GMC Syclone I gallery (1991–1991)
The first-generation GMC Syclone was a revolutionary high-performance pickup truck featuring a turbocharged engine and all-wheel drive.
The single-year 1991 GMC Syclone is widely celebrated as a legendary milestone in the history of performance trucks, surpassing contemporary supercars in acceleration. Based on the compact GMT325 body-on-frame platform derived from the short-bed regular cab Sonoma, the Syclone completely reimagined what a pickup could do. The vehicle was sold exclusively as a two-door standard cab truck, finished almost entirely in monochromatic black with an aggressive aerodynamic lower body cladding package and a specially calibrated lowered sport suspension. Under the hood lay a high-performance 4.3-liter LB4 V6 engine equipped with a Mitsubishi TD06-17G turbocharger, a Garrett water-to-air intercooler, and revised multipoint electronic fuel injection. Power was sent through a heavy-duty four-speed automatic transmission (4L60) to a full-time BorgWarner all-wheel-drive transfer case with a 35/64 front-to-rear torque split. The truck also boasted four-wheel ABS, specialized bucket seats, and distinctive gauge clusters borrowed from the Pontiac Sunbird Turbo. Sold strictly in North America in limited quantities of under 3,000 units, the Syclone created an entirely new performance niche and remains a highly sought-after collector classic without direct generational ancestors.