The General brings out the big guns

Cars get their reputations in a number of ways. Some, like the WRX, get crashed a lot, so they're always a favourite with the young lads who like a bit of bang for their buck.

Others, like the BMW brand, appear in movies, like the new 20th James Bond movie - Die Another Day.

The Bentley and Jaguar brands have an amazingly prestigious heritage, which is not surprising since the British Royal family have been scooting around in them for decades.

But the Humm Vee? Well, it got it's reputation from the Gulf War.

Indeed, as strange as it sounds, the new road-ready Hummer or Humm-Vee, which is about to launch in the States, was first seen when the USA and Iraq faced off in the Middle East.

The buzz surrounding the new Hummer, otherwise known as the H2, is massive. Huge. Colossal. AM General did a deal with General Motors and now they have an alliance which allows GM to produce and use the Hummer name. Don't get any thoughts about seeing a Holden H2 anytime soon, though...

The anticipation for the H2 is stirring the yanks up like you wouldn't believe. There are people in the States who have gone onto Ebay and paid as much as $US10,000 just to be one of the first to get to buy an H2. That's $18,000 just to stand in line!

The new behemoth goes on sale in July 2002 and will cost around $US50,000, and while GM reps aren't too pleased about the Ebay issue, they say there's not much that can be done about it. But enough back story - let's look at the new Hummer H2.

When you gaze at the hard lines of the H2, one thing is obvious - it is huge. Measuring 4.8-metres from bonnet to boot, and roughly 2-metres wide and again tall, it's not the kind of vehicle you want to drive down narrow one way city streets. Then again, that's probably all it'll be used for, with an estimated 90 per cent of buyers not intending to take the H2 off-road.

It's a great shame really, because thanks to it's heritage, extrmely short overhangs, massive 17-inch wheels, acres of ground clearance and serious transmission, this would be one seriously good bush basher.

As far as sex appeal goes, it's not flat-out ugly, but then it's not what you'd call sleek, either. The Americans are going wild for the new design, but we attribute this to sheer size, rather than styling cues.

It's got large, flat side panels, and it's as though a troupe of armed Marines are going to jump out at any time thanks to its styling, which is similar to the original.

Inside, the H2 seats six, and while cloth trim is standard, the optional leather trim brings with it heated cushions and seat backs, with three heat levels. You get dual zone climate control with additional rear controls for the air-con units, a nine speaker Bose CD-stereo system with a digital signal processing amplifier and acoustic insulation.

There's a leather wrapped steering wheel, compass, side-window de-fogging system and six power points, which is handy if you happened to bring the TV, VCR, DVD, PC, Playstation and toaster with you.

On the outside, the GM-built H2 can be optionally fitted with what could be the world's largest opening skyroof, making what could also be the world's largest convertible.

Standard features include black moulded wheel arches, a heavy duty bonnet, daytime running lights, full skid-plate protection and rocker panel protection.

While the asking price is close to six figures (Australian currency), what you get is quite good value, and we shouldn't forget to mention the front airbags, anti-theft security system and battery rundown protection, either.

When it comes to mechanicals, you just know that GM woudn't throw something average into the H2 - it's one of those 'all-or-nothing' affairs.

As such, the Hummer H2 is fitted with a single overhead cam Vortec 6.0-litre V8, with sequential fuel injection and cast aluminum cylinder heads. With a compression ratio of 9.4:1. the big block V8 kicks out 235kW of power @ 5200rpm, and while we don't have any specific torque figures yet, expect it to be massive. Huge. Colossal.

Featuring a four-speed, four-wheel drive auto gearbox, the H2 has also has high range open (dry road surfaces), high range lock (semi-slippery surfaces) and low range lock (severe off-pavement use) ratios, in addition to the standard driving mode. It has a stall ratio of 1.90 and with 5-link variable-rate coil springs at the rear and independent suspension with torsion bars up front -- the H2 is a serious piece of off-road kit.

One of the toughest and most rugged pieces of military hardware has made it to production, albeit slightly changed, which is no great surprise. The public demand for the new truck is a surprise though. GM plans to produce about 35,000 units per year and has stated that if successful (which it is), then it would create a smaller Hummer, the H3, which would cost about half as much.

The new Hummer H2 is big, real big, has a huge engine, which will provide what should be abysmal fuel economy, but despite this, it will be a PT Cruiser-like success in the States. The level of luxury inside is quite impressive and the sheer presence that it offers will be worth the price of admission for some.

The Jeep Cherokee and Range Rovers of the world will run off in terror when one of these 2-metre wide truck-like vehicles comes steaming down the road, and perhaps that's why American drivers are going crazy for them, as Paul Beckett, the H2 marketing head-man explained: "It's really not a vehicle for the timid. You're not just another SUV going down the road. It's really making you stand out and I think people like that."