Inuvik (May 02/03) - A massive bright yellow vehicle has been turning more than a few heads around town recently.

Greg Sim, co-owner of the Peppermill Restaurant and Cabin Lounge, drove his new Hummer H2 to town two weeks ago in hopes of boosting the establishment's profile.

Greg Sim, co-owner of the Peppermill Restaurant and Cabin Lounge, bought this H2 Hummer last year in Ottawa. He drove the $70,000 machine to Inuvik recently to help advertise the business and also to deliver customers and food around town. - Terry Halifax/NNSL photo

Sim bought the $70,000 vehicle last October, but didn't have time to make the drive until this year.

"It's been sitting in Ottawa ever since," Sim said.

"I just took the time to drive it up - about two weeks."

"I bought it more for advertising than anything else," he said.

"We'll also use it to occasionally drive patrons home from the bar and also for small deliveries, where an enclosed cab is required."

The H2 is a civilianized version of the General Motors Humvee used by the military.

The beast is powered by a V-8 gas engine that produces 316 horsepower at 5,200 rpm. Sim said the big engine can really drain the juice from its 32-gallon fuel tank.

"If I take it easy on the highway, I can get about 12 miles per gallon," Sim said.

The H2 weighs in at 8,600 lbs. and can tow up to 6,500 lbs.

It can also winch 9,000 lbs. -- just in case you need to pull a semi out of the ditch.

It stands on 17-inch tires, but Sim says what really separates the Hummer from other SUVs is the drive system.

"It's a Borg-Warner drive train -- that what sort of characterizes the Hummer," he said.

"It's a different traction control system and differential lock system than what you get with other four-wheel drive vehicles."

"It's also very heavy duty.

"If one wheel starts spinning, in certain modes, the brake will grab that wheel to force the other wheel to spin on the front," he explained.

"Plus there's a differential lock across the rear axle when you want it."

The 40-degree approach and departure angle of the wheels make it remarkably agile for such a hulking frame.

"It goes through about 20 or 30 inches of water comfortably," he said.

"You just keep on motoring."

The Hummer can scale a 16-inch vertical wall, ascend a 60 per cent grade and traverse 40 per cent side slope.

"The big thing about it is just being able to roll over things very easily," Sim said.