Times are changing for the US military, which now finds itself embroiled in urban combat, for which the standard Humvee is less than ideal. As the U.S. military phases out the Humvee, its maker, AM General, strongly believes that the hardcore off-roader may still have some life left in it.

For fans of the Hummer or the actual wartime vehicle that inspired it, now is your chance to own a version of the original High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle or Humvee for short but without an engine. After more than 10 years break from the civilian vehicle market, AM General is considering to offer a kit car based on the C Series Humvee.

The kit which is said to conform to US regulations includes a rolling chassis and could start from US$59,000 but builders have to get their own engine and transmission. A starting price of that amount is not too bad and with a suitable engine and transmission fixed, the final price will probably be around US$75,000. Considering the price of a Hummer H1 in 2005 was around US$140,000 before any added options, that US$75,000 price tag is rather reasonable.

But, there is a catch. The reason why it is pretty inexpensive is because a kit version will be as stripped as a military version. That means buyers will not get the nice trimming or accessories a normal, civilian version would have. Buyers would likely get a cloth top, cloth doors, no interior trim, no sound deadening and no air-conditioning.

But this would not matter much to the hardcore Humvee fans as these fans are pretty much more concerned about the Humvee