click above image for more sketches of the HUMMER HX Concept
Talk about a dream job. David Rojas, Min Young Kang and Robert Jablonski are three fresh-faced grads of the College for Creative Studies (where many car designers get their schoolin') and recent new-hires of the GM Design division. Their first assignment handed down from on high was this: "provide a vision for the future design of off-road vehicles." Under the supervision of HUMMER design studio director Carl Zipfel, each young designer was assigned to either the wheelbase, approach and departure angles or stance - three core HUMMER proportions – and otherwise given liberty to design away. Though all three came up with their own visions, the won you see above was chosen by the suits to be transformed into an actual concept to be shown at the 2008 Detroit Auto Show.
The press release states that the E85 Flex Fuel-capable HX Concept features a pair of removable roof panels, as well as a removable rear roof. The end effect is some serious open air motoring while you're crawling boulders or jumping dunes. The slant back either recalls that particular body style of the original HUMMER H1, or like us you're seeing a lot of the Toyota FJ Cruiser in the shape, too (especially from this angle). The doors and fenders can also be removed for off-roading adventures, though it's not like this concept will ever touch a speck of topsoil.
[Source: GM]
PRESS RELEASE:
Three Young Designers Shape Future Of HUMMER Through HX Concept
DETROIT – Scheduled for introduction at the 2008 North American International Auto Show, the HUMMER HX concept reflects the innovative minds of three new GM designers - David Rojas, Min Young Kang and Robert Jablonski - whose first assignment was to provide a vision for the future design of off-road vehicles.
Fresh out of the College for Creative Studies in Detroit, Mich., the designers' first test in GM was to design a fun, nimble and innovative HUMMER concept.
"HUMMER appeals to young people globally and served as a perfect first assignment for our newest talent," said Ed Welburn, vice president of global design and product planning. "Today's graduates from top design schools are ready to hit the ground running. The HUMMER design challenge gave our newest designers an opportunity to sprint."
The task presented numerous challenges to the new designers, from creating a vehicle for a brand known around the globe for its iconic design, to ensuring the model would live up to the market's expectation of HUMMER off-road capability.
To help ensure designs were true to the HUMMER brand, these designers were given limited design direction by Carl Zipfel, an ex-professional motocross racer and director of the HUMMER design studio.
"Carl definitely set the tone," said Rojas. "While he gave us creative liberty and challenged us to develop innovative ideas, he also defined three HUMMER proportions – wheelbase, approach and departure angles, and stance – and assigned one to each of us. It gave us a chance to collaborate, but also take our own direction."
While sketching and sculpting together in the HUMMER studio, these recent graduates drew upon the creative energy of each other, further improving their individual designs, as well as that of the final concept.
"We drew inspiration from one another," said Kang. "As you're designing and sketching you try to absorb what the other designer is doing and try to make it better."
David, Min Young and Robert's collaboration inspired the HUMMER HX concept, which presents extraordinary efficiency without sacrificing the unique essence of the HUMMER brand, the world's most capable off-road vehicles.
"While we took inspiration from the HUMMER heritage and DNA, we each wanted to evolve it in a new way," said Jablonski. "We agreed it should be contemporary, compact and definitely open air. It came out great."
After three months of sketching and sculpting theme work for the new HUMMER concept, each designer had the opportunity to present scale clay models to Bob Lutz, GM vice chairman and Ed Welburn, who chose which design would ultimately become the HX concept.
In its final concept form, the E-85 FlexFuel capable HUMMER HX embodies the off road spirit of HUMMER in a fully customizable package. The HX offers an open-air driving experience via a pair of removable roof panels above the driver and front passenger and a modular, removable rear roof assembly enabling a quick conversion from closed vehicle to open vehicle SUT. It also features a slant back assembly with removable doors and fender flairs.
"Working as a team, you realize it's more than one person influencing the vehicle," said Rojas. "You can see the inspiration from each of our designs in the final concept vehicle. We're all proud to have the chance to see our sketches become reality."
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
LOLWUT @ Dec 10th 2007 3:34PM
Stop with the Hummer madness, these things are disgusting.
nissanfreak87 @ Dec 10th 2007 3:41PM
some people actually like them, and it's a profitable division for GM, so I doubt they'll stop. I think it looks pretty cool, but I don't see it as futuristic, looks like just another hummer
Bryan White @ Dec 10th 2007 3:53PM
cool
stealth @ Dec 10th 2007 3:47PM
just what we need
some more ugly ass hummers
H1 owners represent!
Andrew @ Dec 10th 2007 3:52PM
I like how someone in marketing said "hey, we have to be environmentally conscious with this one" so they made it E-85 compliant. Fools.
dan spalinger @ Dec 10th 2007 3:54PM
Hmm...Looks like the same shape (slant back) as Robby Gordon's Dakar H3...
tankd0g @ Dec 10th 2007 4:06PM
Those smooth tires must be to minimize the impact on the soil. By getting stuck on the gravel shoulder of the road, this will do very little damage to trails.
ugg.tryptophan @ Dec 10th 2007 9:04PM
the smooth tires are there because drawing knobby tires is impossibly difficult, even for a car designer with photoshop (yes you can draw with photoshop)
Me Too @ Dec 10th 2007 4:07PM
Reminds me of a $1 hot-wheels car.
concorde @ Dec 10th 2007 4:15PM
not bad
John B @ Dec 10th 2007 4:22PM
Shouldn't this be in AutoblogGreen?
oby @ Dec 10th 2007 4:22PM
UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGHHHHHHHH! more GM madness!
el indiano @ Dec 10th 2007 4:27PM
you can tell the people that didn't score well on their ACT's drive this garbage.
people who stay in school don't drive hummers.
Jason @ Dec 10th 2007 4:40PM
Oh, right, it's uneducated poor people who are the ones driving around in $55K H2s... yeah, that makes sense...
People who make 6 figures don't drive econoboxes, and few 'luxury' vehicles also share the title of 'fuel efficient'.
el indiano @ Dec 10th 2007 4:50PM
of course, uneducated people drive hummers.
you can have money and be and idiot. you don't get a higher IQ once you reach a certain tax bracket.
obie @ Dec 10th 2007 6:06PM
So you're saying that even though I scored a 33 on my ACT and a 1420 on my SAT, I can't possibly drive a HUMMER... I understand that you don't like the brand, but just because I don't drive a Prius doesn't mean I'm an idiot for driving a HUMMER.
Car buying is a choice, and even though you may not like HUMMERs, there are people who actually do like them. Please, just don't make asinine comments about the people who drive them.
El indiano @ Dec 10th 2007 7:48PM
Highly unlikely you scored a 33 if all you have better to do is defend that pos.
Do something useful with your brilliance, save the ozone layer or fix the deficit.
obie @ Dec 10th 2007 11:59PM
haha--to each his own, i guess...
DRTYFN @ Dec 15th 2007 1:39AM
So, El indiano, what do you drive?
marcus @ Dec 10th 2007 4:28PM
ugly ugly ugly ugly ugly ugly ugly ugly ugly ugly ugly ugly ugly ugly ugly ugly ugly ugly ugly ugly ugly ugly ugly ugly