GMC's Rocket Decide-Up: The Historical past Behind The Lighting Quick Syclone

Fortunately, the styling of the manufacturing mannequin Syclone deviated significantly from the idea automobile. It had a extra angular, much less rounded floor results bundle, bespoke aluminum alloy wheels with low-profile tires, and refined purple badging. Just like the Buick Grand Nationwide that impressed it, patrons might have any colour so long as it was black. With a base worth of roughly $26,000 when new (equal to about $59,000 as we speak), the Syclone wasn’t precisely low cost, however it was nonetheless much less dear than a brand new Corvette and a relative discount for the quantity of efficiency it delivered.

In whole, simply lower than 3,000 items have been produced for the 1991 mannequin yr. For 1992, GMC supposed to supply the sporty pickup truck in a greater diversity of colours however it was killed off after simply three 1992 fashions rolled off the meeting line. Instead was the Storm, a mechanically comparable automobile that was based mostly on GMC’s S-15 Jimmy, a two-door SUV. The Storm’s SUV format was arguably a extra acceptable platform for the turbocharged V6, with a rear seat for added passengers and safe storage, however that practicality got here on the expense of elevated weight, and due to this fact decreased pace. The Syclone was nonetheless the king of pace within the early Nineties.  

[Featured image by dave_7 via Wikimedia Commons | Cropped and scaled | CC BY 2.0]