South
Bend, Ind -Owners of the new HUMMER H2 now
have the opportunity to go to basic training - the H2 Driving
Academy - to learn about their new SUV, its off-road capabilities
and how it earned the HUMMER name.
Participants
in the three-day H2 Academy are privy to an inside look
into the HUMMER legacy. They get a private plant tour of
the H2 manufacturing facility, a technical class on the
engineering of HUMMER and many hours of driving training
on the exclusive AM General Off-Road Test Course open only
to military personnel and HUMMER training activities.
Much
more than simple transportation, a HUMMER is a powerful
off-road machine designed to traverse sand, mud, rocks and
water. The H2 meets many of the military specifications
of its cousin the HUMVEE, like climbing a 60 percent incline,
a 60 percent decline and an unnerving 40 percent side slope.
The H2 also is capable of climbing 16-inch ledges, fording
20-inches of water and mastering boulders, logs and ditches.
Students
of the Academy receive full-time personalized instruction
from AM General off-road trainers. "The staff at
the HUMMER Driving Academy focuses on providing thorough
instruction for each owner so that they graduate the Academy
as safe, responsible off-roaders with a new found respect
for the HUMMER in their driveway," said Bill Thompson,
founder of the HUMMER Driving Academy.
The
AM General Off-Road Test Course is a 320-acre facility that
features an "in-field" of controlled obstacles
that demonstrate each of the HUMMER's capabilities and 15
miles of off-road trails in the woods, which give the drivers
a variety of terrain and off-road scenarios to conquer.
In addition
to driving, Academy participants learn skills necessary
for safe off-roading such as the proper way to pack a truck,
basic off-road first aid, Global Positioning Navigation
and how to operate a winch - a power-wound cable on a drum
used for vehicle recovery. Throughout the program the Tread
Lightly principles for environmentally responsible off-roading
are taught and a free membership to Tread Lightly is included
with the program fee.
Cost
of the H2 Driving Academy is $3,757 and includes lodging
and meals for three days, transportation throughout the
program, use of an H2 for the scheduled driving activities
and driving instructors for personalized off-road instruction.
The
H2 Academy is based on the more extensive H1 Driving Academy
that AM General began in 1998. The H1 program includes many
of the same elements with the addition of more extreme obstacles
such as sand dune driving, driving with Night Vision technology
and advanced winching.
The
only pre-requisite to participate in any of the Academy
programs is that students must already own a HUMMER.
"The
HUMMER Driving Academies are not meant to be sales tools,
but rather a relationship-building opportunity with our
owners to teach the safe and responsible use of the awesome
capabilities of a HUMMER," said Thompson. "Over
the years, we have seen many off-road enthusiasts created
from the Academies. People arrive in South Bend thinking
they bought an SUV, after a few days they discover the fun
of off-roading and what it means to own a HUMMER."