Lutz - we need more Hummers...
 

Well, so much for the SUV market dying. At least for Hummer. http://money.cnn.com/2006/09/28/news/companies/gm_hummer/index.htm?cnn=yes

the stupidity market never dies

I could use more hummers.

Hummer market summary: Money > Brains

Well, true, but broad sweeping. The stupidity market can involve anyone from those who refi-ed their house and spent all their equity to those who bought Hummers.

We also own Porsches which we don't drive in a miserly fashions.

Et tu, Brutus?

That headline is misleading. They don't need more Hummers, they need more models as the article points out. Not sure about the rest of the country, but Hummers are stacked up like chord wood around here. Drove by one of the bigger dealers in Novi, MI Tues and they had hundreds on their lot alone!

I wonder how many know that Hummer division executives are all women?

dd

I agree. But for many of the folks who buy a Hummer, it is their main mode of transportation. Most Porsche owners I know use theirs for mostly "fun trips".

Am I wrong here?

They probably do need more models, now that they killed off the largest one (H1) and sales of the next largest are dying, too.

"Hummer" is no longer the giant vehicle driven by Ahnold, it's just another GM nameplate to sell mid sized to smallish trucks. I.e., from the article:

"The H3, which is built on GM's midsize pickup truck platform, accounts for about three-quarters of the brand's current sales. It is similar in size to a Nissan Pathfinder or Toyota 4Runner and is powered by a 5-cylinder engine."

I think the article talks about expanding the range to Jeep Wrangler sized stuff, etc. It's probably not a bad idea, the nameplate is popular and has some value, and mid to small trucks will always be popular in the US. In any event, any expansion of the Hummer model line is almost certainly going to be on the downsize, not the upsize.

So it's not as crazy as it first might appear.

You're wrong - at least in my case - I drive mine every day. :)

And I would guess with everything going against my car (engine, gearing, tire height, the driver's right foot) the gas mileage isn't much better than a Hummer's.

Interesting. Of course, no accounting for Los Angeles, I've only seen yuppies in these things. Across the board, it's been 50-50 men and women.

I drive my Boxster everyday, and I don't feel badly. It gets damn good mileage if you don't drive like a maniac.

Comparing a 4 ton truck to a P-car, is apples to oranges. Both have their excesses, but the Porsches are certainly more efficient.

This is true. CalTrans did a study on what is truly wasteful about SUVs on CA. freeways, and found it isn't the engine or weight of the vehicle, but the dimensions. They simply take up so much width and length.

I have heard - but don't know the truth - that Hummers can fall into a tax loophole for small businesses. The owner who is hankering for a lux vehicle can lease a Hummer & write a big chunk of it off as a business "delivery" vehicle/truck.

Ian

A friend who lives in Calistoga bought 2 Range Rovers because of this loop hole. The tax saving meant the second one was free. The stipulation is weight not usage.

The best Hummer site ever! :D

I think "SLutz: we need more hummers" is a better title :D

Ah! You must have driven in L.A., too.:D

Yep, mines a daily driver :D But also have my backup vehicle just in case the P-Car does not want to play in the morning!!!

and so why were you taking me to task with the 911 reference? ;)

They are stupid because they are unnecesarily huge.