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Mil-Spec 003 First Drive Review | The ultimate Hummer H1

We're in something of a golden age for automotive restomodding, and into a heady mix that includes Singer's reimagined 911s, Icon's fancy off-roaders, and lots of updated Land Rovers. The latest company with ambitions to become a top-tier custom car brand is Mil-Spec, which aims to do what the aforementioned companies do, but with the big, brash, blunt Hummer H1. And in particular, the company is aiming to make its Hummers a compelling alternative to a used Hummer H1 Alpha. The Alpha is generally considered to be the best of the breed with the most powerful diesel engine offered, larger brakes, and a nicer interior compared with its predecessors. To find out whether the company's early efforts live up to that ambition, Mil-Spec invited us to drive their third completed vehicle, Mil-Spec 003. It started life as a 1995 Hummer H1, and as with all of Mil-Spec's vehicles, it was completely disassembled, and the body and frame media-blasted down to metal. The frame and related components are then powder-coated with a black gloss finish. The truck's aluminum body, in this case a four-door hardtop pickup variant, but is coated in a resilient bedliner-like material designed for easy care. Bits of Kevlar are mixed in with the material for strength, and it can be tinted different colors and have rougher or finer textures. Underneath the body, one of the five different engines that were available on the H1, usually a diesel V8, is replaced with a 6.6-liter Duramax LBZ turbodiesel V8. This engine was available on heavy duty Chevy and GMC pickup trucks, and a related engine was used in the Hummer H1 Alpha. Whereas the engine in the H1 Alpha made 300 horsepower and 520 pound-feet of torque mated to a 5-speed automatic, the Mil-Spec's LBZ has had turbo upgrades and a different ECU tune allowing it to produce 500 horsepower and 1,000 pound-feet of torque. It's also coupled to an Allison 1000 6-speed automatic transmission. The mechanical upgrades don't stop with the engine and transmission. The inboard brakes are given drilled and vented discs, and an ARB Air Locker locking rear differential fitted. Dual auxiliary transmission coolers also make an appearance and can be switched on as needed. The 003 received 20-inch wheels with 38-inch mud terrain tires, but larger tires can be added if desired.

GMC teases Hummer EV's removable roof panels

Today was supposed to be the day that GM took the wraps off its GMC Hummer EV. We were told as much during the Super Bowl commercial, but GM revised it to an undecided future date, citing the coronavirus as the reason. Instead of the big reveal, we have a teaser.  The Hummer EV is going to feature removable roof panels, and now we get a better look at them. There are four roof panels and a front T-bar that come out of the truck. You can see what that looks like in the video at the top of this post. Comparisons to Jeep are obvious as the open-air experience is likely similar to the Gladiator and Wrangler with their hardtop roof panels removed. That zero-limits slogan makes a bit of sense from this respect. With the sheer number of roof panels, we suspect a single person will be able to remove them alone. In addition to the video of the roof, we get a small peek at the massive digital screens the Hummer will be sporting. Check them out at the bottom of the photo below. They appear to be two large slabs, separate from each other. Other details are scarce on the ground. We’re not sure when the Hummer will make its grand entrance at this point, but are still excited to see the 1,000-horsepower truck hit the road. GMC is still advertising the 0-60 mph time of just 3 seconds, too. The latest tidbit of news suggests that further teasers might be coming, so we could be in for a rather drawn out reveal process. Our senior green editor John Snyder got to see the GMC Hummer in person earlier this year at GMÂ’s EV Day and described it like this: “ItÂ’s a big, off-road-ready pickup complete with giant all-terrain rubber and tow hooks. It features removable roof panels for access to the open sky, which appears to be depicted in the teaser above. It features sail panels behind the C-pillars, similar to those on the Chevy Avalanche and Honda Ridgeline. Its bed was concealed with a tonneau cover, but it sported GMCÂ’s MultiPro tailgate that we first saw on the Sierra Denali. Interior photos showed a spacious interior with blocky shapes, squared hourglass vents that mirror the look of the taillights and a lunar theme that incorporates the topography of the Sea of Tranquility into things like the floor mats and speaker covers. It also has a large infotainment screen as well as a digital instrument panel.” Related video:

REWIND: Watch the GMC Hummer EV live reveal right here

It has been a long wait to see the GMC Hummer electric pickup truck, which was teased way back at the Super Bowl in February of this year. And that wait ends tonight at 8 p.m. eastern time when GM pulls the covers off the truck. You can see the whole reveal right here, or during the World Series on Fox or "The Voice" on NBC. For everything we know about the truck, go to our reveal post here. The truck should be impressive. GMC has previously announced it will have up to 1,000 horsepower, and it will have a variety of fun features such as removable roof panels and four-wheel steering that can move the truck sort of sideways with "Crab Mode." The GMC Hummer will also be available in pickup and SUV forms. So be sure to tune in tonight for one of the biggest (figuratively and literally) vehicle reveals of the year. And keep an eye on Autoblog for all the latest on the Hummer and other vehicles.