Autoblog

The 2009 HUMMER H3T Alpha arrived in the Autobog Garage on Election Day, and so it was my transportation to and from the local polling station to exercise my civic duty. I had the HUMMER in my thoughts when I went to cast my ballot, and looking at the paper before me was like seeing the fate of General Motors reflected in this year's presidential election.

Barack Obama was new, different and promised an uncharted path to better times, the physical manifestation for this country of what the Chevy Volt is to GM. John McCain was both fiery and familiar, a well-liked veteran returning once again with a vision for America that was the same but better, just like the new Camaro. If Obama is to the Volt as McCain is to the Camaro, then that would make our current president the HUMMER H3T. It's the lame duck truck.


Photos Copyright ©2008 John Neff / Weblogs, Inc.

HUMMER's presence at this year's SEMA show will be typified by a trio of tuned H3s, ranging from a mildly modded Alpha to an H3T ready to traverse the desert surrounding Sin City.

The most sedate of the three is the warmed-over H3 X Alpha concept, which features new 18-inch wheels shod in 35-inch all-terrain tires, black chrome trim, body-colored bumper extensions and clear turn signal housings. The exterior is coated in Canyon Metallic, while inside, the leather seats, armrests and shift knob all receive contrasting orange stitching along with matching piping and a HUMMER Accessories DVD headrest system.

Far more impressive is the H3T Weekend Warrior concept (above), which capitalizes on HUMMER's off-road cred with a series of engine and suspension mods. Output of the 5.3-liter V8 has been increased by around 70 hp through the use of an LS2 cylinder head, high-lift cam and custom 3.5-inch exhaust. Rolling stock is comprised of HUMMER Accessories' 20-inch wheels wrapped in BFGoodrich Baja T/A rubber, suspended by a Light Racing Jounce Shocks and Rod Hall Racing piggyback performance reservoirs, with brakes provided by DBA.

Finally, Four Wheeler magazine got its own H3 Alpha to play with, and began by "de-glossing" the Victory Red paint scheme with a PPG flattening agent mixed with clear to give it an incredibly cool satin appearance. The only engine mod is a MagnaFlow cat-back exhaust, but what Four Wheeler didn't spend on motivation it made up for with suspension components. Nitrogen-charged, two-inch Rod Hall Racing performance shocks and Light Racing Jounce Shocks compliment the flat-black 16-inch Simulock wheels coated in BFG Mud-Terrain T/A tires.

We'll be on hand in two weeks to bring you all the details from the show floor, but in the meantime, check the gallery below and the press release after the jump.

Click above for hi-res gallery of the HUMMER H3T

If HUMMER had a theme song, it'd probably be the Allman Brothers' Whipping Post -- the one that goes "Sometimes I feel, sometimes I feel, like I been tied to the whipping post..." The brand has been the go-to effigy when something needs to burn on the altar of eco desecration. But HUMMER doesn't have a theme song, it has the tagline "Like No Other." It also has a new pick-em-up truck we had the chance to drive recently in the High Sierras: the H3T. Follow the jump to find out if it's another HUMMER like no other, and check out the gallery of hi-res images below.

Click above for a high-res gallery of the HUMMER H3T.

HUMMER is on the skids and pickups aren't flying off dealer lots, but if you're smitten with the H3 and need to haul more than its covered cargo bay can handle, the H3T is yours for the taking. Pricing starts at $31,495, including a $745 destination charge -- $850 less than a comparable H3.

For that kind of cash, you get a five-foot-long bed covered with an integrated liner and built-in storage system, full-time electronically controlled four-wheel-drive, 32-inch tires, functional skid plates and the five-year/100,000-mile warranty. The base model will pack the 3.7-liter five-cylinder, but a 5.3-liter V8 will be available, along with Bluetooth integration and an upgraded OnStar system. GM hasn't released details on what that kind of kit will set you back, but you can hit up your local dealer to find out when the H3T goes on sale in September.

Hit the jump for HUMMER's press release and check out our previous post on the H3T.

click above for more high-res shots of the 2009 HUMMER H3T

You've got to feel a little bad for the HUMMER H3T. While the rest of the crowd at GM's press conference had their focus set on the unveiling of the 2009 Chevy Traverse, the 2009 HUMMER H3T sat in the corner, all but ignored by camera-toting journos. We, however, know a good thing when we see it (though many of you might disagree). And considering how the H3T is sporting an elongated wheelbase and a five-foot long bed, it remains one of a few significant unveilings here in Chi-town.

Just as a refresher, the H3T gets power from either the anemic 3.7-liter five-cylinder mill we've come to know and loathe or a 5.3-liter V8 when equipped in the top-level Alpha trim. Towing capacity is 5,900 pounds, which should be plenty for a family of four with dirt bikes in tow.

Check out our high-res gallery of live and press shots below and head on over to our original post for all the details on the new HUMMER H3T.

The HUMMER H3T has been much in the news lately, now we finally have some press coverage that doesn't involve broken embargoes. After a few days in the High Sierras putting pre-production versions through boulder-strewn paces, the words from HMR magazine are: it's good!

Once past the marketing-speak -- like "With its unique size and HUMMER traits, the H3T is ideal for the customer who works hard and plays harder" -- the H3T with the Adventure Package put in a proper HUMMER showing: the 5-foot bed hasn't killed the truck's departure angle, the length hasn't ruined its agility, and it even got in the obligatory Jeep smackdown encounter. The H3T also has 160 official aftermarket partners creating a glutton's range of branded accessories.

The public will find out if it's really the lion's roar when it shows up on dealer lots in September. Until then, click the link to get the full review, and Autoblog will bring up the up-close and personal from its debut at next week's Chicago Auto Show.

[Source: PickupTruck.com]

Episode #86 of the Autoblog Podcast is well-caffeineated. We spend a good bit of time talking about the excitement that's filled the Autoblog garage lately. Damon used a handily available Audi R8 as a chase car when we went to drive the Tesla Roadster, and Alex has been sampling the Subaru Tribeca and STI, as well as a rogue Volvo S80. John has been having a blissful month rocking the 1999 Oldsmobile Alero Coupe, too.

There's lots of good car talk, and we take a detour into cupholder minutiae before getting to actual news. A few embargoes fell in front of the upcoming Chicago Auto Show. Car and Driver's blatant cover poll opened the door for Challenger images. Subterfuge aside, the Challenger's a knockout, despite its interior that's granted refugee status to the Sebring's trappings. Trucks will make some news at the Chicago show, and Truck Trend showed us the Hummer H3T and Suzuki Equator, and compact pickups are where we leave it. Until next time, thanks for listening!

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click above to view video of the 2009 HUMMER H3T

The recently announced 2009 HUMMER H3T holds a lot of promise for GM's ex-military brand. For one, it's a true truck with a separate cab and bed, which gives it some true truck capability compared to other crew cab unibody trucks on the market like the Honda Ridgeline (we know, a very unfair comparison). Riding on a stretched version of the regular H3's platform, the H3T will also be available with a huge catalog of optional dealer-installed accessories to personalize the truck to an owner's specific needs.

We'll see the H3T in person next week at the 2008 Chicago Auto Show, and HUMMER has even shown the truck in person to a few journalists already, but we thought you'd be interested in this string of b-roll video that the automaker has just released. We've spared you a techno soundtrack, so you'll hear the HUMMER H3T plowing through the snow as God intended, as well as few quick quips from HUMMER General Manager Martin Walsh and Director of Design Carl Zipfel about why they think the H3T is the cat's meow. Follow the jump to view the video.

[Source: GM]

Photo courtesy of Pickuptruck.com editor Mike Levine.

Though the production version of the HUMMER H3T four-door pickup is not supposed to be seen before it debuts in a couple weeks at the 2008 Chicago Auto Show, images of the baby HUMMER truck have appeared early in the latest issue of Truck Trend magazine that's apparently on some newsstands and in some mailboxes already. That's because scans of the pics have hit the interweb, giving us an early and unofficial look at the truck.

Captions reveal that the HUMMER H3T will be available with a large number of dealer-installed accessories, including hardware for tying down your ten-speed or securing your (small) motorcycle and storage toolboxes, while GM's familiar bedrail system will be standard. There are reportedly storage bins built into the walls of the bed's plastic liner, and while they're no Ram Box, should be big enough to hold small items like tools and gloves.

We'll have to wait until we arrive in Chicago to tell you more, but we weren't even supposed to know this much, so it's all gravy, baby.

[Source: hummerguy.net]

click above image to enlarge

Though HUMMER H3 SUT mules have been snapped with the long lens before, they're usually heavily guarded and tucked away on GM's proving grounds in Arizona or Milford, MI. For some inexplicable reason, however, this HUMMER H3T prototype has been seen driving around in plain site outside the proving grounds. In fact, it was snapped at the recent Baja 1000 where it played the part of chase vehicle in full pre-production camouflage.

You can see that the production model will indeed have four doors, unlike the short-bed two-door H3T Concept that HUMMER showed us back in 2003. That means the bed is not very big: about 4-feet wide by 4.5- to 5-feet long. You can forget about hauling full-size sheets of plywood, but the H3 HUT will offer additional storage options in the form of cargo boxes in the bed sides, and maybe even a removable lunchbox! Underneath it will be standard H3 fare, which means your choice of the new 295-hp 5.3L V8 or the 242-hp 3.7L inline-five cylinder engine. Production of the 2009 HUMMER H3 SUT is slated to begin in August of 2008 at the automaker's Shreveport plant with an annual production of 35,000 units.

Since the H3 SUT isn't a marquee product, we don't expect we'll see its official debut at the Detroit Auto Show in January. This seems like a good reveal for the Chicago Auto Show in February or the New York Auto Show in late March/early May.

[Photos: Bob Spivey for Brenda Priddy & Co.]