Technologies like turbocharging and all-wheel drive are commonplace in today’s most mundane vehicles. Even family SUVs might have nearly 300 horsepower for simple commuting. It’s easy to forget that just 30 years ago, the arrival of a 280-horsepower, performance-oriented SUV could cause a sensation. But the GMC Typhoon, like this pristine 1993 model recently for sale on eBay, ruled the streets.
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Modest Underpinnings
In the early 1990s, SUVs were primarily utility vehicles not intended as family haulers. These were rugged machines meant to venture far from the beaten path in any weather. The GMC Jimmy and its twin, the Chevrolet Blazer, were small two-door SUVs based on the popular Chevrolet S10 and GMC Sonoma compact pickup trucks.
Then some enthusiasts in the General Motors engineering department decided to have some fun. They took the standard 4.3-liter V-6 fitted to many GM products, including the S10 and Sonoma, and turbocharged it. The result was 280 horsepower and 350 pound-feet of torque—entirely too much for a rear-wheel-drive truck or SUV to handle.
So engineers developed an all-wheel-drive system with a viscous center coupling and a limited-slip rear differential, ensuring all the power got to the ground effectively.
Wild and Fast
This drivetrain was introduced in 1991 as the GMC Syclone, a two-door compact pickup truck based on the Sonoma but with an aggressively styled front fascia and a menacing all-black paint scheme. Car magazines went crazy.
Car and Driver put the Syclone on its September 1991 cover and compared it to a contemporary Ferrari 348. The Syclone won because it could beat the Ferrari to 60 and in the quarter mile, plus it could fit a gun rack in the rear window.
In 1992, GM replaced the Syclone with the Typhoon, a two-door SUV based on the Jimmy. The same styling magic applied here, although there was a second row of seats so the entire family could accompany you down the drag strip. The GMC Typhoon had more color choices than the Syclone, but black was the most popular.
The big downside to these vehicles was that they couldn’t really be used as trucks. Neither was rated to tow anything, and the payload capacity was small. To improve handling, their lowered suspensions left little spring travel to accommodate heavy loads.
Showroom Fresh
Some examples have seen tens of thousands of miles or wild modifications for more speed. As is often the case with limited-production vehicles, many were held back from daily use in the hope they might one day be collectible. This GMC Typhoon from 1993—the last year of production—has a smidge over 30,000 miles on the odometer. It’s barely broken in. The interior looks like it’s hardly ever been sat in.
While we appreciate the previous owner’s diligence in keeping this one nice, we can’t imagine ourselves simply letting it sit. This GMC Typhoon is meant to be driven—and driven fast.
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