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Doug DeMuro is one of our favorite automotive YouTubers. He finds some of the coolest quirks and features in some of today's cars, be they supercars or family EVs. However, DeMuro loves a good retro review as well. His latest is on the 1993 General Motors GMC Typhoon, something that he calls the original high-performance SUV. It is the first performance SUV ahead of a long line we are now used to, and he explains why this Typhoon, which is up for auction on Cars and Bids, has an engine with the name “Syclone.”
The Syclone Engine Under The Hood
The Typhoon is primarily based on the GMC Jimmy from the late 1980s and early 1990s, and creating a high-performance SUV at the time was quite an endeavor. Under the hood of the Typhoon is the showpiece, a 4.3-liter V6, the same engine in the Jimmy, but now turbocharged. This means the engine produces 280 hp and 320 lb-ft of torque. The engine underwent upgrades to cope with the supercharger, such as pieces from the GM 5.7-liter V8 engine. The engine says “Syclone” though and not Typhoon. Why? Well, the Typhoon came after the GMC Syclone high-performance pickup truck. As the Syclone was first, the engine in the Typhoon, the same engine, took the Syclone name.
Some Other Quirks And Features Of The Typhoon
DeMuro of course loves to run through many quirks and features, and he has plenty with the Typhoon. DeMuro points out that, compared to the Jimmy, the Typhoon was all-wheel drive. The Typhoon borrowed the four-wheel drive system from the Chevrolet Astro minivan to give it off-roading capabilities. DeMuro then gets into the Typhoon, which involves working out which of three keys you have to use to get into the car!
Some Of The Internal Quirks
The inside itself is quite cool, with the right-angle 1990s feel that General Motors seemed to love in that era. One of the first quirks DeMuro points out is the Typhoon badge on the glove box —the only thing that allows the interior to stand out from the Jimmy. Quite bizarre. Like switch related quirks? DeMuro points out that the switches that control the rear windows have faded faster than the rest of the switches inside the Typhoon, as have the rear wiper and defroster switches. DeMuro points out that these came from a different supplier, so amusingly, all the rear control switches have faded faster than any others!
Source: Doug DeMuro YouTube Channel