This Hummer Looks Ready For War, But Its Corvette Engine Is The Real Surprise
The original Hummer has never struggled to make an entrance, even though it may have been controversial. The vehicle is nearly as wide as a small apartment in NYC, looks ready to enter a battle zone, and makes practically every other modern SUVs seem a little soft. Yet for all the personality that it has, early civilian Hummers were never particularly quick. Brendan Schaub decided to fix that problem,
and in a recent AutotopiaLA video, he brought out his custom 1995 Hummer pickup, which SIG Motorsports transformed into a 600-horsepower, LS3-powered brute riding on 40-inch tires. It looks like something built to carry troops through hostile territory, but now it sounds like it should be hunting sports cars at stoplights.
This Hummer Nearly Received A 632-Cubic-Inch Monster
Schaub purchased the Hummer because it was already in unusually good condition. It had no rust, the interior was decent, and it even had air conditioning. He regularly drove it around Los Angeles with its existing small-block 350, but the engine never delivered the performance its enormous body seemed to promise. When that engine eventually began giving up, Schaub and builder Bruno from SIG Motorsports started planning something much more serious.
The first idea was spectacularly excessive. Blueprint Engines supplied a race-bred 632-cubic-inch V8 reportedly capable of around 1,000 hp. SIG Motorsports managed to install it, and the Hummer even appeared at SEMA with the massive engine under its hood.
There was just one problem. The combination was closer to a showpiece than a dependable street truck. Schaub described the engine as essentially being either completely on or completely off, which is entertaining in a lightweight drag car but slightly terrifying in a giant four-wheel-drive Hummer.
Despite its massive exterior, the Hummer also has surprisingly limited engine space. The engine sits far back, the transmission is mounted high, and numerous support structures crowd the bay. Eventually, everyone accepted that a 1,000-hp race engine might be a little unnecessary for a 1995 Hummer. Only a little.
The 600-HP LS3 Is The Sensible Option Somehow
The 632 was replaced with a 600-hp Blueprint Engines LS3 paired with a Monster Transmission Stage 3 4L80 automatic. Calling a 600-hp Hummer sensible sounds ridiculous, but compared with the original plan, this setup is practically an exercise in restraint. The Corvette-derived V8 received Texas Speed valve covers and a Texas Speed camshaft that gives it a suitably nasty idle. A custom three-inch Flowmaster exhaust uses a muffler with an integrated X-pipe before dumping the V8 soundtrack through a side exit.
Much of the Hummer remains surprisingly close to stock. It retains its original transfer case and suspension layout, while the major fabrication work involved the engine mounts, exhaust, and supporting hardware. Additional oil and transmission coolers were mounted near the custom rear tire carrier.
Then there are the wheels and tires. The Hummer sits on Raceline beadlock wheels wrapped in enormous 40-inch rubber. Anything smaller would probably look like shopping-cart wheels beneath a vehicle this imposing.
Inside, the build balances its military origins with a few modern comforts. PRP created custom brown leather seats, while an Alcantara steering wheel and compact Holley digital display improve the driving experience without turning the cabin into a rolling electronics store. Many of the original gauges remain, helping the interior retain its wonderfully old-school character.
AutotopiaLA Discovers This Hummer Is Surprisingly Drivable
The AutotopiaLA drive marked Schaub’s first proper outing in the completed truck, and the difference from the old small-block was immediately obvious. It was not brutally fast by modern performance-car standards, but nobody expects something shaped like a military bunker to accelerate with this much enthusiasm.
The LS3 sounded fantastic through the side-exit exhaust, while the ride proved smoother and less bouncy than expected. Schaub was understandably watching the temperature gauges closely because a freshly completed engine, transmission, and fuel-system conversion can always uncover a few bugs. The brakes may be the next item on SIG Motorsports’ list. AutotopiaLA’s Shawn Davis politely observed that they were “not going to win any awards,” which feels mildly concerning when driving a Hummer on 40s with triple the power of some factory versions.
Still, this build gets the important stuff right. It preserves the unmistakable look and character of an original Hummer while giving it the sound, reliability, and performance it always deserved. Schaub wanted something he could actually drive rather than another polished SEMA prop, and this 600-hp monster appears ready to return to daily duty.
Just leave plenty of room when it arrives in your rearview mirror.
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