Still do.
http://www.4x4bodies.com/
Posted on 12/31/2004 8:11:07 PM PST by wagglebee
Dave Breggin eats no red meat, barely waters a drought-resistant fescue lawn and has a highly energy-efficient Arapahoe County home.
All that good karma suddenly evaporates when he gets behind the wheel of his cherished Hummer.
Like most other Hummer drivers, Breggin is the target of clenched fists, single-fingered salvos and screamed epithets from the greener-than-thou crowd.
With fuel prices near record levels -- up roughly 35 cents a gallon over last year's prices -- both owning and selling the gas-thirsty military clone may require more finesse.
General Motors is projecting a 20 percent drop in national sales of its Hummer H2 this year. Spokesmen said they're not sure whether the decline is attributable to high fuel prices or a normal leveling-off of sales after the initial wave of consumer interest.
The H2 is a descendant of the U.S. military's Humvee utility vehicle, a rough-and- tumble civilian model that seems equally at home in the driveways of off-roaders, society matrons and politicians.
California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger reportedly owns five Hummers, but even the Governator is feeling the heat. During last year's gubernatorial campaign, he spent an estimated $20,000 to $35,000 to convert one of his fleet to hydrogen fuel, prompting political rival Arianna Huffington to condescendingly dub him a "Hummer environmentalist."
If part of the reason for buying an SUV is to make a statement, the Hummer H2 -- at 6 feet 7 inches and 6,400 pounds -- is an iconic billboard.
Sales manager Ted Cranshaw of Medved Hummer in Castle Rock describes his buyers as "successful achievers and rugged individualists." Those who plan to drive their vehicles must also be thick- skinned enough to take the ample punishment dished out by critics. Breggin advises Hummer owners to carry disposable cameras and snap pictures of gesturing foes. That tends to defuse the most boisterous of the detractors, he said.
Like Breggin, Hummer owner Larry Dardano of Denver considers himself an environmentalist who is being unfairly maligned for his vehicle choice.
He's an ardent bicyclist and recycler and the owner of a home that he bought especially for its energy efficiency in the new Stapleton neighborhood.
The problem is, the Hummer won't fit in the garage. So he parks it at the curb, making it a frequent target of ridicule.
"People flip me off, and I give them the high sign right back," Dardano said. "After teaching DPS (Denver Public Schools) high school kids for 15 years, I know how to take heat." At its worst, Hummer backlash takes the form of vandalism and outright destruction. A Southern California Hummer dealership was firebombed last year, causing $3.5 million in damages.
More commonly, Hummer owners are targets of gibes and gestures.
A website is devoted exclusively to Hummer hatred. It features hundreds of pictures of people pointing their middle fingers at the vehicles.
At the Sierra Club, the Hummer is reviled as a gas-guzzling behemoth with no redeeming qualities.
"It's basically a dump truck marketed as a passenger vehicle," said Brendan Bell, a Washington-based global warming analyst for the environmental group. "We think the Hummer epitomizes the bad technology that American automakers are trying to pass off on the American public." GM plans to broaden the Hummer's market next spring with the introduction of the H3, a mid-sized SUV whose estimated mileage rating of 20 mpg makes it a comparative gasoline miser.
But that doesn't mitigate the cost of insuring a Hummer. State Farm Insurance calculates that the heftier H2 would require an annual insurance premium of $1,225 for a typical 35-year-old metro Denver male with a good driving record.
By comparison, insurance for a 2004 Chevy Suburban K2500 would run $1,066, and the gas-stingy Toyota Prius hybrid would carry an annual premium of $1,011.
The Sierra Club notes that the H2, with a full vehicle weight rating of 8,600 pounds, managed to elude the EPA's maximum threshold for mileage ratings. Vehicles heavier than 8,500 are exempt not only from reporting mileage estimates, but they don't count against the corporate average fuel economy standards that automakers must meet.
Unofficially, the H2 waddles in at about nine to 13 miles per gallon. Not that many owners are counting. If you're worried about fuel prices, dealers say, you're not the Hummer type.
"There's a lot of talk about gas prices affecting the SUV market, but let's face it, if you can afford the H2, you can afford the fuel," Cranshaw said.
In some cases, owning one can be financially beneficial. Until recently, owners of vehicles weighing more than 6,000 pounds (Hummers included) were eligible for a tax incentive that let them write-off up to $100,000. The loophole was recently tightened, but owners may still be eligible for a first-year deduction of $25,000.
Sales in Colorado -- the nation's leader in SUV ownership per capita -- continue to be brisk, Cranshaw said. He sold 16 in November, four more than last year, and expects 2004 sales to be close to last year's 136.
"Only a very few people respond to our vehicle as mediocre," said General Motors spokesman David Caldwell. "They run either very hot or very cold." Count Curtis Springs in the hot category.
The Colorado Springs chemical manufacturer's sales representative couldn't wait to sell his 2003 H2 before replacing it with a gleaming 2005 model.
"It's just a great vehicle," Springs said. "They're a blast. They're really fun to drive. You get into these heated leather seats, and it's hard to get out." He shrugs off the gestures from other motorists.
"I just kind of wave back at them," he said. "They're the whale huggers. They probably don't realize that this gets pretty much the same (gas) mileage as any other full-size SUV."
Akira made real? iiiiiiinteeeeresting.
BTTT
Motor Trend has had zero credibility for years. They are a fluff mag of press releases and their TV show was even more fluffy.
Yes, a 404 Funkwagen...and a Range Rover... and a Land Rover Lightweight... and two Series II Land Rovers I'm rebuilding.
And you?
lol. Not me, I just thought it was neat. Those things are not common in the US.
Gee, I don't know if I should be more upset about the truck or that nasty, dirty, ecologically damaging ATV in the bed of the behemoth! (sarcasm!)
(I LOVE ATV's and dirt bikes!!)
Gee, I don't know if I should be more upset about the truck or that nasty, dirty, ecologically damaging ATV in the bed of the behemoth! (sarcasm!)
(I LOVE ATV's and dirt bikes!!)
Darned right. I don't get angry at Hummers but I do admit getting a little green with envy at times.
Cool Unimog and Rokon! Talk about niche vehicles! I'm sure you've heard about Yamaha's new patents to develop a 2WD dirt bike. Tech specs include hydraulic pump for the front drive, and chain rear.
If they have to ask "Why?" they don't deserve an answer.
If it looks kewl and you can afford it, then....
To qualify myself, I drive the company's Pickup, don't own a car (haven't for twenty years), they buy all the gas, pay for all maintenance and repairs, provide all insurance. I have to pay $85.00 a month in case I use the truck for personal reasons. I put 30,000 to 40,000 miles a year on a vehicle.
Hey there, I got some AMSOIL from a guy at work, I'm going to put it in this week. I got it before i left for vacation, it's been raining since i returned so i haven't had time to put it in. I can't wait :)
It's the motorcycle from the movie 'Akira'.
I've never driven a motorcycle before, but that's the one that'll get me to start.
ROFL!
I'd love to own a Baby Hummer - H3. I've had it with liberals trying to tell other people what they can and can't drive. If they want to give SUV owners the bird, let 'em make our day!!!
Still do.
http://www.4x4bodies.com/
Last year I got sent to the AM General engineering center to work on some H1 Hummers. I can vouch for the size of them. They're immense, but in a freakish sort of way. There's not much useable room on the inside. They have the feel of a scaled up Tonka truck.
I've lost track of that project. Are civilian H1's available? That was the plan as of last year. Hopefully they worked out the bugs ;^}
As far as the H2 being a reskinned C/K truck, that's only partly correct. One of the design goals was to use as many off the shelf passenger truck parts though. It's probably fairer to say that the H2 is closer to a design evolution of the light truck than it is of the H1. Automotive trade journals are a better resource than Motor Trend.
My co-worker - a total lib whom I actually get along with - freaked out on the way to get coffee one morning. She went off on the "idiot/moron/etc." who had the audacity to buy a hummer and park it between us and the coffee shop. I said, "Oh come on, its their money." To which she replied with hatred for the owner, the company who made it, and gluttons in general. Then we got some coffee and talked trash about our favorite office pariahs :)
I'd never buy a hummer if I lived in the city. Too expensive to buy, to fuel and to insure, and I would feel a little guilty for wasting gas for no reason (or food, or water, or clothing, or whatever in life). This doesn't mean I'm in league with my friend from work. She'd outlaw hummers if she could. I'd simply let the market do what its already doing - keep the number of hummers purchased very low in relation to other autos because of gas prices. This same market is also causing gas-electric car sales to rise. In my world, if you want a hummer - the market will provide. If you want to go green - the market will provide. Capitalism - it works.
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