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GM Opens Advanced Design Pasadena Studio, Unveils GMC HUMMER X Concepts

GM opens new 148,000-square-foot design studio in Pasadena & debuts GMC HUMMER X concepts as modular midsize EVs built for off-road & sustainability...

THE SHOP Staff June 4, 2026

3 minute read

Aerial three-quarter view of the GMC HUMMER X SUV concept with the desert in the background — GM officially opens new Advanced Design Pasadena Studio, reveals GMC HUMMER X truck & SUV concepts. (Photos courtesy General Motors)

General Motors officially opened its new advanced design studio in Pasadena, California, and marked the occasion with the reveal of the GMC HUMMER X concepts, highly reconfigurable midsize EVs in both truck and SUV form. The new campus marks the latest chapter in nearly 40 years of GM Design in Southern California and significantly expands GM’s Los Angeles-area footprint into a modern, fully integrated facility purpose-built for the next generation of concept and mobility work, company officials stated in a press release.

A New Home for GM’s West Coast Design Vision

The Pasadena studio spans 148,000 square feet across three buildings and is fully equipped for full-size clay modeling, fabrication and immersive digital collaboration. It is home to about 100 team members spanning design, sculpting, fabrication and artisan disciplines. The studio’s focus area is on conceptual design studies, which are intended to drive ideation and collaboration across the company, noted the release.

“Southern California isn’t just a place where we work; it’s a place of unfiltered inspiration. Film, art, architecture, aerospace, technology and the remarkably diverse topography create an unparalleled canvas of experiences that drives an incredibly unique vehicle culture,” said Bryan Nesbitt, VP of Global Design, GM. “These sources of inspiration influence how our designers see the world to envision what mobility could offer 10 or 20 years into the future, exploring new designs, technology and experiences for GM customers.”

Hussein Al Attar has been named the new director of the Pasadena studio, recognized globally for his creativity, curiosity, and commitment to design with real-world impact. He succeeds Brian Smith, who returns to the Chevrolet Corvette design team in Michigan after leading the Pasadena studio for four years.

GMC HUMMER HX Truck from rear three-quarter view — The GMC HUMMER X concepts are highly reconfigurable midsize EVs in both truck & SUV form.

GMC HUMMER X Concept

The GMC HUMMER X is a pickup and SUV concept that reimagines what a vehicle can mean to the people who drive it, the company said.

“Every great concept starts with a belief. Ours was this: the courage to get lost leads us to new discoveries,” said 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.”

A collaboration between GM Advanced Engineering, Advanced Manufacturing and the Advanced Design Pasadena studio, the HUMMER X concept, while not intended for production, is a testbed for new technologies, new aesthetics and new ways to build community around adventure, all centered around sustainability, officials stated.

The HUMMER X concept is envisioned to be a capable rock crawler designed and engineered as a modular platform, and is built around reconfigurability, capability, community and sustainability.

Reconfigurability

The HUMMER X concept is designed to be configurable by using flexible manufacturing technology. FLEX FAB enables fast, small-batch, on-demand production, similar to 3D printing, but for metal: no specialized stamping tools and multiple designs from the same machines.

GM says the FLEX FAB unlocked a new HUMMER aesthetic: a clean, flat-topped silhouette with radiused edges, laser-welded seams and visible precision bolts. The cockpit is equally adaptable, with stackable displays that let drivers tailor their digital experience whether they’re rock crawling, trail running or cruising the highway.

GMC HUMMER X Concept — Internal view of GMC HUMMER X Pickup showcasing stackable displays.

With a low center of gravity, extreme on-demand acceleration, 35- to 37-inch Goodyear tires, beadlock wheels, Multimatic shocks, removable fender flares and underbody protection, the HUMMER X can take adventurers to places most vehicles can’t go.

Community

HUMMER X was designed for what the team calls the “builder maker”—someone who builds, modifies and shares their vehicle with a community of like-minded owners. To serve that envisioned customer, the Advanced Design Pasadena team conceptualized the HUMMER HUB, a suite of connected apps designed to connect drivers and their vehicles before, during and after every trip. With the HUMMER HUB, a scout drone can fly ahead on the trail, feed real-time terrain data back to the vehicle, and land and dock itself when not in use.

Sustainability

The HUMMER X concept explores mono-materials—replacing adhesives with snap fits and mechanical fasteners—single materials that are envisioned to be fully recycled. Seatbacks, headrest backs and instrument panel ends are made from recycled car fascias, and parts are designed for easy disassembly so customers can swap, share and recirculate them as part of the community experience, helping to create a circular economy, the company said.

A few Easter eggs are hidden throughout the concept: 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.”