By Gina Daugherty
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Jennifer Westrich, 19, makes her way into an M & M Hummer limo Saturday after dinner at the Primavista Restaurant in Price Hill. (Ernest Coleman photo) | ZOOM |

Let your imagination wander over these possibilities: Mirrored ceilings. DVD player and an assortment of movies to choose from. A chauffeur to offer a guided tour of the city's most romantic vistas. Marvin Gaye on the CD player.

And the Hummer.

In its stretched infancy, the H2 Hummer limousine is a 14- to 18-passenger moving spectacle that combines utility with plush comfort. Everywhere you go in the Hummer limo, you are your own scene, so sit back and enjoy it, dah-ling. The stares, the finger-pointing, the double takes all signal that once inside, you have arrived.

We couldn't resist the chance to check out this summer's hottest ride. Hummer limos are poised to become the vehicle of choice for proms, weddings and parties, thanks to their ability to carry more people than their Town Car predecessors, higher seating for better viewing, and greater comfort.

Michael Jackson, a driver with A Bee Limousine Co., obliged with a Hummer's-eye tour of the city. The Hummer stretch took the hills and turns of Cincinnati with the ease of a much more compact vehicle. It sliced through the entertainment district of Mount Adams and rolled slowly through Eden Park, as onlookers cleared out of its way and pointed.

M&M Limousine owner Scott Mezger (left) helps Sarah Blevins, 17, out of the Hummerzine. Her date Brad Faigle is on right. (Ernest Coleman photo) | ZOOM |

Jackson admits that when he first drove the Hummer, the honks and salutes were distracting; he thought he was doing something wrong. Now he thrives on the throngs surrounding him at gas stations.

Cincinnati can boast two distinct Hummer rides. Though both vehicles are white, each offers a unique presence. One seats 18 people on bench seats that face each other for better conversation potential; flat panel TVs are set up at the front of that vehicle. The other seats 14, offering lots of leg room, plush carpet and crescent corner seating with flat panel TVs directly in front of both sets of seats. Both have fiber-optic mirrored ceilings with colored twinkling lights, all the better to shine on passengers.

Scott Mezger, of M&M Limousine Co., has his Hummer booked through June of next year.

Last weekend he took the H2 Hummer stretch to Paul Brown Stadium for the Oak Hills prom with senior Brian Bauer, 18, and his date, Allie Nichols, in tow.

Michael Jackson of A Bee Limousine poses with the Lincoln Navigator stretch limo. (Gary Landers photo) | ZOOM |

"It was like something from a magazine," said Bauer, as neighbors strolled up the street and peeked out their windows to check out his ride. Karen Bauer, Brian's mom, booked it from M&M eight months ago. She said she wanted something special for her son's senior prom. She meant it.

Jim Bolinger of Dayton, owner of Westwind Limousine Inc., which rebuilds Hummers into stretch limos, says he can't stretch the Hummer fast enough. He says his life turned "insane" when GM decided to build a more consumer friendly Hummer after acquiring the manufacturer of the military version, the H1. This year, when GM rolled out the first H2 built on the smooth ride of the GMC Denali chassis, the limousine business blew up.

What's it like inside? Smooth, for one. Bolinger says if you had cracked open a beer in the H1, you'd have worn it. But the H2 rides like a living room on wheels. You can cuddle up to watch the fireplace DVD and not spill your champagne.

"I don't know where you go from here, because they're so much more than even the Escalade and the Navigator," Bolinger says. "Something will happen, though, because the Navigator came out in 1998 and it fit perfectly into the limousine business. They rocked it through 2002. But forget the Navigator now. They're old school. Until the newness wears off, the Hummer is trick now."

HUMMER LIMOS

A Bee Limousine Hummer Cost: $625 for first three hours (minimum three-hour runs) and $185 per hour thereafter • Extra $200 to clean up vomit Color: White Length: 175 inches, seats 14 Features: • Two flat panel TVs opposite passenger seating • DVD, VHS, AM/FM radio and CD player • Cars can be pre-stocked with wine and beer • No logos/lettering on outside of vehicle • 30-gallon gas tank, averages 9 miles per gallon M&M Limousine Hummer Cost: $195 to $225 per hour, cheaper during "off peak" times • Extra $300 charge to clean up vomit Color: White Length: 180 inches, seats 18 Features: • Two flat panel TVs at front of vehicle • DVD, VHS, AM/FM radio and CD player • Comes with soft drinks, water and M&Ms, of course • Heated mirrors and seats • 30-gallon gas tank, averages 9 miles per gallon

So trick in fact that A Bee Limousine owner Linus Bruno has his Hummer stretch booked through November. "If I had 100 cars they'd still be booked," he said.

Despite its plush countenance, the Hummer is, after all, a military vehicle gone civilian. Bruno said he often has to help hoist passengers up into the vehicle because the step up is a big one. The possibility of women inadvertently flashing their underwear on the climb in or out is a real one. Brides, prom queens and bachelorettes take note:

"The driver can hear almost everything," Bruno says. "But a motto of ours is 'What happens in the limo stays in the limo.' " Good news when considering a bachelor or bachelorette outing.

Rates for the two Hummers are comparable, between $625 and $675 for three hours.

Lincoln Navigator and Cadillac Escalade limos can also be found in the area. Both boast accommodations for larger parties and some of the amenities of the Hummers.

Tim Winings, owner of Your Chauffer Limousine Inc. in Sharonville, purchased his first Lincoln Navigator stretch in 2001. He had to, he said, to stay competitive. It's not just the bride and groom. There are six bridesmaids and groomsmen, plus the flower girl and ring bearer. Everyone wants to ride in style. Within six months of getting the first Navigator in Cincinnati, 10 others followed.

"The SUV is here to stay," Winings said. "Anyone who is lonely and wants instant friends, just rent a limousine. The hourly rate can cure loneliness and make you feel important, and it's probably cheaper than any doctor or psychiatrist."

At one point during our test drive, as the Hummer rested in Mount Healthy from its gas-guzzling trip through the city, a state trooper pulled along beside it. Jackson, fearing a citation for double-parking, was preparing to move the vehicle when the trooper sauntered up and exclaimed, "Man, that is a whole lot of vehicle. Can I look inside?"

Did I tell you we have arrived?

The trooper stepped inside and examined the crystal, the lights and the TVs. He walked back to his squad car shaking his head and muttering, "I know my fiance will want one when we get married."

Brides can expect royal treatment from Jackson. He plays the chauffeur well, rolling out his red carpet in the back of the Hummer for would-be celebrities on their way to weddings and proms.

Of course, the real celebrity in the car is Jackson himself, a k a Big Mike. He's often requested for his red-carpet treatment and swift ability. For job, he wears a tuxedo, and regulars know he values discretion above all else.

He is quick to echo Bruno's words: "What happens in the limo, stays in the limo."

E-mail gdaugherty@enquirer.com