When the boss-man asked if anyone ever wheeled a camel before it reminded me of a fun event I covered in Dumont Sand Dunes...

It was a publicity stunt put on by Toyo Tires to highlight Robby Gordon's Dakar race effort.

To me it was a chance to evaluate Robby's driving skills as well as camel handling abilities.

I even got to ride one around the dunes. What a hoot!

Because life itself is like an open thread, in't it?

Anything goes in this thread . . . Anyone ever wheeled a camel before?

The folks over at Superlift Suspension have recently unveiled some new suspension systems.  For those of you who own an '08 Ford Super Duty, you now have the option of raising your vehicle 2, 4, 6, 8, or 10 inches.  According to Superlift, caster-correction is engineered into each system.  The taller systems use either Caster Brackets with the OE arms or a 4-link conversion.  Kits also include engine-specific coil springs as required and an optional track bar relocation bracket.  Three options to lift the rear suspension include blocks, additional leaves or replacement Superlift spring packs.  Shock options include Superide (gas front, hydraulic rear), Superide Select Series by Bilstein or the remote-reservoir SSR.  There are also multi-shock options available.              

Another new product available from Superlift is this Level-It front strut leveling kit.  This kit applies to trucks and SUVs that have coilover front struts like the ''07-and-newer 1/2-ton Chevy/GMCs and the Toyota FJ Cruiser.  The Level-It strut spacers are affordable and easy-to-install and raise the vehicles front to sit level with its rear by providing 1.5 to 3 inches of lift depending on application.  They're made from 6061-T6 billet aluminum and/or 7mm plate steel that's finished in black powdercoat.  Kits include modified extension stops as necessary and 10.9-grade metric hardware.  Most applications allow you to fit up to 33-inch tires.

For more information visit www.superlift.com  

Today is the final day of my second week of vacation for the year.

When I woke this morning, without fail, I gravitated towards my laptop to see what work had in store for me in the coming days.

On the heels of a super fun-packed vacation, I return to my dream job with one added responsibility. One that includes an electronic leash of sorts. Now instead of driving out to an event or photo shoot for work each day, I'll be writing about whatever we think might be of interest to our readers/viewers. Writing the blog is only half of it though. Pictures are also required each day. That is why I purchased a new air card for my company laptop. Cingular along with many other service providers out there have a simple product that insures Internet access via the cell phone network. Yes, the service is not cheap, but in essence, it is my electronic leash enabling me to do my job from the road as I leapfrog from project to project, shop to shop, event to event.

So, in return for our staff(s) willingness to provide you with more blogs, I feel it is only fair that YOU who frequent our website, take a moment to bookmark our Blog page. One hit each day from each reader would actually make us feel like someone out there actually IS interested in what we have to say, even if it is off-topic banter about our newest electronic gadget. If you really like us you might even want to post a comment or two.

Now, I'm headed back out on the lake for a tubing session...

In the July '08 issue of Four Wheeler we showed you a photo of Bobby Brown of Jacksonville, Florida, wailing on his LS2 GTO 6.2L-powered Chevy Colorado Tough Truck at the Indianapolis, Indiana, 4-Wheel Jamboree.  We noted the amazing fact that he DROVE the Chevy 900 miles from Florida to Indiana, raced the truck for three days, and then drove 900 miles back to Florida.  That was impressive.   

But even more impressive is that on occasion he actually uses the Colorado to tow other race trucks to races as shown in this photo, taken by Russ Richey of Special Events.  Way to go Brown.  What's next?  Groceries?

Here's good news for those of us who want to squeeze every mile per gallon from our rigs.  Superchips just introduced their all-new Mileage XS Fuel Economy Programmer.  Designed for late-model trucks or SUVs, it comes to market equipped with enhanced fuel economy calibrations that help your engine get better MPG.          

The folks over at Superchips say this: "The biggest difference between the Mileage XS and other "fuel economy" aftermarket products is we engineer these powertrain calibrations specifically for improved economy and scientifically verify the results.  According to the the Superchips press release, early field tests indicate that customers can expect up to 15% MPG gain depending on the vehicle and engine.

Also interesting is the that Superchips says the price of the unit will be "economical."  The press release says; "...in such a tough economy we wanted to make sure our current customers have affordable access to the latest innovations from Superchips."   

If you want more info on the XS, visit www.superchips.com.  Superchips will begin taking orders for the unit on July 21. 

Our friends over at PickupTrucks.com have selected what they think are the Top 5 ugliest concept trucks of all time...

All pickups are a simple 3 box design - hard to really mess that up right? Well some manufacturers have gone out of their way in an attempt to refine the formula, with some hits and some misses. While we have seen some pretty outrageous concept vehicles in our day, 5 of them stand out, at least in the mind of PickupTrucks.com Editor-in-Chief, MIke Levine as the ugliest that ever were. You can read Mike's story here.

We think Mike is pretty on the ball on this list, but we'd like to add a couple more to his list:

Ford Equator
With an odd mix of angles and shaps, some square, some organic, we are glad this love child of the H2 and F-150 never left the nursery. While it looks like there is a lot of Hummer H2 SUT elements in its design, it actually preceeded the General's better executed box by a few years - corporate espionage anyone?
Chevrolet Cheyenne
Now that's a wheelbase! We can't imagine where this out of proportion fullsize would have played. Certainly not off-road with a breakover angle like that, let alone parking lots. Its melted wax styling didn't do anything for us either.

Subaru Baja
Unfortunately this eyesore made it to production. While it wasn't a bad vehicle, it never was easy enough on the eyes for us to take seriously. Certainly not our choice for bombing down our favorite penninsula.

Tell us what you think.

-- Sean P. Holman
Tech Editor - Four Wheeler Magazine

Hummer just released pricing on the 2009 H3T and we have it here...

The official base prices for the H3T are as follows:

H3T - $31,495 ($850 less than 2009 H3)
H3T Adventure - $34,065
H3T Alpha - $36,760 ($3,900 less than 2009 H3 Alpha, premium cloth interior versus leather)
H3T Alpha w/ ZM6 - $38,485

The H3T will be available in either 3.7L I-5 or 5.3L V-8 forms, with either a 4-speed automatic or 5-speed manual backing it up. We leave at the end of the month to put the production versions through their paces in the Sierras.

--Sean P. Holman
Tech Editor - Four Wheeler Magazine

With fuel prices going berserk, one of the goals of our project Trailhugger Hummer H3 Alpha was to improve its off-highway capability and daily function with only a minimal impact on fuel mileage.  Well, so far so good.  Last week we latched Trailhugger to a utility trailer loaded with gear and drove from our northern Illinois base to Door County, Wisconsin for vacation.  Door County is the peninsula of land that juts out from northeastern Wisconsin.  It's bordered on the west by Green Bay and on the east by Lake Michigan.  Scenically, it's as close to the Pacific or Atlantic coast as you're going to get without actually going to the coast.   

On the way up we'd estimate our trailer weight at around 1,000 pounds.  This weight was comprised of the weight of the trailer, five mountain bikes, coolers and a slew of gear and suitcases.  There were five passengers in the truck and the cargo area was loaded with gear as well.  We drove 60 mph and the 5.3L V-8 returned a very acceptable 16.4 mpg.  We're pretty happy with that number and it proves that the low-profile, light weight Gobi roof rack and the other mods haven't killed our H3s mileage.  In the above image you can see Trailhugger towing the trailer with a couple of kayaks.

A few weeks ago we posted a blog about how Hummer vehicles were utilized to provide aid to Midwest flood victims.  In response to that piece reader Mike Powell sent us a slew of images of Hummers working during the tragic Midwest flooding.  All of these images were taken by "a good friend" of his.  As you can see by this image the Hummers had to negotiate some areas that were heavily damaged to reach flood victims. 

Many of the drivers of these rigs were GM employees that had undergone Red Cross training.  They were deployed to the Red Cross headquarters in Indianapolis, Indiana, and then assigned to specific flood-ravaged areas.  All told this operation lasted 10 days with the first 5 days spent working out of Indianapolis delivering food, water and other essentials to hard-hit areas.  The crew also worked out of Vincennes, Indiana, conducting damage assessments for 5 counties in Indiana and Illinois.

This was clearly dangerous work.  As we all know, floods can wipe out roads and then murky standing water can hide deep holes that can swallow vehicles.  Here are a few images of the Hummers in action.

How  I roll...
I'm a pickup truck kind of guy. I haul stuff. I tow other vehicles around from place to place often. I help people move all the time and until recently I just couldn't see myself driving a small SUV. A lack of physical space is the main reason I guess. I especially didn't think a small Jeep Wrangler 2-door would work for me.
Recently, however, our long term tester Jeep, a '07 JK Rubicon, was assigned to me for evaluation. At first I told myself "It's o.k., I'll simply put off all my hauling projects until I get the Jeep tested". I guess my rational was things can wait until later. However when looming deadlines and personal vacation plans started getting in the way, the anticipation of the stress to come forced me to make the Jeep work.

First stop: Jeep dealer in Prescott, Arizona.
Objective: Ready the Jk for Towing.

The new JK Wrangler comes equipped with a rear cross member that allows for easy bolt-on installation of the factory receiver hitch. Because our test Jeep didn't come with the factory hitch I figured I'd simply eat the expense and purchase one. Once at the dealership I was surprised to find this part was no bigger than a kitchen toaster-oven, and better yet only required one wrench to install. The cost was just under $170.00. The installation was a snap. Three metric bolts hold the unit to the chassis. Once I had the hitch installed a heavy rain storm hit Prescott. I took the little Jeep out in search of a place to shoot some water crossing photos. With a little help from my girlfriend I was able to get a few good action shots .
Packing Light:
Next we loaded our stuff for a two-week long road trip towards Lake Shasta in Northern California.
I found the Jeeps interior limited but workable. I stuffed softer items like sleeping bags and air mattresses between the hard-top and the rear-most down bar of the cage. This allowed plenty of space for my camera bags, laptop case and my girlfriend and her 11-year old son's clothing bags.
We spent a day in southern California before heading north to the Bay Area where my pending projects were waiting for my presence. The back seat of the 2-door JK is perfect for kids. My girlfriend's son said it felt more spacious than the back seat of the Nissan Titan extra cab I had recently returned to our loaner pool. I was impressed to find 19.5 MPG on our trip to southern california from Prescott, Arizona. It was 113 degrees outside and the JK had no problem staying cool or keeping us cool with the powerfull factory A/C. This made the 6-hour drive easy.
Towing with a JK.
The hitch  I installed would allow me to tow up to 2,500-lbs, enough to take a load of used tires up to my buddies place in Placerville, California. The little trailer shown here is the new official TTC Support Trailer I'm currently working on. This trailer is way to small to haul a side x side, but for smaller loose items like tires it's perfect. And talk about a perfect tow test for the short wheelbase JK?
Next task:
I needed to haul our Project Rhino up to the Sierra's for a photo shoot and testing. No problem. I simply borrowed a different utility trailer from a friend and loaded up the Rhino. Though the weight of the Rhino was noticeable the Jeep's 3.8L V6 did just fine lugging the load up the highway 50 towards Placerville.
Going Topless:
The new JK hardtop is super easy to remove. I simply removed three torx head bolts and with the help of two other people the top was gone. Once removed the Jeep took on a hole new character.
Lake Tahoe in the summertime is the perfect place to drive a Jeep topless. As such, I decided it would make sense to head up to a friends vacation home on the North side of the lake and soak in the scenery. The setting offered an awesome backdrop for a JK Rubicon photo session. It also gave me a quiet environment to write stories while my girlfriend and her son enjoyed the lake with friends.

So far so good.
I've started to realize the Jeep JK dosn't really hinder my lifestly as much as I though it would. The fact that it can tow a load negates all my complaints about limited cargo capicity. The open top is a nice benifit for environments where the spectacular scenery can be enjoyed. the MyGig sound system with Serius Sattelite radio sounds awesome and sure make the long drives go by faster.  The MPG benifit is worth mentioning as well. I'm used to 13-MPG best from just about any other pickup in our fleet. So these long road trips are costing much less thanks to the JKs 16-19.5-MPG I've observed thus far.

The folks at Hummer and Tread Lightly are teaming up for Sierra trail maintenance . . . here's how you can help.

Hummer and Tread Lightly!, as part of their recreation Rescue initiative, are launching a trail maintenance program it the Sierra National Forst at the end of this month. Want to get involved? Full press release follows:

Tread Lightly! is urgently seeking volunteers for an important project in the Sierra National Forest on the Bald Mountain Off-Highway Vehicle trail in California.  The project is part of Tread Lightly!’s program called HUMMER’s Recreation Rescue.  Plenty of press will be there to record your hard work, so we need a great showing!

Volunteers will be needed to help clear a short trail reroute and also to help fence off some areas.  We will also be digging holes, laying pipe, pouring cement and filling in holes.

Please let us know if you would be available to help us.  We will also be holding a one-hour Tread Trainer Awareness Course the night before.

Bald Mountain Trail Volunteer Day, Click here for map.

DATE:  Friday, August 1, 2008

TIME:  8:00am

FOOD:  Lunch and a light breakfast will be provided

MEETING PLACE:  Bald Mountain Base Camp

VOLUNTEER AGREEMENT:  All volunteers must sign an agreement with the US Forest service.  Download the volunteer agreement here.  Then, fax it back to Greg Marks at the Sierra National Forest at (559-855-5355).  If you don’t have a fax machine, bring your signed form with you to the project site and let us know that you are bringing it. 

WHAT TO BRING:  Work gloves, safety glasses, hat, sun block, bug spray, a light rain jacket or poncho, work shirt, work pants, work boots or foot wear, a day or belt pack, hand sanitizer, and a shovel.  Also, be sure to wear boots of some type, preferably a hiking boot, while working on the trail.   

SOME SUPPORTERS OF THIS PROJECT:  The volunteer day is part of a larger Bald Mountain project funded by HUMMER.  Some great clubs and organizations are stepping in up to the plate, including:  Clovis Independent Four Wheelers, Mountain Toppers Four Wheel Drive Club of Fresno, California Association of Four Wheel Drive Clubs, Inc, California Association of Four Wheel Drive Clubs Safety and Education Foundation, Inc., Californians for Public Access, Inc, (Cal Access) and Lock and Low Four Wheel Drive Club of Visalia.

CAMPING:  Consider camping in the Sierra National Forest the night before!

MORE INFORMATION:  Click here for more information about HUMMER’s Recreation Rescue and the Bald Mountain OHV Trail Project.

Tread Lightly! Tread Trainer Awareness Course

Date:  Thursday, July 31, 2008

Time:  7:00pm – 8:00pm

Place:  High Sierra Ranger District Office Conference Room - 29688 Auberry Road, Prather, CA 93651

Cost:  Free

When will it end? Are we going to see $8.00 a gallon before we come up with a different way to fuel our nation's transportation needs? I fear this. What will the outrageous cost of fuel do to the 4x4 industry? Will everyone start down-sizing to Suzuki Samurais or even Yamaha Rhinos? Or will a new technology come along and set our dependency on petroleum free?

I don't have the answers, but I sure like what I see coming from the top minds in Europe. Take a look at the newest concept in ultra-lightweight vehicle design; The Loremo

Sustainable mobility for all!

Not only does this car get upwards of 100 MPG around town but it offers occupants unmatched safety thanks to the rigid chassis design and a particularly smart use of high-tech linear cell construction. You see, when it comes to vehicle construction, the lighter weight a car is the less potential energy it has to absorb during a collision. With large crumple zones surrounding the passenger compartment this car would be like driving a F1 car with freeway crush barriers surrounding the entire vehicle. Able to travel over 400 miles on one 5-gallon tank the Loremo is in a class all its own. Now, We know what you are thinking, how do you take this technology and build a cool-looking SUV that can perform in the dirt? Well we believe companies such as Jeep and Hummer are headed in that direction, but for now simply tell a friend about the Loremo and maybe we'll see them stateside by 2015.

Visit the Loremo's global website Here.

This '05 Nissan Frontier is one of the most trick I've ever seen.

With long-travel suspension, fiberglass body parts, 35-inch tires, suspension seats and more this custom desert prerunner is what I'd want to own.

The folks over at Dick Cepek Tires & Wheels wowed Jamboree-goers last weekend when they unveiled their new Torque wheel at the Springfield 4-Wheel Jamboree.  The Torque is designed for trucks and SUVs that require higher offsets, additional brake caliper clearance and the ability to use the factory tire pressure monitoring sensors.  We all know that black wheels are hot.  This flat black wheel has a lot of hotness thanks to a rugged-looking machined outer lip, a tough satin clear coat and a stylish black center cap.

We're told that the Torque will be available in diameters ranging from 16 to 22 inches in a variety of bolt patterns.  Word is that the Torque will be available in late July.   

Wow!  We've seen alot of monster truck mishaps, but this one involving Avenger was one of the wildest.  During a wheelstand the truck started to roll to the drivers side.  This put an immense amount of pressure on the rear suspension, which caused the main stabilizer bar to break.  The truck fell onto the left front wheel and broke the hub.  You'd think it was curtains for the Avenger, but the driver got on the gas before the truck settled down and drove it back on all four wheels.  Now that's cool.  

A variation on the Tough Truck course meant longer runs with more turns, which is always good.  Oh, and the main doubles generated some good air as demonstrated by this Suzuki.

Here's another angle on the main set of doubles.  Here the After Burner Ford Ranger gets it done.

As we said in a previous blog, we brought our project Trailhugger Hummer H3 Alpha to the show.  It was on display all day Saturday at the Main Stage in the Performance Marketplace.  Thanks to Smilin' Joe Pagano and the Special Events staff for the great parking spot.

Nine-time UFC Welterweight Champion Matt Hughes was at the 2 Brothers booth signing autographs and posing for photos.  He's a nice guy and he drives a Hummer H2!

Through the course of the weekend we shot a bunch of features for our sister publication Reader's Rigs so keep an eye out for those.  We'll have a full feature on the Springfield 4-Wheel Jamboree in an upcoming issue of Four Wheeler so stay tuned!

Friday was setup day at the Springfield 4-Wheel Jamboree and as we mentioned in a previous blog we rolled into the Illinois State Fairgrounds just in time for yet another Midwest thunderstorm that dumped buckets of rain.  Preparations for the weekend had to continue rain or not and the Hall Brothers Racing Team continued washing their rig as the rain fell. 

Ryan from Special Events summed up his feelings about the rain as he took a break from hanging banners.

The Illinois State Fairgrounds is a huge location located in north Springfield.

Some folks got to the show early to stake out a good spot for their rig.  This old IH pickup got one of the prime locations.

Mickey Thompson had their rig all set up and ready for the weekend.  Look at that rain!

The folks from 4Wheel Parts had their display all set up before the rain fell too. 

 Last week I took time off to go camping with my father and my new girl friend and her 11 year old son.

As many of you know the entire state of California has been engulfed in flames for the past few weeks.
Unfortunatly two of the larger fires prevented our group from enjoying any real camping activities.

 The first place we stayed was near the Indian's fire along the 101 freeway. Arroyo Secco was our destination, however when we got there the official campgrounds and the day use area was closed for evacuation. Evidently the Indians Fire was just three ridges south of the area and Fire officials felt it wasn't a good idea to have campers and hikers in the burn zone, we agreed. So we searched a little and found a private campgrounds nearby that was still open and pitched our tents believing we'd found the next best thing to our yearly favorite spot located miles up stream in the Arroyo Secco gorge.

The next day the morning silence was shattered by the sound of a helicopter hovering closely over head. Evidently the fire crews had set up a retardant reloading operation just 1/4 mile from our campsite. Four separate helicopters took turns reloading creating dust and winds all day as we tried to enjoy the large swimming holes of the river. The sky was blocked by dense smoke from the fire and our spirits were starting to fade as we realized camping in the area of operation was not fun at all. After about 24 hours of noise and dust we decided to pack up and head out to the coast. We figured the coastal winds would keep the smoke to a minimum.

Kirk Creek campground is one of my favorites along the Big Sur coast. However due to the Gallery Fire 40 miles north the campgrounds was engulfed in a constant shower of ash. Despite the ash we set up camp hoping things would change. They didn't. We woke to a thick layer of ash covering everything in our camp. It  was time to go. So we left Central California headed for Los Angeles. Our logic was simple: turn our attempt at a fun camping trip into a day at Universal Studios Hollywood. Ironically it was the Backdraft  attraction that we found most interesting.

There was some great action at the Springfield 4-Wheel Jamboree today!  We'd love to show you some of the photos we shot, but for whatever reason we still can't upload images.  We have put together a quick synopsis however.             

The rain stayed away and temperatures zoomed all the way into the mid 80's.  Mud racing, mud bogging, monster truck racing and Tough Truck racing rocked the Illinois State Fairgrounds.  The tree-lined Show 'n Shine area sported some fascinating rigs from trail pounders to daily-drivers. 

Racing highlights included the Avenger monster truck almost rolling over during freestyle and Tough Truck driver Jeff Dedick showering us with about 4 cubic yards of dirt as he drifted a corner.  We have photos.  

We met a bunch of great people and shot a bunch of trucks for Reader's Rigs Magazine.  We also met 9-time UFC Welterweight Champion Matt Hughes who was at the show signing autographs.  We have photos of him too.

Main Stage MC JOE "I Got A Voice Like A Subwoofer" PAGANO helped hook us up with a prime location for our project Trailhugger Hummer H3 Alpha right next to the Main Stage.  Thanks Joe (and Jessica)!  Got photos of that too.

We'll be at the Jambo again tomorrow and we hope to see you there.  The local weather guy says it should be about 13 degrees cooler and there's only a slight chance of isolated thunderstorms.  

As soon as possible we'll get all of the images uploaded.  We also have an EXCLUSIVE story WITH PHOTOS of a BRAND-NEW product that was introduced at the Springfield Jambo.  We know you'll be interested in this one!     

We would LOVE to show you some of the photos we took today of the Springfield 4-Wheel Jamboree spooling up for action this weekend, but for some reason our blogging software's ability to upload photos is AWOL.  So we may not be able to post images today, but we ARE here in Springfield!  For real!   

Just getting to Springfield was an adventure due to heavy thunderstorms.  When we got to the Illinois State Fairgrounds a new round of thunderstorms was just rolling in.  It didn't take long for the skies to open up once again, dousing the Special Events ops crew as they readied the fairgrounds for this weekends four-wheel-drive event.  It looks to be a good show and we saw a number of manufacturers already set up in the Performance Marketplace.  We also saw a bunch of rigs populating the Show 'n Shine area, including a way cool old International four-door pickup.  

Tomorrow's weather looks to be better!  And as promised we're here with TRAILHUGGER, our project H3 Alpha.  We just bolted on the new Gobi Stealth rack, so stop in and say hi!

More tomorrow!

We just bolted Gobi's Stealth roof rack onto our project Hummer H3 Alpha.  This simple install increased our H3's cargo carrying capacity by 26 square feet and it gave us mounting locations for a slew of aftermarket lighting.  Ain't life grand?  

During the search phase of this project we perused a bunch of different racks for our H3.  While each had features we liked, we ended up being the most impressed by the Gobi Stealth.  It's big, low-profile, light weight, has a built-in fairing, a weight rating of 300 pounds and it has light tabs for four forward-facing and two rear-facing lights.  Yo, what else is there?  This image shows everything included with the rack.

There's no drilling involved with the rack.  All total the rack is securely mounted to the H3 with eight brackets that mount to existing factory tracks and holes.

We were very concerned about wind noise and aerodynamics, which is one of the reasons we went with the Gobi Stealth rack.  As we mentioned it has a low profile.  It also includes a fairing that directs air up and over the rack instead of allowing the air to get under the rack a make a lot of racket (no pun intended). 

The quality of the Gobi Stealth is impressive.  And due to it's light weight, functional fairing and low profile we hardly know it's up there.  Like we said, the rack has a generous number of light tabs so installing the PIAA full perimeter lighting will be a snap.

Overall we're quite happy with the Gobi Stealth rack.  It blends nicely with our dechromed rig and it compliments our Burnsville Off Road-applied Keystone Auto flat clear paint, GT Inc. Simulock wheels, Hummer Accessories roof lights and rocker protection.

Don't forget, our H3 will be at the SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS, JAMBOREE this weekend!

Of course while we were at Attitude Performance in Arlington Heights, Illinois, installing the Gobi Stealth rack we made a KRAPPY KAM VIDEO of the install and you can view it in all its glory by clicking below! 

 Click HERE for the Krappy Kam!

Just when we thought things were bad, they have gone to worse with the latest news out of Detroit indicating that GM has stopped work on the next generation H3 and has shelved plans for the H4, as well as hired a broker to facilitate any sale of the brand.

The company line is “business is continuing as usual and we do not speculate on future products.” In reality, a quick look under the surface (and at HummerGuy.net) reveals what can only be considered a history mismanagement hell for Hummer – possibly dooming the brand from the beginning.

Hummer was born in to a time when fuel prices were low and tax breaks favorable. During the first couple of years, the brand gained notoriety for its in your face advertising promoting lifestyle and brashness over capability, something that haunts the brand to this day, as it was never able to outgrow that perception, despite impressive credentials for the trail and improving quality and fuel economy and changing marketing focus that finally touted the capability of the product line. But now, GM has taken away everything Hummer needs to survive, namely products. In typical GM fashion, right when they get the product right, they kill it, and Hummer is the victim this time around.

Just weeks ago, GM announced Hummer would go under “strategic review” for a possible sale or even closure. At the time we thought that GM might be bluffing until the higher fuel economy next-gen H3 and H4 would come out, but with no more products in the pipeline and the death of the H2, GM isn’t leaving potential Hummer suitors with a very attractive portfolio.

There are even reports that our beloved Bergstrom Hummer dealer in Wisconsin is already preparing for the inevitable doomsday for the brand. Hummer will share retail space with Chevrolet and using the former Hummer Quonset Hut showroom for Certified pre-owned vehicles.

To make a stronger case for our speculation, dealers have been notified today via mail that a broker has been chosen to facilitate the sale of the brand, if that is indeed the goal. From what we can tell, there are only a few things that can happen now. A) GM decides to keep Hummer. B) GM decides to fold Hummer C) GM decides to sell Hummer D) GM decides to sell Hummer and continue building its products for the new owners under a licensing agreement.

We think Hummer is an important enough product to keep around, with increasing sales success in the international market (international sales 20-percent of Hummer sales after a few short years), highly capable vehicles that have been put to use in everything from Border Patrol fleets to American Red Cross recovery efforts. If we were GM, we would sell Hummer as its own brand within Chevrolet showrooms (maybe Bergstrom is on to something), much as they do with Corvette, and let it be a stand-alone brand overseas where it is enjoying success. This would limit dealer overhead and still make an exceptional product available. Unfortunately, we are not GM and it appears we’ll be losing more great off road products.

For those of us who have bought into the brand, supported it, and have been open minded to its products – looking beyond popular perception, this whole thing is a hard pill to swallow. We just hope we are wrong, but we know we aren’t. We’ll just enjoy the hell out of the H3T when it launches later this year as planned.

Get your T-shirts and H3s while you can.

--Sean P. Holman
Tech Editor – Four Wheeler Magazine

Well, it is not all gloom and doom on the truck market today . . .

Toyota, for one, is zooming full speed ahead with a new set of performance options for its Tundra and Tacoma models, which are now being offered with a dealer-installed "Ironman" special-edition package.

Named for Baja legend Ivan "Ironman" Stewart, the Ironman Tundra will boast a supercharger underhood (a TRD creation, no doubt) that's said to pump horsepower and torque levels on the 5.7L V-8 to 504 and 550 lb-ft, respectively. Other cool gear you can get on your Ironman truck includes Bilstein shocks, Magnaflow cat-back, Hella lights, and a Hurst pistol-grip shifter. Hey, sign us up for a test drive already!

Taco owners, you've not been neglected. An Ironman package will also be offered on the Tacoma and FJ Cruiser too that'll squeeze 300+ hp outta that 4.0L V-6. Yee-heee!!!

According to our souces, you can puchase the Ironman package complete (estimated price: $20 grand), or you can select the components individually at your local Toyota dealer.  

(Source: Automotive News)

This just in: The Ford Ranger is NOT dead yet...

So the news out of Ford isn't all bad these days. We reported that the venerable Ford Ranger would be discontinued at the end of next year when its Twin Cities Minnesota assembly plant was slated to be shuttered. With consumer tastes changing and Ranger once again holding its own in the small truck sales race, the Minesota Governor Tim Pawlenty lobbied Ford to keep producing the little truck which has ironically become somewhat of the right product at the right time.

While we have no idea if the Governors trip had any bearing on the decision, Minnesota was prepared to match incentives used by other states.

We at Four Wheeler are huge fans of the Ranger and are happy that Ford is rumored to have issued a stay of execution. Our understanding is that the decision was just made and that a team will be assigned to make sure the Ranger will be emissions and crash compliant at least through the 2010 model year.

--Sean P. Holman
Tech Editor - Four Wheeler

Last week we were in Detroit for the press introduction of the 2009 Ford F-150, where we learned amid a changing market that Ford has decided to postpone the public launch of the new half-ton by two months. We also got wind that the next generation BOSS engines have been hugely scaled back. What does this mean for the Raptor?

As you know we have been hot on the heels of Ford’s hugely anticipated long-travel 4x4 Raptor for months now, and we recently reported that Raptor got the green light from management, complete with spy photos of a new prototype built on the 2009 chassis (as opposed to the current generation bodystyle mules we've seen previously). We knew from reliable sources that the Raptor’s sole engine would be the 6.2L BOSS V-8.

Last week while Ford was putting on a brave face introducing its 2009 F-150, we were learning behind the scenes from sources that Ford had scaled back the BOSS engine program. As Amy Wilson of Automotive News reports, and from information we corroborated from our own sources, we know that Ford is no longer planning on using the BOSS engine family in the 2010 F-150. Our sources tell us that work continues on at Ford until they hear otherwise from management, and that the engine could still be a candidate for the Super Duty. As you might recall, the BOSS program was formerly known as the Hurricane, and was revived by Mark Fields as Ford’s next-gen big displacement workhorse engine for its F-Series pickup trucks.

What does this mean for Raptor? Well considering that the Raptor was to be built on the same assembly line as the F-150, it is not economically feasible to install tooling in the plant to install and test an engine that is only going to be in one limited production model, so the death of BOSS for the F-150 also means the death of Boss for the Raptor.

Will this be the end of the Raptor program? While we have heard rumblings that because of the BOSS news, that the Raptor program is “under review” with a likelihood of it not going forward, we have word from some sources closer to the program that there are enthusiasts within Ford still fighting for it and it could go forward, but with a different drivetrain. If this is indeed the case, the introduction of the desert bad boy would be pushed back from the original planned date while development validation is completed on this new engine. Lets face it, Ford has already developed the truck and is less than a year from introducing it – the work is done. If money can be made off of the truck (and I am one of those willing to part with my own cash), it will proceed.

If Raptor goes on, what engine will it get? This is a great question, one that we wonder if Ford even has an answer to yet. The current engines that will be available for the 2009 F-150 are updated 4.6L 2V, 4.6L 3V, ana 5.4L 3V V-8s of the modular Triton family we are familiar with. Our guess would be that the current engines soldier on a bit longer than originally anticipated, which would make a supercharged 5.4L, like the one available in the 2008 F-150 Harley-Davidson truck a good candidate considering the production line limitations to other engines. Incidentally, we were expecting around 400hp from the BOSS 6.2L, and the 5.4L in the Harley-Davidson F-150 puts out 450hp – more than enough. To us this means the engine could be detuned slightly to a still impressive 400hp to retain durability. And don’t forget we ran a 280hp supercharged 4.0L V-6 in my long travel Project RangeRunner without issue for over 50,000-miles, so we assure you that type of setup can be used effectively in a desert environment.

We also hear that a 5.0L V-8 is in the works, which is hoped to produce about the same horsepower rating, but normally aspirated. We would guess that this engine is too early in it development to be a possibility in the Raptor right now.

For an in-depth look at what market challenges Ford is facing - and its response, check out Mike Levine’s story over at www.pickuptrucks.com.

Sean P. Holman
Tech Editor – Four Wheeler Magazine