Back before performance-oriented SUVs were even a thing, General Motors busted out its crystal ball in the early ’90s with the original hi-po ute, the GMC Typhoon. There’s currently a 1993 model listed on the Bring a Trailer auction site—which, like Car and Driver, is part of Hearst Autos. While the Typhoon in question is not museum quality, it is a piece of history I could thrash without feeling guilty.
The first thing I noticed about the ’93 Typhoon on BaT was its 16-inch C4 Corvette wheels. Personally, I love the look of the turbine-style wheels, which are also known as “salad shooters” by some. Call it blasphemous, but the SUV’s stock 16-inchers never really appealed to me. Plus, I like that the Vette-sourced setup is period correct.
The GMC Typhoon’s performance magic comes from its turbocharged 4.3-liter V-6 and traction-optimizing all-wheel-drive system. From the factory, the engine was good for 280 horsepower and a substantial 350 pound-feet of torque. In 1993, the Typhoon’s force-fed V-6 was mightier than the Chevy Camaro’s naturally aspirated LT1 V-8. Think of GMC’s SUV as a forebear to the Hellcat-powered Dodge Durango and Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk.
Anyone familiar with the souped-up two-door S-15 Jimmy surely recognizes its cargo-bed-toting twin, the mechanically identical GMC Syclone. The latter’s claim to fame came when we pitted a 1991 example against a ’91 Ferrari 348ts—the pickup truck blew the Italian exotic’s side-straked doors off.
Not only did the Syclone’s 5.3-second zero-to-60-mph time beat the Ferrari’s by seven-tenths, but it also won the drag race. The GMC went 1320 feet in 14.1 seconds at 93 mph, while the 348ts took 14.5 ticks at 99 mph. The transitive property suggests the Typhoon would’ve done the same, as the one we tested in 1992 had virtually identical results (its trap speed was actually 2 mph faster).
Even by today’s standards, the GMC Typhoon’s test numbers hold up. In fact, its 30-to-50-mph time of 2.9 seconds is a mere 0.2 behind a 2022 Porsche Macan S. For comparison, the Porsche SUV has a 375-hp twin-turbo V-6 (it’s also 500 pounds heavier).
The only test results that haven’t aged well for the Typhoon are its lowly cornering grip (0.79 g) and longish 70-mph-to-zero stopping distance (185 feet). However, both those figures would likely improve if it were tested on modern-day summer tires versus the original Firestone Firehawk SVX rubber that’s long been obsolete.
It’s hard to say how well the Typhoon that’s up for auction would hold up to track testing. As I mentioned earlier, it’s a little rough around the edges. Although it shows a reasonable 85,000 miles on the clock, it also has some cracked and loose-fitting body cladding, and there appear to be some rust spots underneath. Still, its leather seats aren’t ripped or terribly worn, and, unlike the Syclone, the Typhoon has a back seat so I’d be able to take three friends on the obligatory hell ride.
The ’93 Typhoon on Bring a Trailer has a high bid of $11,750, as of this writing, with the no-reserve auction set to end on Thursday. If I had the disposable income (I don’t) and the final bid doesn’t go much higher, I’d be happy to add GMC’s cult classic on C4 Corvette wheels to my collection.
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Source: Motor - aranddriver.com
