Extreme SUT; SMA FOX 360 HUMMER H2 SUT.(Special Report)

Byline: DUTCH MANDEL

Jason Plotke doesn't allow fortune to pass. So when GM officials, who had watched Plotke's company, SMA, do aftermarket wizardry with the Hummer H1, GM sought out some H2 magic. But first SMA had an engineering conundrum that had stumped the General's troops: how to mount a spare tire to the rear of the H2 SUT in a functional and aesthetically pleasing way. Call it a test.

It took SMA's people about four days to figure out the solution. The rest is history.

And history will show that SMA has exploded in size with the business it does from its Tempe, Arizona, headquarters (smahummer.com). Along with making the slick and trick rear-tire mount, SMA has crafted two radical H2s for motorcycle apparel-maker Fox: At last week's X Games, the SMA Fox 180 and SMA Fox 360 made their debut. Suffice it to say either will inspire the over-the-top crowd to "clamber'' for more.

Since the 180 is the more demure (!) version, the 360 got the test-specifically, SMA Fox 360-001 (each vehicle gets a numbered billet aluminum plaque). First thing you notice is the Lamborghini Murcielago orange-over-gray paint scheme. Then you see the forged 20-inch Weld Commando wheels fitted to a Rancho four-inch lift kit and shocks with 37-inch BFGoodrich tires. This suspension package is one half of the 360's a la carte menu; instead of going for height, you could go for 100 extra hp and 120 more lb-ft of torque from a ...