The GMC Typhoon was certainly memorable for its pattern-breaking concept: a supercar SUV. However, since it has slowly faded to the background, we decided to give you another look at this speed demon.
that deserve more attention, and the 1992 GMC Typhoon is one of them. In a move that is rare today and was even rarer back then, the Typhoon was an SUV with the power of a supercar.
review from its time, the Typhoon captured attention with its speed and unique visual design. This alone should have been enough to make it a fondly-remembered classic. However, the GMC Typhoon has been mostly forgotten.
Powerful performance and aggressive styling of the Typhoon
The GMC Typhoon is a two-door, two-seat SUV, but even though that sounds standard for the time, the Typhoon was anything but normal. This can be seen in the all-black look of the Typhoon. Everything from the exterior paint scheme to the leather seats is black, hinting at the power that the Typhoon truly has.
Powered by a 4.3-liter turbocharged V6, the GMC Typhoon produces 280 horsepower. With this, the Typhoon can achieve a 0-60 time of 5.3 seconds, a major feat for an SUV. Plus, the Typhoon is four-wheel-drive, meaning that it has the acceleration of a smaller car and the capability of an SUV.
In addition to its power, the Typhoon is also comfortable as a luxury vehicle. Those aforementioned leather seats received positive attention for their comfort, and this comfort extended to the SUV's overall ride quality. Features like a CD player may be outdated by modern standards, but when the Typhoon was released in 1992, this made it a high-end vehicle.
As impressive an SUV as the GMC Typhoon is, it was not regarded as “perfect” when it was released. Car and Driver particularly pointed out how it was not built for off-road driving. For some SUV drivers, this would make the Typhoon a vehicle to avoid.
Another area the Typhoon was lacking in was its towing capacity. This is because the Typhoon could not tow anything. Again, the focus of the SUV was on its speed and acceleration rather than other functions of an SUV.
The price of the Typhoon could be seen as its last major downside. At $29,530, the GMC Typhoon was not a cheap SUV, and this was incredibly expensive at the time.
The Typhoon was unlike anything else on the market
. The GMC Syclone came out the year before the Typhoon, and it made headlines for beating a Ferrari in a race.
However, the Typhoon had advantages over its GMC sibling. The Syclone was a pickup truck, but it was fairly impractical in that its power made it hard to keep things in its cargo bed. While the Typhoon may not be a perfect SUV, it still does not have the cargo issues seen in the Cyclone.
Car and Driver compared the Typhoon to another leading SUV from the era, the Jeep Cherokee. While the Cherokee was renowned for its engine power at the time, it could not compete with the speed of the Typhoon.
Insure whatever you drive with Jerry
No matter if you are looking for an underrated classic like the GMC Typhoon or a popular modern car, you need car insurance. Shopping for car insurance is traditionally not a quick or easy task, but
A licensed broker, Jerry does all the hard work of finding cheap quotes from the top name-brand insurance companies and buying new car insurance. Jerry will even help you cancel your old policy.
And to ensure you always have the lowest rate, Jerry will send you new quotes every time your policy comes up for renewal, so you’re always getting the coverage you want at the best price.
4.7
