Syclone & Typhoon History
Photo Courtesy Car&Driver, GMC Syclone/Typhoon Road Tests
Yeah, i know what your thinking..."Its just a stupid Sonoma and Jimmy made by GMC, right?" WRONG! Both of these trucks utilize a 4.3L Turbocharged/Intercooled V6, able to produce over 285HP at 4400RPM, and over 350ft/lbs of torque at 3600RPM and shoot it down the track at a clocked time of mid to high 13's for the Syclone and mid 13's to low 14's for the Typhoon. Hows that for your typical Sonoma and Jimmy? Your looking at the two quickest production trucks ever to be built. That record still stands of today.
PAS, (Production Automotive Systems) an engineering firm out of Troy MI, were the manufacturers of the Syclone and Typhoon, but unforetunately went out of business after GM had failed to renew their contract. This made for poorly advertised and marketed sales, leaving the sought to be limited production 15,000 per year Syclone down to only an estimated 2995 ever built and an estimated 2500 '92 Typhoons and 2200 '93 Typhoons built. This is a reasoning behind the "syclone etched" upper intake engine in the Typhoon. To use up these engines built, they where dumped into all the Typhoons.
Miscellaneous Info:
*4 Speed Automatic 700R4 Transmission w/ 3.42:1 axle
*0-60 in less than 5.0 (in the rain!)
*Mitsubishi TD06-17G Turbo - 550cfm/14psi stock
*Garret Intercooler
*Hyperuetectic Pistons (prone to detonation)
*Syclone's only production color was BLACK
*Typhoon's production colors where as follows:
1992 - Blk/Blk, Blk/Gry, Frost Wht/Gry, Aspen Blue/Gry, Teal/Gry, Red/Gry
1993 - Blk/Blk, Blk/Gry, Apple Red/Red, Apple Red/Gry, Frost Wht/Wht, Frost Wht/Gry, Garnet Red/Gry, Forrest Grn/Gry, Royal Metallic Blue/Gry
*Cost of the Syclone in 91 was between $25,970 - 26,120
*Cost of the Typhoon 92 - $29,530 - 29,790 & 93 - $29,320 - 29,580
*AWD with ABS Brakes, 10.5" disk front, 9.5" drums rear
*Curb weight of around 3526lbs for the Syclone
*Syclone sold with Lexxus TruxCover tonneau cover
*16x8 Aluminum "Turbine" Rims, front/rear
*92 Typhoon came with leather/cloth Typhoon embroidered seats
*93 Typhoon came with full leather non-Typhoon embroidered seats
*93 Typhoon came equiped with overhead console
Photo Courtesy of Merk
The 1992 Sonoma GT was introduced for the low budget buyer who wanted the sporty look but not break the wallet. It had a non turbocharged enhanced 4.3L V6 and featured "syclone-like" ground effects. The Sonoma GT also has a syclone interior with the exceptions of having no inscription embroidered into the seats and Sonoma GT Emblem on glove box door. The GT also came equipped with the standard stock GM rims. Only 806 were ever produced, making it a very hard truck to come by.
Varients and Prototypes
Click on each photo to view and read information regarding some of Syclone and Typhoon varients and prototypes.
Photos Courtesy of syty.org, sportmachines.com & Richard Le
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