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Hummer HX
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The Hummer HX is a concept SUV revealed on 8 January, 2008 and manufactured by General Motors. The vehicle is smaller than both the H2 and H3 and is powered by a SIDI V6 that uses E85 FlexFuel.
More compact than a HUMMER H3 – 81 inches (2,057 mm) wide, with a 103-inch wheelbase (2,616-mm) – the HX concept is an open-air, two-door off-road vehicle. Its design is based on the ideas developed by a trio of young designers who are new to the HUMMER studio.
The HX has a pair of removable roof panels above the driver and front passenger, and a modular, removable rear roof assembly.
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Encyclopedia
The Hummer HX is a concept SUV revealed on 8 January, 2008 and manufactured by General Motors. The vehicle is smaller than both the H2 and H3 and is powered by a SIDI V6 that uses E85 FlexFuel.
More compact than a HUMMER H3 – 81 inches (2,057 mm) wide, with a 103-inch wheelbase (2,616-mm) – the HX concept is an open-air, two-door off-road vehicle. Its design is based on the ideas developed by a trio of young designers who are new to the HUMMER studio.
The HX has a pair of removable roof panels above the driver and front passenger, and a modular, removable rear roof assembly. The HX also was designed with several roof assemblies, allowing it to be configured as an SUT (with the roof assembly removed), a stylish slant-back or a traditional, wagon-like design that offers a bit more cargo space.
The HX was shown with a slant-back configuration, wearing a desert-inspired matte olive paint scheme, at the North American International Auto Show. Additional convertible features include:
- Removable doors – easily removable pins in the exposed hinges allow the doors to be removed quickly – an appreciated feature of many serious off-roaders
- Removable fender flares – attached with quarter-turn quick-release fasteners, the composite fender flares can be quickly removed for additional trail/rock clearance, or if the flare is damaged during off-road driving
The vehicle will be featured in Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.
Exterior
The design of the HX was driven by input from three young designers who were new to GM and the HUMMER design studio. As part of their "initiation," they were charged with developing concept drawings for a smaller, youthful HUMMER. The HX concept is based on one of the designers' original illustrations, but incorporates the best ideas and elements from the other designs.
Inside and out, the HX carries a purposeful aesthetic that, from initial sketches to finalized clay models, was refined in only six months.
On the exterior, the lightweight theme is evidenced in the appearance of exposed, billet aluminum suspension components that feature CNC-machined lightening relieves, as well as clean, unadorned bodywork and minimal trim. The lightweight theme is taken to its extreme when the roof panels, roof assembly, fender flares and doors are removed.
Classic HUMMER design cues make the HX instantly recognizable, including the round headlamps located in square housings, an upright windshield profile, minimal overhangs, hood vents and prominent air intakes. The air intakes are functional and feed a V-6 engine beneath the hood, while the hood vents are active – they articulate to allow hot underhood air to escape.
And while the headlamps and grille are clearly HUMMER cues, they've evolved on the HX with a "chopped circle" motif. The grille slots and headlamps, as well as elements on the interior, have the appearance of circles or ovals that have been clipped at the top and bottom, creating a unique appearance that speaks to the vehicle's purposeful aesthetic.
The HX's exterior is outfitted with HID headlamps whose focusing rings adjust automatically when they're turned on – much like the lens of an auto-focus SLR-type camera. LED technology is used for the front turn signal lamps and taillamps.
Interior
The HUMMER HX's interior was inspired by the elements found in aircraft.
The exterior's matte olive color carries over onto the interior's largely sheet metal-covered panels. The color is accented with pressed or extruded aluminum components, such as the handles, switches and other necessary parts.
The instrument panel uses an exposed, extruded aluminum cross-vehicle beam as its foundation. On the beam, the instrument cluster and other vital controls are mounted; and it also features a removal top cover that provides storage capability.
The floor is rubberized floor and the instrument panel is covered in a ballistic nylon-material.
Seating and console details
The HX's seats are constructed on a lightweight framework with holes, cross braces and triangulations. They are mounted on exposed, aircraft-style tracks and trimmed with a weather-resistant neoprene material.
The HX seats four, with a pair of bucket-type seats in the second row. The rear seats mimic the front seats' design and can be removed to generate more cargo room. All the seats feature a four-point, racing-style safety harness.
The inner seat track on both front seats is located beneath the outer edges of a prominent center console. The console houses a shifter that mounts low and out of the way when the vehicle is parked – also hiding from sight the engine starter button. It has a spring-loaded cover that pops up when the driver is ready to select a gear.
The console also houses a resting place for phones, MP3 player and iPods or iPhones. In fact, there is no conventional radio in the HX, only integrated speakers. Passengers plug in an iPod, or similar device, to a USB connector to play music in the HX.
Gauges and tools
The "cut-off circles" motif of the exterior is seen even more so on the HX's interior, as the gauge cluster, instrument panel vents and even the steering wheel carry the design element.
A three-element gauge cluster – each of the three instrument "pods" carries the cut-off circle design – delivers crucial driver information in either a highway or off-road mode. This conceptual reconfigurable gauge layout uses LCD screens with multiple layouts, including a navigation system. The navigation system features GPS and compass information; and is designed to upload trail information before setting off on an excursion.
The center gauge pod houses a speedometer and tachometer, but changes to a wheel angle indicator when the transmission is in the low position. This off-road mode changeover from the highway mode gives the driver information that is more pertinent to the driver conditions. The trail view of a camera mounted in the rear-view mirror can be displayed on the instrument panel, too.
The off-road mode features of the instrument panel comprise the virtual tools of the HX, while others are mounted for physical use, including a folding shovel, flashlight and first-aid kit. They all carry the "clipped circle" design motif found throughout the vehicle.
Suspension
The HX shares other HUMMER production models' body-on-frame, with mounted front and rear independent suspensions.
The front suspension features an electronic-disconnecting stabilizer bar for driving off road, and the rear suspension is located with CNC-machined, billet trailing arms. Heavy-duty shocks with piggyback reservoirs were custom-made for the HX by renowned racing shock manufacturer Fox; one is mounted at each wheel position.
A full-time 4WD system pulls the HX over, through and around off-road obstacles. It transfers torque to the front and rear axles, each of which is equipped with a locking differential. The torque meets the trail via custom 35-inch-tall off-road tires that are mounted on a set of custom, bead-lock-style wheels that have a two-tone appearance; dark-painted wheel centers complemented by silver-anodized outer rims.
A complete underbody armor kit, including a front skid plate, powetrain protection and more, protects the HX from wayward rocks and other potentially damaging objects. A power-operated winch is located in the front bumper, and the HX has recovery hooks mounted on the front and rear bumpers, just in case its help is required for wrangling others out of unfortunate off-road situations.
Motivation for the HX comes from an E85 FlexFuel 3.6L SIDI V-6 that is backed by a six-speed automatic transmission. The transmission is teamed with the 4WD system to offer exceptional low-speed traction and crawling capability. Four-wheel-disc brakes provide confident stopping power.
Specifications
| Model: | HUMMER HX Concept | | Body style / driveline: | two-door, four-seat open-top, four wheel-drive | | Construction: | welded steel frame, electro galvanized steel | | Engine type: | 3.6L V-6 VVT (variable valve timing) with spark-ignition, direct injection | | Displacement (CID / cc): | 217 / 3564 | | Bore & stroke (in / mm): | 3.70 x 3.37 / 94 x 85.6 | | Block material: | sand-cast aluminum with cast-in bore liners | | Cylinder head material: | cast aluminum | | Valvetrain: | DOHC, 4 valves per cylinder, variable valve timing (VVT) | | Fuel delivery: | direct high-pressure fuel injection | | Compression ratio: | 11.3:1 | | Horsepower (hp / kW @ rpm): | 304 / 227 @ 6300 rpm (est) | | Torque (lb.-ft. / Nm @ rpm): | 273 / 370 @ 5200 rpm (est) | | Fuel Type: | unleaded regular or E85 ethanol | | Transmission: | Hydra-Matic 6L50 six-speed electronically control automatic transmission | | Suspension: | front: independent SLA, custom Fox Racing coil-over shocks; 2-in shocks, 2.5-in springs | | | rear: semi-trailing link, custom Fox Racing coil-over shocks; 2-in shocks, 2.5-in springs | | Wheel travel (in / mm): | front: 9 / 228 | | | rear: 11/ 279 | | Brakes | four-wheel disc; Brembo 6-piston calipers (front); Brembo 4-piston calipers (rear) | | Rotor diameter x thickness (in / mm): | 15 x 1.25 / 381 x 31.75 | | Wheel size & type: | 20-inch x 9-inch | | Tires: | 35-inch custom Bridgestone Dueler | | Wheelbase (in / mm): | 103 / 2616 | | Overall length: | 171 / 4343 | | Overall width (in / mm): | 81 / 2057 | | Overall height (in / mm): | 72 / 1829 | | Track (in / mm): | 67 / 1702 (front); 68 / 1727 (rear) | | Minimum ground clearance front (in / mm): | 13 / 320 | | Approach angle (degrees): | 56 | | Departure angle (degrees): | 51 | | Breakover angle (degrees): | 25 | | Grade capability (percent): | 60 | | Side slope capability (percent): | 40 | | Water fording capability (in / mm): | 24 / 610 (at 5 mph) | | Seating capacity: | 4 |
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