2006 Hummer H1 Duramax Diesel - The Last Hummer

A 45:1 crawl ratio with helical gear-reduction hubs, a Central Tire Inflation System with 37-inch runflat bead lock wheels, a locking transfer case, locking front and rear differentials, four-wheel independent suspension, inboard mounted disc brakes, skidplates, rocker guards, and an auxiliary fuel tank. What could make the Hummer H1 better? How about a 6.6L Duramax turbodiesel engine with 300 hp and 520 lb-ft of torque? Throw in the heavy-duty, five-speed Allison transmission and you've got the best civilian Hummer ever: the H1 Alpha. General Motors decided to save the best for last, and then cancelled production of the H1.

One for the RoadBy the time you read this, the last Hummer H1 built for the public has already rolled off the assembly line. Since it's always fun to take a road trip and go camping with an old friend before they move away, we decided to spend some quality time with the H1 Alpha. We packed up the bed of our Flame Red open top Hummer, filled the fuel tanks, pointed it north, and followed the 101 freeway up the California coast. The Duramax was put to work as we pulled grades and snaked our way through San Francisco and up to campsites near the Oregon border. And, no, we did not get egged for driving the environmentalists' scapegoat through the Bay Area-although we did once get nailed by an egg while driving an H1 in Los Angeles a couple of years ago.

Thanks to the smaller (but still giant) transmission tunnel introduced in 2004, our passenger did not require medical treatment for a warped left ankle or knee after spending many hours in the front seat. In addition to the improved physical layout, the performance of the new drivetrain made driving the H1 much more enjoyable. Leaving from stop signs and accelerating onto freeways is much easier, and you can almost forget that you're driving a truck that weighs more than 7,000 pounds. After a week of driving it every day, you finally get used to the machine's width. You develop your braking technique to avoid the "Hummer-rock" (caused by the inboard disc brakes and the geared hub lash) when you come to a stop. And you stop noticing everyone you pass-checking you out as you drive by.

H1 Duramax TurbodieselA 2-inch body lift was required to fit the Isuzu/GM-designed 6.6L Duramax where the original 6.2/6.5L Optimizer used to sit. Hummer decided to install the LLY-coded engine, which is rated at 300 hp and 520 lb-ft of torque. That instantly gave the Alpha 46 percent more horsepower and 18 percent more torque than the last Hummer. This knocked three seconds off the zero-to-60 acceleration time, which is now 13.5 seconds. The towing capacity was also increased by more than 1,500 pounds. The Duramax greatly improved responsiveness both on- and off-road. Plus, the significantly improved fuel economy of the new engine combined with larger dual fuel tanks increased the range from 400 miles to about 570 miles per fill-up.