The Hummer H1 is well-known for its go-anywhere capability – thing is, “go-anywhere” typically means anywhere on dry land. Now, WaterCar is expanding the Hummer H1’s repertoire to include amphibious excursions via the Hummer H1-Panther.
Based out of Fountain Valley, California, WaterCar starts each amphibious Hummer H1-Panther with a standard terrestrial Hummer H1, which is promptly disassembled in preparation for a full ground-up rebuild. The company begins by replacing several of the heavy steel and cast-iron parts with new aluminum alloy and stainless steel components to help cut down on weight, which makes sense given how much extra stuff is added to the already-beefy Hummer H1.
Next, the Hummer H1 body is epoxy-coated and WaterCar installs its proprietary unibody / hull, which is made from aircraft-quality 6061 aluminum. Closed cell foam filled flotation keeps it buoyant, while Mercury Marine components help to propel it across the waves.
The conversion process takes approximately 2,000 hours to complete, and when it’s all said and done, the WaterCar Hummer H1-Panther measures in at 20 feet long and 7 feet wide, weighing about 5,000 pounds. Additionally, the final product is apparently approved by the U.S. Coast Guard.
In terms of specs, the Hummer H1-Panther can reach highway speeds on land, and upwards of 35 knots on water. The interior seats between five and six passengers, while the Chevy LS3 gasoline engine drives the wheels with 395 horsepower and 375 pound-feet of torque through a four-by-four automatic transmission. The rig rides on 35-inch Mud Terrain tires, offers 10 inches of ground clearance, and takes just 20 seconds to transition to water, where a Mercury Bravo 2 Outdrive prop engine takes over.
Power steering and power brakes are included as standard, while air conditioning is optional. WaterCar says the Hummer H1-Panther can cover 380 miles on land, and 96 miles on water.
Unsurprisingly, this thing isn’t cheap, starting at $465,000 per the WaterCar website. Check out the video below to see the WaterCar Hummer H1 doing its thing on a lake:
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Comments
This may be a bit more of a challenge and worrisome trying to do this with the all electric Hummer.
LOL, hope they don’t burst into flames!