GMC Syclone revived as a 455-hp aftermarket brute - CNET

The vehicle manufacturer that brought you the 1,000-horsepower Yenko/SC Stage II Camaro has now revived one of the craziest sport-truck badges and given it a dose of modernity.

Specialty Vehicle Engineering on Tuesday unveiled the reimagined GMC Syclone sport truck. The conversion starts with a base 2019 GMC Canyon extended-cab midsize pickup in either 2WD or 4WD configuration. Its standard engine is swapped out in favor of a supercharged 3.6-liter V6 that puts out a positively delightful 455 hp, a far cry from the standard V6's 308-hp output.

Of course, all that extra power necessitates beefing up the Syclone in other ways. There's a performance front brake upgrade that adds six-piston front calipers and two-piece slotted front brake rotors. The truck has been lowered 2 inches in the front and 5 inches in the rear for more car-like handling. The suspension's been further tweaked by way of new traction bars, bushings, shock absorbers and rear sway bar. That power makes its way to the ground through 20-inch wheels wearing Y-rated performance tires. There's also a new exhaust system that should provide a much meatier growl than the stock setup.

The Canyon's design is a little long in the tooth, but SVE's enhancements result in a pretty cool look, not too far from the Syclone of old.

Specialty Vehicle Engineering

The new Syclone also packs some aesthetic enhancements. On the outside, there's a new hood with a power bump and a "455HP" badge. The rocker panels sport extensions, the grille surround is color-matched to the body, and that matching extends to the grill bars and rear bumper, too. Inside, there are custom-trimmed seats with Syclone graphics, new floor mats, a numbered dash plaque and unique key fobs.

Only 100 will be built, and each Syclone will command a $39,995 premium on top of the truck's MSRP. It could be worse -- SVE's 1,000-horsepower Camaro required $66,995 on top of the Camaro's window sticker. The best part is, the truck can be ordered through a GMC dealer.

Produced only in 1991, GMC built 2,995 examples of the original Syclone. Based on the Sonoma compact truck, it became the quickest pickup truck on the market, thanks to its turbocharged 4.3-liter V6, which put out 280 hp and 350 pound-feet of torque. It was capable of a sub-5-second sprint to 60 miles per hour, which is nuts for 1991 and is still pretty impressive today.

Maxing out the payload capacity with a lowered suspension probably isn't the best idea.

Specialty Vehicle Engineering

Let's block ads! (Why?)