New HummVee Prototype

[RuggedH2]

http://www.autoblog.com/2007/07/19/s...totype-caught/

[NEOCON1]

Go for it!

[RazM]

Wow, I hope that hood is just a placeholder for now.

I was hoping AMG would be working on something... more elaborate and... well... futuristic?

[RazM]

Another thing to notice, looks like the bottom of the vehicle under the passenger compartments is angled now instead of flat. Possibly for mine and IED displacement?

Man, I just hope they design a cooler, sharper looking hood. This looks goofy, bah!

[KenP]

22.5" ground clearance!!!

[timgco]

with 22.5" wheels and some HUGE tires.

[HUMMERcustoms.com/TAZ]

Rig looks rough right now. Sure it will get smoothed out some with hopes to sell a version to civilians. Really though there are several rigs being produced to move to the field right now with blast protection that the Hummer got caught behind. I do not see it in the lead of battle anymore with the other rigs moving into the field now. Most are really beefed up and heavily armed with multiple Maw Dueces and Rambo rapid grenade launchers.

Yet there will always be a need for a lighter duty rig using as mentioned in article the reactive armor plating making the new Hummer more mobile maybe. You can look at config of the rig and see it is being designed for more and quicker adaptation to the troops in the field without being sent back to a major rear area. I can see this rig being allot more useful than the good old standby. I can see the new rig doing more rapid convey protection backed up with a few of the new heavies being built. It appears even though more costly the military is finally not putting all it's eggs in one basket and realising that there are many type terrains around the world along with many diffirent type battle field conditions to yet face not just sand as it has been since 1991.

The rig in the pics are made to look wierd to try and fool snoops so i expect it to look better but, again what i see that i like best trying to look through a crystal ball is that you can see the main cab area is being designed to function alone so it appears that the back would be able to handle take off and add on different models for type of use that the rig is need for and that could be done at front lines if need be. You just plug in comm lines to talk to driver and navigator or armed rider. If you need a maw duece machine gun a module has it on or if you want auto grenade weapon load that model. Then not counting the different missle weapons that can be launched from the rig and they would build in the ammo carrying needs into that modual say if like how the tank the missles need to be in an isolated slot compartment you load module and weapon as well as ammo is there.

This is as speculative as what the thing could end up looking based on the pics. The newer stuff I see put on the field lately that are really advanced in hull design and number of men they carry protected. I do not see the old Hummer running front guard or escort as much. 2 or 3 HV's with welded on metal escorting a squad or platoon on a sneak ambush as i have seen reinactments of battles where the Hummer was being asked to set there and the men bravely giving cover fire for troops that are getting hammered by RPG, motars, and sometime IED's being set off placed just right for the ambush. The thin skinned HV is setting there taking the same rounds. The HV guys can't make like the sand and get low to blend in.

Well just my thoughts on the new rig hoping for the men and women that will have to ride and fight from the new model it will be a huge improvement as far as protection. The old girl has done her job quite well and served our forces the best she could. I hope they will still call it the HMMV or at least HMMVII.

TAZ

[usetosellhummer]

I heard this over a year ago. The Humvee will be sold via the older established dealers like Lynch etc.

[BKLYNH2]

will it come with cup holders?

[wpage]

Bring it on!!!

[DRTYFN]

Originally Posted by 03H3

http://www.autoblog.com/2007/07/19/s...totype-caught/

Though normally hiding in bushes and waiting for the next-gen Mustang or Corvette Blue Devil to pass by, Brenda Priddy and pals sometimes spy things not meant for public consumption. They recently photographed a new AM General HUMVEE prototype that will be competing for the military's Future Tactical Truck System (FTTS) contract, which will produce the replacement for the current Humvee, of which some 140,000 are still in active service. Though prototypes from Lockheed Martin and other military contractors will also be submitted, this is AM General's bid to keep the Humvee in the game.

Follow the jump for more details and Priddy's own analysis of the vehicle that's aided by her consult with some military experts, and check out the high-res pics in our gallery below.

According to Priddy, the prototype Humvee sports a completely revised front end that is clearly larger than the current model's. It's thought that the new hood will allow for the repackaging of the intake system and relocation of the cooling system from the top of the motor to the front. Speaking of the motor, the "GEP No. 7" printed under the door is likely a reference to General Engine Products, one of AM General's subsidiaries that supplies the engines for Humvees. This prototype probably has a new version of GEP's 6.5L diesel with a big bump in power over the old model. It's also rumoured the powertrain will include a hybrid electric to improve fuel economy, as well.

Also notice the prototype cab, specifically the bare metal that indicates AM General is designing this new truck with a "blast tub" that will protect occupants from explosives, specifically rocket propelled grenades and IEDs. It also appears that the prototype has a significantly higher ground clearance than the current model ? 22.5 inches compared to 16 inches ? and much larger wheels. Other items of note include larger air drop rings on the hood, which imply an increase in the vehicle's curb weight, and the ballast weight placed in the prototype's bed, another indication that this next-gen Humvee will be able carrier heavier loads.

HUMVEE (AM General) PROTOTYPE!
FTTS (Future Tactical Truck System)
Although I am not an expert in military Humvees, I sought out the advice from people who were. And where this might look like any other Humvee found in and around military bases, we've been told that this is actually a prototype.

Read a composit of what my sources explained:

While AM General's Humvee is a legendary military vehicle, the company has found themselves shut out of the Army's Tank and Automotive Command prototype competition for the FTTS (Future Tactical Truck System) that will replace the aging Humvee. However this development vehicle clearly shows AM General will still be making bid to replace the roughly 140,000 Humvees already in service in the U.S. Military. AM General will face stiff competition for the FTTS contracts from companies such as Lockheed Martin, Force Protection Inc. and Navistar's military business division.

The first noticeable change is the revised hood, which may or may not be the final design. The new hood is designed to accommodate the repackaging of the intake system as well as the cooling system being moved from above the motor to in front of the motor. I believe that's the radiator showing through the grill openings.

The "GEP No. 7" painted under the door is a reference to General Engine Products (a subsidiary of AM General.) We believe the motor underneath the ungainly hood is a revised version of the 6.5L diesel motor made by GEP. It's rumored that this motor has seen a significant jump in power due to improvements in the injection system as well as an improved combustion chamber design. Additionally, we believe a hybrid electric powertrain has been added to the big diesel motor to help with fuel economy and electricity generation.

The cab has clearly been revised and armored with a heavier construction. AM General is likely utilizing a "blast tub" design where the vehicle as a whole might not survive a blast, but the occupants inside the armored "tub" would survive. The use of reactive armor panels are also possible with the new vehicle. When hit with a projectile, reactive panels explode outward, deflecting the projectile. These panels are significantly lighter than conventional steel and are particularly effective against rocket propelled grenades.

According to our tape measure, the ground clearance has increased to an astonishing number. While the current Humvee sports a 16 inch ground clearance, we measured this prototype's clearance at around 22.5 inches. Another impressive number on this vehicle shows up on the tires. A massive set of Goodyear 335/65R 22.5 tires adorns this test vehicle. The 22.5 inch wheels are held together with no less than 18 bolts and then attached to the vehicle with 8 more lugs. We weren't able to tell if a central tire inflation system was in place.

The last change we noticed were the larger, beefier air drop rings peeking through the hood. This seems to indicate the new vehicle will weigh more. The ballast weight we saw in the back of this test car also seem to indicate that this new military vehicle will be setup to traverse the battlefield with heavier loads.

Brenda Priddy

I am so getting in line for one of these.

[DRTYFN]

On a related note, Hummer is requiring all dealers to maintain the following as H1 qualified: a service tech, service writer, parts personnel, 3 sales & 1 sales manager. I wonder why?

[Hummer Aficionado_VT]

Perhaps because the H1 is having an encore?

[DRTYFN]

Originally Posted by Hummer Aficionado_VT

Perhaps because the H1 is having an encore?

ORLY?

[ssgharkness020147]

Originally Posted by DRTYFN

ORLY?
Attachment 42540

[Hummer Aficionado_VT]

Originally Posted by DRTYFN

ORLY?
Attachment 42540

Hahaha! By my own self!

[usetosellhummer]

great news on training. I still have my H1 Specialist Certfication from Hummer. I should look into getting back in soon...

NOT

[leenigen]

I saw one of these wrecked on the highway yesterday. For those of you around Detroit, it appeared to tumble off of the I-96 split onto I-275. I wish I had a camera. Considering the wreck it appeared to be in pretty good shape. One wheel was slightly folded under but otherwise seamed to have survived well.
That hood is even uglier in person!

[3Hummer]

I dont know why, but it looks significantly shorter than the current Humvee,could just be becuase pretty much right now all it is a two person cab.