Hummer H2

Camo just ain't happenin' here. That's because this smoothed-out alloy-trimmed Hummer is not your basic mil-spec olive-drab Desert Storm kind of pack mule. No, the H2 concept vehicle is massively yellow, the right stuff for any serious hot rod-even of the snow-and-dirt-eating kind. And don't worry, it wouldn't be a Hummer if it weren't huge.

That's our take after running the security gauntlet at General Motors' Milford, Michigan, Proving Ground. We were invited out for a drive and photo session with some of the company's million-buck auto show concept vehicles. And although other cool one-offs, like the Pontiac Piranha, the Chevrolet SSR, the GMC Terradyne, and the Buick LaCrosse, also showed up, we focused on the H2 because insiders say it's the one headed to market soonest.

In case you haven't kept up, GM acquired the exclusive ownership of the Hummer brand name, plus the right to retail Hummer utilities and pickups. The point behind this particular horse of a different color was to explore the notion of doing a more affordable, more driver-friendly version of that eye-catching-but-pricey war hero and off-roading icon, the AM General Hummer H1.

The H2 concept was a huge hit on the auto show circuit this year. So now, GM says it'll come to market, yet a production-spec H2 won't be available for our abuse until next spring. We couldn't pass up wheel time in the concept, and we liked what we saw, felt, heard, and didn't smell.

What we didn't smell-or see-were diesel fumes or smoke. Although the H2 may eventually get an optional diesel like the original, the concept is powered by a 340-hp version of GM's 6.0L Vortec V-8 spooling through a heavy-duty four-speed automatic (yes, we suspect aftermarket tuners will have supercharged 450-hp versions on the streets of Beverly Hills as soon as the H2 is available). From there, the LS1-derived muscle is smoothly transferred out through GM's Autotrac four-wheel-drive system, then finally to giant 19x9.5-in. alloy rims and almost-cartoonish 35-in. prototype tires. If you think those husky treadblocks make a ton of noise, you'd be right.

Current-generation Hummers cost too much for regular folks; the last one that visited our Detroit office had a sticker over $100,000. But what if there were a Hummer built on a high-volume heavy-duty pickup chassis? Could the price be brought under control? The all-new hydroformed chassis for Chevrolet and GMC's GMT800 pickup is way-high-volume, rugged and rigid enough to backbone a worthy off-roader-with some minor reinforcements and mods. So that's the H2's foundation hardware.

One of the most impressive features of the current Hummer is its surprisingly supple ride, on pavement and off, but the standard pickup's simple live rear axle and multi-leaf springs wouldn't be up to the H2 task. So GM's engineers specified a parts-bin-derived all-independent arrangement for the H2's four corners. The concept borrows the 4WD pickup's standard double-wishbone A-arm front system with torsion bars and anti-roll bar for the front and rear of the H2. Our impression was that virtually no ride tuning had been done on the concept: it was stiff, but we know production versions will be much more polished.

Outside, GM's designers retained the original's all-business visual signature, with proper window counts and just a bit of overall exterior shrinkage. The H2's overall length is 177.8 in. versus the original's 184.5, and the H2 is a just a bit narrower at 81.6 in. Track width in the H2 is 68.6, and 71.6 in the H1. The H1 is also slightly taller at 75 in. versus the H2's 72.6. So the H2 is smaller-in a mama rhino kind of way.

One of the most disappointing aspects of the current Hummer is its lack of useable interior room. That's because, in AM General's original design, the entire driveline packages up inside the belly of the cabin to allow for 16 in. of ground clearance. Unfortunately, that means each of the four passengers gets a narrow upright seat.