2007 Suv Used 3.7l I5 20v Automatic 4wd Onstar on 2040-cars

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Luxury carmakers make way more than just cars

Whether it's as simple as Ferrari offering model cars or as opulent as Bugatti with an $84,000-belt buckle, practically every automaker does more than just sell cars to keep their brands visible. The profits from these ventures might not be enough to keep the lights on, but in such a competitive industry, any extra cash is welcome. For the automakers that get licensing just right, there is a ton of profit to be made. According to a recent story examining the practice by The New York Times, Ferrari makes around $2.6 billion from merchandising each year, and General Motors tops that at $3.5 billion. Beyond just a profit center, merchandising can also protect an automaker's name. Take Hummer for example. The GM division shut down years ago, but it has continued to produce licensed cologne on sale around the world. "Because we still have the active fragrance, we're protecting the brand if we ever decide to bring it back," Gene Reamer, a GM licensing senior manager, told the Times. The whole piece is a fascinating look into this often ignored, but quite lucrative facet of the auto business. Read it for yourself, here. Related Video: News Source: The New York TimesImage Credit: Luca Bruno / AP Photo Design/Style Earnings/Financials Marketing/Advertising Read This Ferrari GM Hummer branding

Tupac Shakur's 1996 Hummer H1 is for sale

Tupac Shakur purchased this 1996 Hummer H1 on August 13,1996. This was just one month before the singer's death. It was his personal vehicle for a brief time and the last vehicle the rapper ever purchased. Now it's up for auction to the highest bidder. It comes with a 6.5-liter turbodiesel V8 engine, an automatic transmission, and only 10,101 miles on the odometer. There are also 38-inch Dick Cepek off-road lights, a 360-degree spotlight, grille guard, and diamond-plate bumpers. An external PA system with three sirens and 12-disc Clarion sound system are also part of the package. RELATED: See Images of the 2004 Hummer H1 There are two copies of the registration listing Tupac as the owner as well as an affidavit listing his mother, Afeni Shakur, as the property successor. The car was held in storage after Tupac's death, and eventually became a prize in a 2003 BET raffle. It is currently sitting in storage again in Vancouver, Canada awaiting the right buyer. RR Auction estimates its value at over $100,000 so it'll take some serious cash to put this car in your driveway. RELATED: See Images of the 2006 Hummer H1 Alpha Related Video: This article originally appeared on Boldride.com. Celebrities Hummer Auctions SUV hummer h1

Humvee reborn on the battlefield... with a chimney?!

The military's High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV), better known to most of us as the Humvee, has already served a long and distinguished career in the battlefield, and there have been a number of replacements waiting in the wings to take over where the HMMWV left off. Or, should we say, leaves off... assuming that ever happens.
It seems that the Humvee is set to get a new lease on life as military budget constraints are forcing the government to reconsider its replacement. But there are still some pesky safety issues to work out before American soldiers will feel comfortable inside the confines of the off-road box on wheels.
As you're likely aware, improvised explosive devices are an ever-increasing threat to the lives of American troops serving overseas. The Humvee, which traces its design all the way back to the year 1984 when it first saw duty as a replacement for the long-running series of military Jeeps, has seen a number of incarnations over the years that added armor and improved safety, but the latest version may feature something hitherto unseen: a chimney.