Military gas-guzzler launched for mass market

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Sunday 10 September 2000 Military gas-guzzler launched for mass market By David Wastell in Washington

Hummer - General Motors IGNORING soaring petrol prices, America's love-affair with oversized cars is taking a new and militaristic twist with plans by General Motors for a mass-production version of the Humvee, the giant gas-guzzling off-road vehicle which played a prominent role in the Gulf War. Humdinger: Ron Zarrella, General Motors executive vice president, unveils the H2 Hummer concept vehicle at the North American International Auto Show A high-priced civilian model of the car, the Hummer, on sale for the past eight years and capable of climbing a 22in vertical wall, has proved so appealing that GM is designing a cheaper version aimed at America's mass market for "sports utility vehicles".

GM appeared confident that its plans for a new "H2" production-line model of the Hummer would not have to be scaled back because of the latest fuel price rises. Joe Jacuzzi, GM's Hummer spokesman, said: "The price of fuel is definitely not much of a factor for people buying this kind of vehicle. Their cost per mile is much less today because of better fuel economy." The company is to introduce improved technology in the engine and some modest streamlining of the vehicle in an effort to improve its fuel efficiency which in the original model stands at 15mpg.

The new Hummer will be "much lighter" than the present model and cheaper to produce, Mr Jacuzzi said, because GM would be using components and technology drawn from the company's existing range of trucks. There is growing anger in America at the high price of fuel. Amid the booming economy, however, there are few signs that the country's spending patterns are changing as a result. There has been no fall-off in sales of gas-guzzling sports utility vehicles.

For an average consumer, Petrol still costs less than $2 (#1.33) a gallon in most areas, only a third of the price in the UK. It now costs around $40 (#26.70) to fill the Hummer's 25-gallon tank with diesel, up by more than half in the last year.

The new model, which will seat five passengers, will be 6ft 10in wide, four inches narrower than the present Hummer, and 14ft 6in long, almost a foot shorter. It will also have a slightly smaller six-litre V8 engine, reflecting the fact that the vehicle is expected to be lighter than the 7,154lb version currently on the roads.

GM have yet to release details of its expected performance, though it is still likely to be sluggish, taking a full eight seconds to reach 30 miles per hour. The company says that it will match the present Hummer's capacity to carry and pull heavy loads, and will out-perform any other all-terrain vehicle off the road.

Nick-named "tanks with fashion", Hummers have become a sought-after item by those able to afford the price-tag of up to $100,000 (#67,000). Their intimidating appearance and unusual features, including exceptionally high road clearance and air-lift hooks on the bonnet, were originally aimed at enabling them to overcome boulders, ford streams, and plough through mud, snow and desert sand.

On the streets of America, the ability to turn heads has given Hummers an unexpected social cachet, enhanced by the knowledge that celebrities such as Arnold Schwarzenegger are among their most enthusiastic owners. The actor keeps eight in his driveway.

GM has bought the rights to market and distribute the Hummer from its original manufacturer, AM General, and has finalised plans for a the H2 model to be launched in 18 months. The new version will sell for around $45,000 (#30,000) and will be produced in far greater numbers.

Critics complain that the car poses a threat to other vehicles in a crash. One magazine commented that the Hummer "could presumably climb over a Honda Prelude without scratching its own paint or scraping its own frame."

Bryan Feltner, sales manager of Detroit Hummer, which sells around 60 of the vehicles a year from its base in Southfield, Michigan, said typical buyers are in their forties and needed to be earning at least $200,000 (#135,000) a year in order to afford the car.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/et?ac=000579381554028&rtmo=gwGjSbwu&atmo=99999999&pg=/et/00/9/10/whum10.html

-- Martin Thompson (mthom1927@aol.com), September 09, 2000

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