• The stock armored Humvee (M1165 in military speak) borders on pathetic in terms of ergonomics, passenger comfort, and overall drivability. Not to be confused with its barely civilianized Hummer H1, the archaic military Humvee was unquestionably the most miserable vehicle I have ever piloted on public roads. Outward visibility, through brick-thick bullet-resistant glass was pulse raising. In stock form, acceleration was dangerously slow and throttle response frighteningly lethargic. Once moving, the heavy body oscillated back and forth as it floated on its squishy off-road tires (in a motion mimicking trailer sway). Hitting the brake pedal initiated a lot of grinding noise and only mild deceleration, as the inboard disc brakes howled while fighting a losing battle against inertia. I exited the M1165 covered in nervous sweat, verbally praising the troops who are forced to drive it daily under far less desirable conditions.
• Banks works its magic on the Humvee in several different ways. To improve breathing, the company fits a new intake and a wastegated turbocharger. A large air-to-air intercooler keeps the charge temperature down, while new injectors (and a new injector pump) ensure fuel flow isn't an issue. A monster exhaust finishes off the power improvements. Another important upgrade is the exhaust brake, aptly named the Banks Brake, which uses the engine to supplement the mechanical brakes and slow the vehicle.
• The modified Banks Humvee was noticeably lighter on its feet (likely strong enough to run neck-to-neck with a 1977 Mercedes-Benz 240D). Twice as quick is a huge improvement, and I was visibly more comfortable pulling into moving traffic. Running acceleration, from 40-60 mph, drops by half as well. This meant around-town throttle response was decent, and not a white-knuckle affair. The Banks Brake was set to automatically slow the Humvee each time I lifted off the accelerator (it reminded me of regenerative braking, but without any additional external noise as our soldiers prefer to arrive silently). Combined with the disc brakes, stopping distances were greatly improved.
• Like the aging B-52 long-range bomber, the multi-purpose Humvee will be in service for many more decades as the military conjures up ways to sustain the program. Age and expanded roles have burdened the original light utility. Nevertheless, my initial impressions say that the Sidewinder Turbo system from Banks appears to provide a necessary shot of adrenaline to a vehicle desperately in need of vitality.

Banks 6.5L Humvee originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 22 May 2013 15:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

VPG Autos ceases operations originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 08 May 2013 16:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

AM General Humvee C-Series kit is ready to order originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 09 Nov 2012 17:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

After a 12-year hiatus from the civilian vehicle market, AM General is reportedly set to offer a kit-car of the C-Series Humvee. The kit will conform to U.S. government regulations and has been made possible by a deal with General Motors.

The kit costs $59,000 - and you still need an engine. A likely favorite would be a Duramax Diesel V8 and Allison transmission combination, as was found on the H1 Alpha. AM General estimates that an owner could buy the kit Humvee and outfit a powerplant and transmission for $75,000. Not bad, considering that H1 Alpha has an MSRP of $140,000 in 2005.

How is this possible? If you recall, GM was trying to unload the Hummer brand to Chinese-based Sichuan-Tengzhong, among other suitors. As we all know, a deal never happened and the brand rumbled off into the sunset. The deal with AM General worked so that the military Humvee producer could offer a vehicle to the public as long as it was fundamentally different from the H1. By offering a kit car, they apparently end-around much of the legal confines.

But that also means are other setbacks. The final product will not look like the civilian Hummer H1, and it will not have niceties like interior trim, power locks, door mounted mirrors, or even hard doors. It will simply be a four-seat, soft-top, soft door vehicle. AM General will offer 'add-on' factory options such as the Central Tire Inflation System, rocker protection, and potentially two-piece beadlock wheels.

As the story over at Hummer Guy puts it, "just remember - its a Humvee, not a Hummer."

AM General to offer civilian Humvee kit car originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 02 Aug 2012 18:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Humvee reborn on the battlefield... with a chimney?! originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 09 Dec 2011 09:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading 2011 VPG Autos MV-1

2011 VPG Autos MV-1 originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 06 Oct 2011 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Gallery: Ford Transit Connect Eletric at Chicago Auto Show

Continue reading Isn't it Ironic? Ex-Hummer builder AM General handling final assembly of Transit Connect Electric

Isn't it Ironic? Ex-Hummer builder AM General handling final assembly of Transit Connect Electric originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 19 May 2010 14:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Gallery: U.S. Army HMMWV (Humvee)

U.S. Army to give long-serving Humvee honorable discharge? originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 13 Feb 2010 13:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Greenwashing? Governator looks to have gotten himself a new Dodge Challenger SRT8 originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 30 Mar 2009 08:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Spy Shots: AM General-built taxi cab gets restyled before production originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 17 Mar 2009 09:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Changfeng, AM General bidding on Hummer originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 15 Dec 2008 14:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

While General Motors looks over a stack of offers for its HUMMER brand, the fate of AM General hangs in the balance. The military contractor developed and built the original Humvee until the rights to the HUMMER name were bought by GM, who then contracted AM General to continue building the H1 (until it was discontinued) and then the Chevy Tahoe-based H2. (The Chevy Colorado-based H3, meanwhile, is built entirely by GM at its Shreveport, Louisiana plant.) With the future of its General Motors contracts uncertain, AM General has announced a new deal of another kind.

Starting in 2010, the Indiana-based company will begin producing a new series of wheelchair-accessible transit vehicles for the Vehicle Production Group, LLC. Although, as VPG points out, the usual development gestation period for such vehicles is two to three years, VPG and AM General intend to get the ramp-equipped para-transit vehicle to market in less than 24 months. Over 3,500 units have already been ordered, leading VPG to project that annual production will well exceed that number, while AM General intends to use the same workforce it currently employs for the new project. As for what the para-transit vehicle will look like, no one knows, but there was word of AM General developing a new version of the Standard Taxi (see above) with a low ride height and large doors that appears as if it could easily accommodate wheel chairs.

[Source: Detroit News]

AM General to produce wheelchair-accessible transit vehicle originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 14 Aug 2008 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

AM General to produce Standard Taxi cabs? originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 14 Jul 2008 19:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TPI Composites has built a Hummer for the Army that is made of composite materials. The Hummer loses 900 pounds of metal body panels and parts, which are then replaced with parts fabricated of fiberglass, balsa wood, foam, and carbon, with resin as a bonding agent.

That 900 pounds is then put back in the vehicle in the form of extra armor where the truck most needs it: in areas that will protect it from roadside bombs. The composite truck has some quirks -- like a body that feels like sandpaper, and the fact that the fenders bend and some other panels are pliable. Yet even though it weighs the same as a traditional Humvee, the point is that it's better built to withstand the threat that kills more soldiers than any other.

AM General and the Army spent 18 months doing R&D on the vehicle. No tests have been carried out yet and the Army hasn't committed to buying any. But if substituting metal for composites and additional armor is shown to save lives, then the vehicle -- which costs more than a standard Humvee -- could make a lot of friends in dangerous places.

[Source: Gizmodo]

Military makes stronger Humvee from balsa wood and foam originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 19 Sep 2007 13:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Just the facts: AM General responds to Humvee spy shots originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 24 Jul 2007 17:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Gallery: AM General Humvee Prototype - spy shots

Continue reading Spy Shots: AM General Humvee prototype caught!

Spy Shots: AM General Humvee prototype caught! originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 19 Jul 2007 12:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

It's been called HMMWV, the High-Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle, Humvee for short, or HUMMER for civilian use, but it's been twenty years since DoD chassis M998 was put into service, and the Pentagon wants something new.

The Humvee slowly found its way into the civilian market when celebrities like Arnold Schwarzenegger began purchasing them for personal use, and the brand was bought from AM General by General Motors in 1999. GM recently took the Hummer H1 off the civilian market, replaced by the more modern and (comparatively speaking) more efficient and roadworthy H2. Now the Pentagon wants part of the action again with a new Humvee 30-40% lighter, more fuel efficient and with better armor to protect our troops.

AM General and GM are not currently competing for the DoD tender, but Navistar International (with the CXT) and aerospace giant Lockheed Martin are in the running.

The Humvee originally gained its fame on CNN during the first Iraq war, several years after it was put into service. Since then, new technologies - including vitals like drivetrain and lightweight/high-strength construction materials - have been developed that could prove useful on the battlefield.

[Source: Edmunds Straightline]

Soldiers need a better HUMMER originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 08 Oct 2006 18:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Hummer H1 retires from duty next month originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 13 May 2006 00:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.