Written by:
SPEED Staff
SPEEDtv.com
SPEEDtv.com
08/04/2008 - 08:53 AM
Charlotte, North Carolina
The H1 Alpha is powered by GM's 300-horsepower Duramax 6600 diesel. (Photo: MyRide.com) ยป More Photos
On April 23, 2003, self-styled ecologists of the Earth Liberation Front torched 20-some SUVs at a San Diego Hummer dealership. Although most were the Hummer H2, smaller verstions of the larger military-derived H1, it's the latter that really tweaks the save-the-planet types as being wasteful of natural resources. And certainly the H1 doesn't make much sense as a daily driver. It's too wide, it's too heavy, it's too loud inside, and it seats only four in military comfort. But it's also the best SUV around for true off-road performance. It can scale 22-inch rock ledges, ford 30 inches of water, and climb 60 percent grades.
As of 2006, the H1 Alpha is powered by GM's 300-horsepower Duramax 6600 diesel that delivers 520 ft-lbs of torque at 1,500 rpm. Remarkably, the H1 Alpha can achieve 15 miles per gallon and can rumble 0-60 miles per hour in 13.5 seconds, both better than a clapped-out VW van full of leftover hippies. In truth, the Hummer H1 Alpha is like California Governor and Hummer owner Arnold Schwarzenegger: more muscles than one needs for everyday use but a lot of fun to have.
Specifications
Engine: 6.6-liter diesel V-8
Horsepower: 300
0–60 mph: 13.5 seconds
Top Speed: 90 miles per hour
Price New: $129,399 open top; $140,796 wagon
Value Now: Ditto
Hummer H1 Alpha
CLAIM TO FAME: The baddest SUV on the block, however you define that
SOUNDTRACK: The Marine Corps Hymn
PERFECT PASSENGER: General Tommy Franks
BEHIND THE WHEEL: Take a big check to your local Hummer dealer, or get a special deal from a military recruiter on a matching desert camo outfit and a special up-armored version.
DID YOU KNOW? Hummer, the GM Foundation, and Hummer's dealer network donated 72 H1, H2, and H3 vehicles to the Red Cross for use in the Hurricane Katrina-ravaged Gulf Coast area.
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What are your thoughts on the Hummer H-1? Justified transportation or ego carriage?
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