The GMC Typhoon is a high-performance
SUV
A sport utility vehicle (SUV) is a car classification that combines elements of road-going passenger cars with features from off-road vehicles, such as raised ground clearance and four-wheel drive.
There is no commonly agreed-upon definiti ...
, produced from 1992 until 1993 by
GMC. The Typhoon was based on the 1991
GMC Syclone
The GMC Syclone is a high-performance version of the GMC Sonoma pickup truck. Produced in 1991 by GMC along with Production Automotive Services (PAS) - the same company credited with building the famed 1989 Pontiac Turbo Trans Am, the GMC Syclon ...
.
Description
Like the
GMC Syclone
The GMC Syclone is a high-performance version of the GMC Sonoma pickup truck. Produced in 1991 by GMC along with Production Automotive Services (PAS) - the same company credited with building the famed 1989 Pontiac Turbo Trans Am, the GMC Syclon ...
, the Typhoon is powered by a 4.3 L LB4 V6 engine with unique pistons, main caps, head gaskets, intake manifolds, fuel system, exhaust manifolds, and a 48mm twin bore throttle body from the 5.7 L GM Small-Block engine, producing and 350 lb⋅ft (475 N⋅m) of torque. The engine is a modified version of the Vortec engine found in the standard Jimmy, which originally produced . The engine uses a Mitsubishi TD06-17C/8 cm
2 turbocharger
In an internal combustion engine, a turbocharger (often called a turbo) is a forced induction device that is powered by the flow of exhaust gases. It uses this energy to compress the intake gas, forcing more air into the engine in order to pro ...
producing 14 psi of boost and a
Garrett Water/Air
intercooler, as well as revised
intake manifold
In automotive engineering, an inlet manifold or intake manifold (in American English) is the part of an engine that supplies the fuel/ air mixture to the cylinders. The word ''manifold'' comes from the Old English word ''manigfeald'' (from the ...
s, fuel system, exhaust manifolds, and a twin-bore throttle body from the 5.7 L
GM Small-Block engine. The Typhoon sends power to all four wheels through a 4L60 4-speed
automatic transmission
An automatic transmission (sometimes abbreviated to auto or AT) is a multi-speed transmission used in internal combustion engine-based motor vehicles that does not require any input from the driver to change forward gears under normal driving ...
and a
BorgWarner 4472 (the Syclone used a BorgWarner 1372) transfer case splitting torque with 35% forward and 65% to the rear wheels. Other features include upgraded brakes, a limited-slip rear differential and sport modifications to the standard suspensions. Unlike the Syclone, the Typhoon featured an air-operated
self-leveling rear suspension.
During tests by ''
Car and Driver
''Car and Driver'' (''CD'' or ''C/D'') is an American automotive enthusiast magazine. In 2006 its total circulation was 1.23 million. It is owned by Hearst Magazines, who purchased prior owner Hachette Filipacchi Media U.S. in 2011. It was f ...
,'' the Typhoon was capable of accelerating from in 5.3 seconds
and could do a quarter-mile run in 14.1 seconds at . ''
Car and Driver
''Car and Driver'' (''CD'' or ''C/D'') is an American automotive enthusiast magazine. In 2006 its total circulation was 1.23 million. It is owned by Hearst Magazines, who purchased prior owner Hachette Filipacchi Media U.S. in 2011. It was f ...
'' compared the Syclone's performance favorably to the
Ferrari 348
The Ferrari 348 (Type F119) is a mid-engine V8-powered 2-seat sports car produced by Italian automaker Ferrari, replacing the 328 in 1989 and remaining in production until 1995. It was the final V8 model developed under the direction of Enzo ...
ts,
Chevrolet Corvette
The Chevrolet Corvette is a two-door, two-passenger luxury sports car manufactured and marketed by Chevrolet since 1953. With eight design generations, noted sequentially from C1 to C8, the Corvette is noted for its performance and distinctiv ...
, and
Nissan 300ZX Turbo.
It cost 29,970, though the magazine criticized the plastic interior pieces.
Production and colors
All three model years were built for GMC by
Production Automotive Services of
Troy
Troy ( el, Τροία and Latin: Troia, Hittite: 𒋫𒊒𒄿𒊭 ''Truwiša'') or Ilion ( el, Ίλιον and Latin: Ilium, Hittite: 𒃾𒇻𒊭 ''Wiluša'') was an ancient city located at Hisarlik in present-day Turkey, south-west of Ç ...
,
Michigan
Michigan () is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the List of U.S. states and ...
. Aside from a handful of prototypes, only 4,697 Typhoons were built by GMC: 2,497 for 1992, and 2,200 for 1993. Unlike regular production Syclones, Typhoons were offered in various color configurations that differed by year, with black/black being the most common.
1991
* Typhoon Pre-Production (6 total)
1992
* Black w/ Black (1262 total)
* Black w/ Gray (130 total)
* Frost White w/ Gray (518 total)
* Apple Red w/ Gray (345 total)
* Bright Teal w/ Gray (132 total)
* Forest Green Metallic w/ Gray (82 total)
* Aspen Blue w/ Gray (28 total)
* Radar Blue w/ Radar Blue (2 total)
* Raspberry Metallic w/ Raspberry Metallic (2 total)
1993
* Black w/ Black (1,008 total)
* Black w/ Gray (98 total)
* Frost White w/ White (532 total)
* Frost White w/ Gray (115 total)
* Apple Red w/ Apple Red (77 total)
* Apple Red w/ Gray (101 total)
* Forest Green Metallic w/ Gray (210 total)
* Garnet Red w/ Gray (24 total)
* Royal Blue Metallic w/ Gray (35 total)
Notes
References
External links
{{GMC
Typhoon
A typhoon is a mature tropical cyclone that develops between 180° and 100°E in the Northern Hemisphere. This region is referred to as the Northwestern Pacific Basin, and is the most active tropical cyclone basin on Earth, accounting for a ...
Mid-size sport utility vehicles
Cars introduced in 1991
Motor vehicles manufactured in the United States