Do these Hummers really get 100 mpg?

 

I suppose this had to happen at some point.

Creating a Hummer that gets 100+ miles per gallon is a huge public relations story for the company that has managed to build one. And bloggers love to jump on the story and say that a Hummer can kick a Prius’ butt. 

Raser Technologies unveiled their Prius-kicking Hummers (an H3 and H3 SUT) at this year’s SAE World Congress in Detroit last week, and I have to admit at first glance, the technology is impressive.

Raser customized their H3 with a system similar to that in the Chevy Volt, which runs for the first 40 miles on pure electricity, then uses a gas engine to generate electricity for driving up to 400 miles on one tank. Drive 50 miles per day and this H3 will return 185 miles per gallon. Driving 200 miles or more drops the mpg to 33 (still about double the mileage of a gas-powered H3). 

It’s pretty obvious that Raser is proving a point by creating a Hummer, the epitome of gas hogs, that can run virtually gas-free on daily commutes. They might even be hoping to secure a licensing deal by impressing the bigwigs at the Big 3 and proving that the technology for extreme efficiency in trucks and SUVs does exist.

I do have doubts that an electric Hummer can maintain the legendary towing, off-road, and all-weather capability of its gas-powered counterparts.

But…

If electric Hummers were available that had the same capabilities as gas-powered versions, would your opinion about the brand change?

-tgriffith

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Acura NSX: Collectible or Forgettable?

When I was entering high school, I helped my dad restore a 1966 Oldsmobile Toronado. (By “helped,” I mean “watched,” but I still felt involved just by being there as he worked!)

As the Barrett-Jackson auction in Arizona ended last week, I remembered that old Toronado and wondered which cars from today my son might someday collect or even restore. Of course there isn’t a scientific way to predict what models will skyrocket in value, but we can certainly take educated guesses.

Below are four modern cars I believe will eventually sit behind red ropes at auctions or await restoration in garages across America.

I could’ve really used any full-size American SUV here - the Suburban, the Navigator, the Yukon, etc. I think the Escalade is unique, because it’s the only one that has taken on an image like no others: A symbol of excess used by athletes and rappers nationwide. In 40 years or so, we’ll look back on these and remember a time when America truly believed that size mattered.

Cars that influence the design of their competitors’ cars are truly innovative, and the xB came along at a time when there was nothing like it. Soon we had the Honda Element and Ford Flex. The first Scion xB will be remembered and collected because of the impression it has made on today’s youth.

The Mustang is a perennial collectible… I still fantasize about one day having a cherry red ’65 in my garage. The Shelby GT500KR is the version of Mustang today that is rare enough to warrant collectibility in the future. Buy one now and watch as its value increases over the coming decades.

Honda recently scrapped their plans to build a new NSX, but the ones in existence are primed to take on a near-mythical quality. This is the car that caused Ferrari to rethink their build quality, for goodness sakes. Find one now and pay what you must for it, because this car will bring in even bigger bucks in the future, assuming you (or your grandkids) are ever ready to sell it.

Which modern cars do you think will be collected in the future?

-tgriffith

 

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