The Hummer H1, unlike it's successors, IS the ultimate off-road and all-terrain vehicle and has been ever since it was developed by AM General nearly 25 years ago. The Hummer was began as a replacement for the US Militaries Jeeps and light trucks and was originally named the High Mobility Multi-Purpose Wheeled Vehicle or HUMMWV which was quickly translated into the "humvee" or "hummer" by the troops that used and maintained this new vehicle. In 1993 AM General began to sell limited quantities of the H1 Hummer to the general public after their much publicized success in the first Gulf War and purchasing endorsements by celebrities like Arnold Swartzenegger sent the public (who could afford the hefty price tag) into a H1 buying frenzy.

Ten years passed before General Motors licensed the use of the Hummer brand and began calling the original model the H1. Today, GM markets the H1 (which is still built by AM General), the H2 (which is based on the Chevy Silverado heavy-duty platform), and starting in 2006, the H3 (constructed from the bones of the Chevy Colorado).

In 2006 GM will launch the new Hummer H1 Alpha which still sports the original H1 body stylings because the difference between the H1 Alpha and the H1 is all under the hood. For 2006 the h1 will now be outfitted with GM's 6.6L Duramax Turbodiesel generating an impressive 300 horsepower at 3,000 rpm and an astounding 520 lb.-ft of torque at just 1,500 rpm. Dispersing all that power to the wheels is handled by a new Allison 1000 five-speed automatic transmission which not only allows the H1 Alpha to tow and haul more than 17,000 pounds, but also helps out offroad with a 22% better crawl ratio of 45:1.

To accomodate this larger and heavier powerplant, the H1 also has larger brake rotor and callipers, upgraded half-shafts, stronger steering linkage and a redesigned wheel hubs that allow for reduced driveline noise. The H1 Alpha body also sits a full two inches higher than before (not that you would notice) to allow clearance for the massive Duramax.

If this new brute from Hummer really get's you going and thinking of all the additional places you can go then you need only wait until early 2005 when this new and improved Hummer.

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