nothing, just a Mil-Spec M1-R rolling on by ##autoblog ##hummer ##m1r ##custom ##fyp ? original sound - Autoblog As with all Mil-Spec Hummers, the M1-R received a comprehensive restoration, taking the body and frame down to bare metal. It was recoated in a durable bedliner-style material made with bits of Kevlar. This particular one was given a tint to make it look like one of the factory H1 colors, Competition Yellow. Steel off-road bumpers, a front brush guard, rear tubular tire rack, fender flares and door panels finished in plain black add contrast and help give it a more rough-and-tumble look. The simple and rugged 20-inch Black Rhino wheels look right at home on the truck, too, especially wrapped in the 38-inch off-road tries. Most of the improvements in the second-gen M1 are found within the cabin. As before, every upholstered surface is made of leather, in this case with diamond stitching that the customer requested. ItÂ’s all done in-house (fun fact, Mil-Spec is now also doing upholstery for private jets). Virtually every non-upholstered surface is made from machined aluminum. That includes the steering wheel, climate control knobs, air vents, window switches, turn signal stalks, even the custom-made ignition key. They all look and feel superb with hefty weight and crisp edges. The toggle switches are a particular treat and return a light, mechanical click with each press. Some of them are a little tough to reach as a result of the HummerÂ’s strange interior layout, but that would be the case even in a stock Hummer. These aluminum pieces are a massive step up from the plastic rocker switches and air vents used on previous Mil-Spec Hummers.

An all-electric Hummer is reportedly under consideration at GM

GM is reportedly considering a return to the Hummer brand, but not in the traditional Hummer way. No, a report from Bloomberg says that GM is mulling over the idea of building an electric Hummer. The report cites unnamed sources within GM, as the folks prefer not to be named due to the private nature of the conversations. At this point, Bloomberg characterizes the Hummer talks as preliminary discussions. GM is figuring out how it wants to organize its future electric trucks and SUVs, and Hummer is a part of those discussions. Just as anyone would expect, Hummer could be used to profit off the current demand for rugged and tough vehicles. Mark Reuss didn't commit either way to a Hummer revival when asked by Bloomberg. "I love Hummer. I don't know. We're looking at everything," Reuss said. Other GM sources said that the company sees an opportunity to compete with Jeep for off-road vehicles that have creature comforts commanding high premiums. The report states that designers have done work with Hummer concepts, experimenting with Hummer styling to implement it on GMC-branded products, too. There's also the question of whether an electric Hummer is a smart move to begin with. Folks bought up Hummers before because they're big, brawny, good off-road, and gas was cheap. Gas is relatively cheap today, but attitudes around cars that achieve 10 mpg have changed. Rivian thinks that consumers are interested in premium electric SUVs and trucks, and the hype around that company is real right now. An electric Hummer would undoubtedly go after the same space as the Rivian R1S. The number of people willing to drop over $70,000 on an electric adventure vehicle is still untested, though. Even if GM did give an electric Hummer project the green light, we're still years away. We know GM is currently in development of an electric pickup truck platform, but that doesn't mean it's anywhere close to production. We haven't seen a new Hummer since GM halted sales of the brand in 2010. The recession and high gas prices drove sales down so low that Hummer declared bankruptcy in 2009, but GM still kept the brand in its portfolio. It's hard to think of a better time than the SUV and crossover hoopla of today to introduce something like an electric Hummer, but until we hear something more substantial from GM, the vehicle is going to remain a rumor.