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A CCORDING TO URBAN LEGEND, Arnold Schwarzenegger witnessed a military convoy of big rugged vehicles and had to have one, so he talked the supplier into making a civilian version. So, about 30 years ago, military vehicle supplier A M General brought me their new Hummer to test. e big beast was an upholstered and stereo-equipped Humvee (High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle) that looked like it had just been separated from its convoy. All I needed to do was find some old camouflage fatigues and I'd be properly suited up as a motor pool driver. I confess that this hunk of military hardware was attractive in its unswervingly macho demeanor, but what value would it possess if Armageddon didn't arrive soon? Taking a short drive down the highway seemed to punctuate that lack of relevance detour transportation EXTERIOR: PHOTOGRAPHY BY BRIAN DOUGLAS INTERIOR: COURTESY GM's iconic behemoth goes electric BY BRIAN DOUGLAS as a daily driver. At its near-top operating speed of 65 MPH, the diesel engine, high-mounted between the front seats, along with planetary gear drive, was far louder than the stereo system. And noise-cancelling headsets with microphones would be the best way to reach even a front seat passenger. On the redemptive side, if you had enough trail width, you could go just about anywhere off-road. If a small tree or two were in your path, you could just knock them down. "Tread lightly" is not necessarily a military virtue when getting supplies to the front. And climbing a vertical wall or running over concrete parking stops is a great way to amuse friends and family. Did I mention the 16 inches of ground clearance? Just recently, I witnessed Schwarzenegger on a newscast filling a pothole in front of his home and asked myself why — either of his Hummers would just laugh at potholes. Plugging in the Hummer ranchandcoast.com 76 MAY 2023 RANCH & COAST MAGAZINE