Imagine this: your neighbor, friend, or obnoxious coworker has just bought himself a brand-new fast car. And he keeps going on and on about how he can smoke Miatas or perhaps even BRZs when going off the line. Now, you can't stand there and listen to him without picturing yourself behind the wheel of something that would gap him right then and there.
And some might say that there's no better feeling in this world than being underestimated by your opponent, only to crush him down the quarter-mile (402 meters) before he can even tell what happened. Whoever first came up with the idea of a sleeper car was brilliant, and going up against such a vehicle will remind you always to be humble and never draw conclusions before you've looked over all the details.
The GMC Typhoon was built between 1991 to 1993, and it was meant to be a high-performance SUV from day one. About 5,000 or so were ever built, and even Clint Eastwood used to own one. Back in the day, it would pack around 280 horsepower, and given its weight of 3,822 lbs (1,733 kg), it could run the quarter-mile in 14.1 seconds, which isn't half bad for such a big vehicle.
But whoever got his hands on this Typhoon wanted to give more meaning to that name, as he proceeded to make this SUV more powerful than a brand new Shelby GT500. That's because this thing will churn out 767 rear-wheel horsepower, on low boost! Yes, you read that right, 767 rear-wheel horsepower on just 11 PSI (0.75 Bar). You'll need 110 octane race fuel to go higher up, but the iron block LS2 V8 engine will take it.
Photo: Chicago Motor Cars
The Garrett GT35R turbo it uses can go all the way up to 21 PSI (1.44 Bar), at which point the dyno reveals a tremendous 1,049 rear-wheel horsepower result. Although no further information has been provided as to how fast it can run the quarter-mile, I guess it's safe to assume that it might be able to hit single-digit results, all while retaining a fully stock interior, and all the comfort and driveability of a stock truck.
This Typhoon uses a GM Heavy Duty 4L80E transmission built by FLT transmission in Wood Dale, Illinois. Nothing has been left to chance from a mechanical point of view, and besides the engine upgrades, some changes have been made to the suspension and brake setup as well. Stopping power is provided by Corvette C6 Z06 calipers and rotors, working in conjunction with Hawk brake pads.
Coil-over style suspension has been adopted both front and rear, and this Typhoon also features 10-way adjustable shocks and an Eaton Posi rear differential, among other things. The Forest Green Metallic paint job still looks amazing, as the truck has been driven only when the weather conditions were good enough, and it has always been stored in the winter.
Reportedly, only 82 of these trucks came in this color back in 1992, which does make it even more special. The cabin isn't all that impressive, and you might want to spend some more money on making it shine, but the price attached to this vehicle isn't that bad considering what it can do. While it has more power than a Shelby GT500, it will set you back just a fraction of the cost, at $49,800.
The things Dragos enjoys the most in life are, in no particular order: cars, motorcycles, diecast cars, and drifting. He's seen (and driven) many vehicles since he started his writing career back in 2009, but his garage currently houses a 1991 Mazda RX-7 FC3S Turbo II and a 1999 Suzuki SV650-S. Full profile
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