GMC Made The Hummer X For Me And My Climbing Polycule, And We Don't Want It
There's been a lot of talk around the Jalopnik Slack about who the Slate Pickup is for, with its spartan features and do-it-yourself ethos, and the answer always comes back the same — perverts, specifically of the maker variety. But GMC took that targeting one step further with its Hummer X concept; taking the DIY and modularity sides, adding to them a healthy dash of offroad prowess, and targeting a single, solitary pervert: Me. This is an SUV for me and the cadre of gorgeous polyamorous transgender women I rock climb with, and we don't want it.
The Hummer X is for "the 'builder maker' – someone who doesn't just drive a vehicle; they build it, modify it, and share it with a community that gets it." That's me, a woman whose tiny Brooklyn bedroom contains a full set of power tools, a mechanic's tool set, a 3D printer, a small wood shop, a set of electronics repair tools, and six action cameras. GMC also says it's built around the "Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints" ethos, which speaks to me as a rock climber and lover of the natural world. Even Daniel and Andy agree, this car is built for me and the adjacent polycules. But I polled the gorgeous transfem climbers with whom I surround myself. I talked to exes, people I'm semi-seeing, interested parties, and plain ol' friends. Responses to the Hummer X included "Who is this for," "I think its silly," "That car looks it was ai generated in 2022,"and perhaps most succinctly, "oh i f*cking hate this."
It just doesn't appeal
![Daniel Golson [2:52 PM] "Every great concept starts with a belief. Ours was this: the courage to get lost leads us to new discoveries," said Brian Smith, outgoing GM Advanced Design Pasadena studio director. "The team rallied around a working mantra of 'Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints,' and let that philosophy guide every decision. That's not just a tagline – it's the design brief." Hidden throughout the concept are a few Easter eggs: the team's mantra is imprinted in Morse code on the floor, and the tire treads spell out "the courage to get lost leads to new discoveries."[2:52 PM]Amber this is so much more for you than the Slate [2:52 PM]it's perfect for climbing polycules Andy Kalmowitz [2:52 PM] makers who climb Amber DaSilva [2:53 PM] can i please write GMC Made The Hummer X For Me And My Climbing Polycule, And We Don't Want It after this embargo drops Daniel Golson [2:53 PM] yes you can do that on Friday](https://www.jalopnik.com/img/gallery/gmc-made-the-hummer-x-for-me-and-my-climbing-polycule-and-we-dont-want-it/it-just-doesnt-appeal-1780500054.jpg)
The Hummer X is just so comical in its appearance, so absurd in its proportions, so fragile in its masculinity, that we can't take it seriously. It seems more built for appearance than for practicality, which of course, as a concept, it is — Logan and Daniel may be convinced this is coming to market, but I'll eat my hat if something this wild-looking ever shows up on dealership floors. The concept of an REI-core modular electric SUV is a good one, but this execution just doesn't appeal.
I love the Rivian R1S and the Slate Pickup, I actively want a vehicle big enough to haul my friends to the crag, I should be an easy score for GMC here. Yet the design has driven me, and the trans women I climb with, away. I want to make my own car parts, but I don't want to make them for this — give me a Slate any day.