GMC Syclone
Encyclopedia
The GMC Syclone is a high-performance version of the GMC Sonoma pickup truck
. Produced in 1991, the Syclone spawned the similarly powered 1992-1993 GMC Typhoon
SUV. Another vehicle, the GMC Sonoma GT, offered less performance but was seen as a companion model.
At the time it was introduced, the Syclone was the quickest stock pickup truck being produced in the world. Auto magazines compared its acceleration favorably to a variety of sports cars including the Corvette and - in a memorable comparison test in Car and Driver magazine - a Ferrari. Featuring a turbocharged 6-cylinder engine, all wheel drive, and 4 wheel anti-lock brakes, the specifications had more in common with a Porsche than most other pickup trucks.
Both the Syclone and Typhoon trucks featured a Mitsubishi
TD06-17C 8 cm² turbocharger
and Garrett
water/air intercooler
attached to a 4.3 L LB4 V6 engine with unique pistons, main caps, head gaskets, intake manifolds, fuel system, exhaust manifold
s, and a 48mm twin bore throttle body from the 5.7 L GM Small-Block engine. All Syclones and Typhoons had a 700R4 (4L60) 4-speed automatic transmission
. A Borg Warner all wheel drive transfer case split torque with 35% forward and 65% to the rear wheels. Both trucks featured sport modifications to the standard suspensions. The Syclone was the first production truck to receive a 4 wheel anti-lock braking system
. Output was 280 hp and 350 lbft. The Syclone, when new, was capable of accelerating from 0-60 mph in 4.6 seconds and could do a quarter-mile run in 13.4 seconds at 98 mph (158 km/h). Car & Driver tested the Syclone and it ran 0-30 in 1.3 seconds with a 0-60 in 4.3 seconds, the 1/4 mile was 13.06.
In 1991 Syclones were available in black only. 1992 models were to be offered in a wider range of colors before they were canceled. 2995 Syclones were built in 1991, and 3 in 1992. 113 (estimated 31 returned) were reported as Export Sales including a subset now referred to as the Saudi Syclones — a small number were delivered to Saudi Arabia and modified with a metric dash cluster, leaded fuel chip, and a resonator in place of the catalytic converter
.
The Syclone, Typhoon, and Sonoma GT were built for GMC
by Production Automotive Services of Troy, Michigan
and sold through dealerships.
The Syclone and Typhoon's gauge cluster is the one used in the Pontiac Sunbird
Turbo, which was discontinued in 1990, one year before the Syclone was introduced.
, designer of the Corvette Stingray and Boss Mustang, a transformation of the 10 black Syclones took place.
Marlboro Syclone custom features include:
ASC converted the roof to a targa style roof panel with mounts in the pick-up bed
ASC installed a slide-down rear window assembly
Guidon hard tonneau cover
Boyd Coddington
"Cobra" wheels with Marlboro emblem center caps and Goodyear Eagle GS-C tires
PPG "Hot Licks" Red paint
White strobe stripes provided by Graphik Concepts
Recaro leather seats
Simpson 5-Point racing harness
Custom Momo "Evolution" steering wheel
Sony sound system
PROMPaq performance chip
Bell Tech suspension dropped 3 in
Borla stainless steel
exhaust
race on May 24, 1992 with the only modifications being a sticker package. One of these Indy trucks was converted into the PPG
Syclone Pace Truck (though it was not the official pace car) with significant modifications, including a multi-colored silver, magenta, and aqua paint scheme, and a molded in light bar in the roof, a racing fuel cell and fire system.
Pickup truck
A pickup truck is a light motor vehicle with an open-top rear cargo area .-Definition:...
. Produced in 1991, the Syclone spawned the similarly powered 1992-1993 GMC Typhoon
GMC Typhoon
The GMC Typhoon is a high-performance version of the GMC Jimmy SUV. Produced in 1992 and 1993, the Typhoon was based on the 1991 GMC Jimmy SUV....
SUV. Another vehicle, the GMC Sonoma GT, offered less performance but was seen as a companion model.
At the time it was introduced, the Syclone was the quickest stock pickup truck being produced in the world. Auto magazines compared its acceleration favorably to a variety of sports cars including the Corvette and - in a memorable comparison test in Car and Driver magazine - a Ferrari. Featuring a turbocharged 6-cylinder engine, all wheel drive, and 4 wheel anti-lock brakes, the specifications had more in common with a Porsche than most other pickup trucks.
Both the Syclone and Typhoon trucks featured a Mitsubishi
Mitsubishi
The Mitsubishi Group , Mitsubishi Group of Companies, or Mitsubishi Companies is a Japanese multinational conglomerate company that consists of a range of autonomous businesses which share the Mitsubishi brand, trademark and legacy...
TD06-17C 8 cm² turbocharger
Turbocharger
A turbocharger, or turbo , from the Greek "τύρβη" is a centrifugal compressor powered by a turbine that is driven by an engine's exhaust gases. Its benefit lies with the compressor increasing the mass of air entering the engine , thereby resulting in greater performance...
and Garrett
Garrett AiResearch
Garrett AiResearch was a manufacturer of turboprop engines and turbochargers, and a pioneer in numerous aerospace technologies. It was previously known as Aircraft Tool and Supply Company, Garrett Supply Company, AiResearch Manufacturing Company, or simply AiResearch...
water/air intercooler
Intercooler
An intercooler , or charge air cooler, is an air-to-air or air-to-liquid heat exchange device used on turbocharged and supercharged internal combustion engines to improve their volumetric efficiency by increasing intake air charge density through nearly isobaric cooling, which removes...
attached to a 4.3 L LB4 V6 engine with unique pistons, main caps, head gaskets, intake manifolds, fuel system, exhaust manifold
Exhaust manifold
In automotive engineering, an exhaust manifold collects the exhaust gases from multiple cylinders into one pipe. The word manifold comes from the Old English word manigfeald and refers to the folding together of multiple inputs and outputs.In contrast, an inlet manifold is the part of an engine...
s, and a 48mm twin bore throttle body from the 5.7 L GM Small-Block engine. All Syclones and Typhoons had a 700R4 (4L60) 4-speed automatic transmission
Automatic transmission
An automatic transmission is one type of motor vehicle transmission that can automatically change gear ratios as the vehicle moves, freeing the driver from having to shift gears manually...
. A Borg Warner all wheel drive transfer case split torque with 35% forward and 65% to the rear wheels. Both trucks featured sport modifications to the standard suspensions. The Syclone was the first production truck to receive a 4 wheel anti-lock braking system
Anti-lock braking system
An anti-lock braking system is a safety system that allows the wheels on a motor vehicle to continue interacting tractively with the road surface as directed by driver steering inputs while braking, preventing the wheels from locking up and therefore avoiding skidding.An ABS generally offers...
. Output was 280 hp and 350 lbft. The Syclone, when new, was capable of accelerating from 0-60 mph in 4.6 seconds and could do a quarter-mile run in 13.4 seconds at 98 mph (158 km/h). Car & Driver tested the Syclone and it ran 0-30 in 1.3 seconds with a 0-60 in 4.3 seconds, the 1/4 mile was 13.06.
In 1991 Syclones were available in black only. 1992 models were to be offered in a wider range of colors before they were canceled. 2995 Syclones were built in 1991, and 3 in 1992. 113 (estimated 31 returned) were reported as Export Sales including a subset now referred to as the Saudi Syclones — a small number were delivered to Saudi Arabia and modified with a metric dash cluster, leaded fuel chip, and a resonator in place of the catalytic converter
Catalytic converter
A catalytic converter is a device used to convert toxic exhaust emissions from an internal combustion engine into non-toxic substances. Inside a catalytic converter, a catalyst stimulates a chemical reaction in which noxious byproducts of combustion are converted to less toxic substances by dint...
.
The Syclone, Typhoon, and Sonoma GT were built for GMC
GMC (General Motors division)
GMC is a manufacturer of trucks, vans, military vehicles, and SUVs marketed in North America and the Middle East by General Motors Company. In January 2007, GMC was GM's second-largest-selling North American vehicle division after Chevrolet, ahead of Pontiac....
by Production Automotive Services of Troy, Michigan
Troy, Michigan
Troy is a city in Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan, and is a suburb of Detroit. The population was 80,980 at the 2010 census, making it the 11th-largest city in Michigan by population, and the largest city in Oakland County...
and sold through dealerships.
The Syclone and Typhoon's gauge cluster is the one used in the Pontiac Sunbird
Pontiac Sunbird
The Pontiac Sunbird, produced by the Pontiac division of General Motors, was Pontiac's second small-car offering of the 70's. The Sunbird model ran for 18 years and was then replaced in 1995 by the Pontiac Sunfire...
Turbo, which was discontinued in 1990, one year before the Syclone was introduced.
Marlboro Syclone
The special edition Marlboro Syclone was the grand prize for 10 lucky winners of The Marlboro Racing ‘92 Contest. All 10 trucks were provided to American Sunroof Corporation (ASC), by Shinoda Design Associates, Inc., in conjunction with Phillip Morris, Inc. With the help of Larry ShinodaLarry Shinoda
Lawrence Kiyoshi Shinoda was a noted automotive designer who was best known for his work on the Chevrolet Corvette and Ford Mustang....
, designer of the Corvette Stingray and Boss Mustang, a transformation of the 10 black Syclones took place.
Marlboro Syclone custom features include:
ASC converted the roof to a targa style roof panel with mounts in the pick-up bed
ASC installed a slide-down rear window assembly
Guidon hard tonneau cover
Boyd Coddington
Boyd Coddington
Boyd Leon Coddington was an American hot rod designer, the owner of the Boyd Coddington Hot Rod Shop and star of American Hot Rod on TLC.-Early life, education and early career :...
"Cobra" wheels with Marlboro emblem center caps and Goodyear Eagle GS-C tires
PPG "Hot Licks" Red paint
White strobe stripes provided by Graphik Concepts
Recaro leather seats
Simpson 5-Point racing harness
Custom Momo "Evolution" steering wheel
Sony sound system
PROMPaq performance chip
Bell Tech suspension dropped 3 in
Borla stainless steel
Stainless steel
In metallurgy, stainless steel, also known as inox steel or inox from French "inoxydable", is defined as a steel alloy with a minimum of 10.5 or 11% chromium content by mass....
exhaust
Indy Syclone
Three Indy Syclones were used at the Indianapolis 500Indianapolis 500
The Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, also known as the Indianapolis 500, the 500 Miles at Indianapolis, the Indy 500 or The 500, is an American automobile race, held annually, typically on the last weekend in May at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana...
race on May 24, 1992 with the only modifications being a sticker package. One of these Indy trucks was converted into the PPG
PPG
PPG may stand for:* PPG Industries, a U.S. manufacturer, and its PPG Place office complex* PPG tankette, a Soviet armoured vehicle* Pacific Proving Grounds, a former US-operated nuclear test site* Palm Products GmbH, an audio synthesizer company...
Syclone Pace Truck (though it was not the official pace car) with significant modifications, including a multi-colored silver, magenta, and aqua paint scheme, and a molded in light bar in the roof, a racing fuel cell and fire system.