Remember the 1991 GMC Syclone? Back in the early
1990s, this Sonoma-based pickup put performance cars on notice with a 4.3-liter
turbocharged V6 with 280 hp and 474 Nm of torque and all-wheel
drive. It could reach 96 km/h in 4.3 seconds and, at the time, was the
fastest pickup truck in the world.
Unfortunately, it had a very short life span, with
just 2,995 Syclones built in 1991 and 3 in 1992 before the project was
discontinued. It has since been consigned to history books and collectors’
garages – until now, that is.
A company called Speciality Vehicle Engineering
(SVE) has just come along and launched a new Syclone, although this one is
based on the current GMC Canyon and is an aftermarket tuning package and not an
official model available straight from General Motors.
SVE starts out with a standard Canyon as the basis
for its new-age Syclone. The modifications begin by adding a supercharger kit
to the pickup’s standard 3.6-liter V6, which lifts grunt to 455 hp. The pickup
is also equipped with an aftermarket exhaust system that improves flow, power,
and sound. To ensure the Syclone is more than just a straight-line weapon, SVE
has upgraded the braking and suspension systems, and added a set of aftermarket
20-inch, black five-spoke alloys.
If you want to own a colorful new Syclone, you’re
out of luck. Just like GMC did with the 1991 original, SVE will only offer its
modern iteration solely in black. Moreover, the kit doesn’t come cheap, as it
costs US$ 39,995 on top of the cost of a donor Canyon.
Perhaps a number of people with some DIY knowledge
could build a supercharged Canyon for much less than that. However, those who
go for SVE’s kit also receive the rest of the upgrades, plus they get to own
one of just 100 new-age Syclones, as it will be a limited production run.
