Autoblog

Click above for first high-res official pics from the G.I. Joe movie

The HUMMER HX concept would have made one hell of a live-action VAMP in the upcoming G.I. Joe flick, but we have it on very good authority that this particular bit of vehicular dream casting is not to be. The HUMMER HX/G.I. Joe rumor is one we've been trying to chase down since early last week when we first heard it, and we finally cornered a well-placed source who explained that HUMMERs will appear in the movie, but not the HX. If Clutch had made the cut to be part of the movie's cast of characters, he'd probably be really upset right now. Bummer for GM, too, as HX could have been this movie's Bumblebee. On an unrelated note, it would appear that director Stephen Sommers' wardrobe department got the look for Snake Eyes exactly right. (Ray Park, who played Darth Maul in Phantom Menace, is in the suit.)

click above for high-res live shots of the HUMMER HX Concept

We finally got a chance to see the real deal HUMMER HX today, and it was exactly what we expected. Not since the H1 has a Hummer looked so perfect for its intended purpose. We were even lucky enough to get a video tour of the vehicle that you can check out by clicking here. We've already mentioned that it features a 3.6-liter SIDI E85 FlexFuel engine powering all four wheels via a six-speed automatic, and the fact that the HX is essentially a convertible with removable roof panels and a modular rear that opens or stows is clutch. What we weren't able to convey until now is that it's the first V6 HUMMER and that it signals a move towards every HUMMER being available in an E85 form.

Co-designed by recent College for Creative Studies grads David Rojas, Min Young Kang and Robert Jablonski the HUMMER HX Concept is an E85 Flex Fuel-capable, Wrangler-like rock crawler with signature HUMMER styling cues. Okay, maybe it really looks more like an FJ Cruiser or Jeep Hurricane, but we know the HUMMER faithful won't complain. Heck, even the doors and fenders can be removed for off-roading adventures. All the details are available in the press release after the jump.

UPDATE: Video of live reveal added after the jump.

[Source: GM]

Well, there's another embargo blown. HUMMERForums dropped all the images they had of the HUMMER HX concept that was due to be officially unveiled in a scant five days, and Jalopnik followed suit. So here it is, HUMMER's Wrangler-competitor in concept form, complete with a 3.6-liter SIDI E85 FlexFuel engine which sends power to all four wheels via a six-speed auto 'box. The HX is technically a convertible, meaning that the roof panels and modular rear can open or be stowed, while the interior instruments can be reconfigured depending on the type of driving you'll be doing. All the details are available in the press release after the jump.

Japanese fashionistas are getting a three-ton present from the General this coming spring when it will begin shipping HUMMERs to the Land of the Rising Sun. Martin Walsh, HUMMER's General Manager, told the Detroit News that despite slow vehicle sales in Japan, the island nation will become another niche player for GM's iconic off-roader.

Although Walsh remained mum on what models will be making their way across the Pacific, we were surprised during our recent trip to Japan when we saw a few H2s and H3s making the rounds on Japan's congested motorways. The HX concept revealed yesterday would be an obvious candidate for consumers abroad, and we're convinced that an H5 kei-car would be a winner if HUMMER ever decided to think small(ish).

[Source: Detroit News]