HUMMER H3

H3’s introductory price includes standard equipment such as full-time electronic four-wheel drive, GM’s award-winning OnStar safety and communication system, and a 5-speed manual transmission, a first for HUMMER. H3 is also covered by HUMMER’s premium four-year/50,000-mile warranty plan.
H3 will be available with two optional packages – Adventure and Luxury. The Adventure Series includes key off-road performance equipment such as huge 33-inch tires, a 4:1 electronic transfer case and locking rear differential. The Luxury Series includes amenities such as heated leather seats and a leather-wrapped steering wheel. The Adventure and Luxury series can be combined, as well, for a truck offering the best of both worlds.

Hummer H2

The 2009 Hummer H2 ranks 10 out of 11 Luxury Large SUVs. This ranking is based on our analysis of 56 published reviews and test drives of the Hummer H2, and our analysis of reliability and safety data.
The 2009 Hummer H2 has stellar off-road performance, and head-turning style. But a worsening economy, skittish consumers, and Hummer's shaky future may spell the end of this gargantuan SUV.
The 2009 H2, which AutoWeek calls "one of the biggest, baddest muthas on the road," is an American icon that may be on its way out. High gas prices from the summer of 2008 all but killed the Hummer brand, and deepening economic woes are leaving many buyers wondering if they need such an expensive, thirsty vehicle. However, reviewers say that if you take the H2 for what it is-a flashy off-roader, not an efficient mini-van alternative, you'll be happy with the purchase.

HUMMER H1

Although most Hummers (pre-H1 and H1 alike) are visually identical, the 1996-2005 versions are most similar beneath the macho bodywork. For '96, a 6.5-liter diesel V8 replaced the former 6.2-liter engine and offered 170 horsepower to the 6.2's 150. But more importantly, a turbocharged version of the 6.5-liter was available too, which furnished 195 hp and 430 pound-feet of torque. A 5.7-liter gas V8 was also available for 1996 and '97, but it wasn't a match for the heavy Hummer. Active safety was greatly increased for 1999 via the adoption of antilock brakes and traction control.
The new millennium saw the debut of the slantback model and the option of a CD changer, while 2001 brought a revamped gauge cluster, rear armrests and optional 17-inch alloy wheels. A 10th-anniversary package, complete with badges, marked 2002, as did a new steering wheel and more legroom for front passengers. An electronically locking rear differential became available for 2003, as did a 12-CD changer. The 6.5 turbodiesel picked up 10 hp and 10 lb-ft for 2004. The last Hummer H1 rolled out in 2005, replaced the following year by the more powerful H1 Alpha, which itself lasted just the single year.

Porsche Carrera GT (US$444400)

Top Speed: 205 mph / 330 kph0-60

mph: 3.6 seconds0 - 1/4

Mile: 11.3 sec @ 131.6 mph

Engine: DOHC 4 / valves 5.7-liter V-10

This Porsche's sports car is an open two-seater that comes with an easy to use roof made of lightweight carbon.Originally Carrera GT was built for the street, however it is obvious that it is a racing car. It produced such monstrous amounts of horse power from its V10 engine that labeling it a simple street car is totally inappropriate. It easily qualifies to be named a super car. Carrera GT extends the possibilities of road driving and racing to the whole new level. It features an engine that easily tops the charts of the most powerful and fastest road cars.With its imposing rear wing, this super sports car is easily spottable from any angle as a powerful and fast presence on the road.

Carrera engine has an incredibly low (even for a supercar) gravity center, a sixty-eight degree V angle and 4 valves for each head of cylinder. It's engine weights astonishingly only 214 kg.911 model has been Porsche's top selling car for over three decades, however when the new Carrera GT with its specific style and substance came out, it quickly took the crown of top selling Porsche sports car. As of May 2006, 1,270 Carrera GT's had been sold.
Porsche’s philosophy to concentrate on the essential comes out particularly in the Carrera GT through the use of consistent lightweight technology in every respect. Measuring 4.61 metres or 181.5" in length, 1.92 metres or 75.6" in width, 1.16 metres or 45.7" in height, and with wheelbase of 2.73 metres or 107.5", the Carrera GT weighs in at an ideal unladen weight of 3043 lb.

The ten-cylinder power unit behind the cockpit of the Carrera GT is based on a 5.5-litre normal aspiration engine which, as a thoroughbred racing machine, might also have been raced in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Increasing engine capacity for the Carrera GT to 5.7 litres, Porsche’s engineers have now achieved maximum output of 612 bhp at 8000 rpm and maximum torque of 435 lb-ft at 5750 rpm. Top speed is 205 mph. And despite its racing character, this ten-cylinder is fully suited for everyday motoring also at low engine speeds.
Apart from Porsche Ceramic Composite Brakes (PCCB) already well known and widely lauded for their efficiency, Porsche is now using extra-light and extremely resistant ceramics for the transmission of power in this top-flight athlete: The Carrera GT is the first car in the world equipped with a ceramic clutch, the Porsche Ceramic Composite Clutch (PCCC), to use its precise name.

Through its compact dimensions, this two-plate dry clutch meets all the requirements of motorsport: Clutch plate diameter is only 169 millimetres or 6.65", serving to give the engine and transmission a very low centre of gravity. A further feature of the new ceramic discs is their much longer service life compared with alternative materials.

Ford GT ($143,000 to $157,000)

Top Speed: 205 mph / 330 km/h0-60

mph: 3.6 seconds0-100

mph: 7.8 seconds0 - 1/4

Mile: 11.6 sec @ 126.2

mphEngine: DOHC V-8, supercharged

Ford GT was created on the base model of Ford GT40 racecar, which in 1966 LeMans race beat all of its competition - the best racers with best racecars in the world.

The fact that it can be driven on the highway as well as on the racetrack is really amazing. This car does not use any special aviation fuel like most of the supercars and yet it is known to outperform it's rival cars like the Porsche, Ferrari or Lamborghini. Ford Motor Company has decided to produce only 4200 GT sports car units in the 2005-2006 years. Depending on chosen accessories, retail price varies from $143,000 to $157,000. Ford GT is really incredible when it comes to its racing performance. In 0-60mph test GT (3.3 sec) beats a $193,000 Ferrari Challenge Stradale (4.0 sec) by 0.7 seconds.

Ford GT features 18-inch front wheels, 19-inch rear wheels and GoodYear Eagle F1 Supercar tires. All GT models share one common design element, which makes their exterion look so amazing. The doors are cut into the roof of the car, this fact gives itr a very specific and exotic look.
Although the new production car and the original race car both share the mystique of the Ford GT name, they do not share a single dimension. The new car is more than 18 inches longer and stands nearly 4 inches taller. Its new lines draw upon and refine the best features of Ford GT history and express the car’s identity through modern proportion and surface development. “It’s amazing that we’ll show the first cars just a little more than a year after we started the program,” says John Coletti, director of SVT programs. “That’s a real tribute to the people, processes and technology behind the cars.”

The front fenders curve over 18-inch wheels and Goodyear Eagle F1 Supercar tires. In the tradition of original Ford GT racers, the doors cut into the roof. Prominent on the leading edge of the rear quarter panel are functional cooling scoops that channel fresh air to the engine. The rear wheel wells, filled with 19-inch wheels and tires, define the rear of the car, while the accent line from the front cowl rejoins and finishes the car’s profile at the integrated “ducktail” spoiler.

Looking in through the backlight, one finds the essence of the sports car in Ford’s MOD 5.4-liter supercharged V-8 engine. The finishing touches are Ford blue cam covers, each featuring an aluminum coil cover imprinted with the words “Powered by Ford.”

The Electric Mini Revealed

Just in time for the Los Angeles Motor Show, BMW has released the first images of the all new fully electric Mini E! We’ve hinted at it before, and it was just a matter time before it was unveiled, complete with a 204hp fully electric engine, a regenerative braking system, and a range of 150 miles.
The Electric Mini will be use a lithium-ion battery to power a 204 horsepower electric motor. Instead of a gas tank, the mini comes equiped with an electric socket for charging. To save energy, the mini’s top speed will be limited to around 95mph, and a single charge will take you 150 miles.

Rather than releasing the Mini E as soon as possible, BMW has decided to conduct a limited test run of 500 vehicles to investigate the viability of such a vehicle in New York, Los Angeles, New Jersey, and possibly London. We could probably save them the headache by saying “yes, it will be viable, and we want one”.


The Electric Mini will be officially unveiled next month in Los Angeles.

The Chrysler 200C EV Revealed

It is not often that surprises happen in the age of the Internet, but somehow Chrysler managed to keep a brand new electric vehicle under the radar until yesterday! During their presentation of upcoming electric vehicles at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Chrysler revealed the 200C EV - a stunning new extended-range concept car that will stand in direct competition against the Chevy Volt.

There’s no better time and place to salivate over cool looking cars and beautiful concepts than the North American International Auto Show, and this year has proven to be no exception. Everyone expected Chrysler to show their already revealed range of EV’s such as the Town & Country, Jeep Wrangler and the Dodge Circuit EV previously shown here at Inhabitat, but no one expected the unheralded release of a new vehicle.

The 200C EV is an extended-range vehicle powered by an electric motor assisted by a small gasoline engine. The vehicle can drive for 40 miles on the electric motor alone, and over 400 miles when assisted by the gas motor. The styling is based on the 300C, but it was modified slightly to reduce wind resistance and improve efficiency. Inside, the car features a multimedia touch screen instead of the usual array of buttons. It also comes with a tablet pc for the passenger, will be networked to other vehicles, and will allow parents to set limits to their kids’ driving range.
The 200C EV is not likely to go into production soon, as it is still a fairly new concept, but it does show Chrysler’s commitment to push for more efficient good-looking vehicles. According to Chrysler, they expect to have around 500,000 electric vehicles on the road by 2013.

This year’s North American International Auto Show was expected to be a low-key affair, with the industry facing their most difficult year in decades. It is in fact unlikely that the show will be the same in years to come. But for now, it is good to know that the industry has realized that their next generation vehicles must be as green as they can be.