Typhoon Vs. WRX

[OffRoadWagon]

I decided to get some food on Hwy100 in Milwaukee over the weekend, which I don't normally do on a saturday night, cause there's just too many people out cruising, too many of the cars that want to race just aren't worth the gas, and I'm not too much for street racing. But I wanted some action that night, so I thought what the hell.

On the way down were the usual muffler and bodykit crowd, and none of them were throwing any exhaust noises that hinted at real performance. So I had a mountain of food, (1lb steak, salad, onion rings, and cake for desert...not bad for being 155lbs), and headed home. On the way back, I found an SUV that looked a bit like a late 80's/ early 90's GMC Jimmy, black exterior with MONSTER wheels that were super wide. I'm guessing about 18"x12", with what looked like drag radials for the tires. It was also lowered and had A-pillar guages.

I had no idea what it was, but it seemed to move itself pretty well, finally noticed a BOV between it's quick automatic shifts, so it caught my attention well, and he also seemed sick of the noise boxes and crazy kids trolling the highway, so I thought I'd give it a run. We kept getting each others attention by stomping on it, passing the other, being passed and passing some more, until we had a clear shot with no traffic in front. I honked three times, but he jumped the gun and took off on the second honk. So I floored it to catch him, lined up again, and got three honks out perfectly. I stepped on it from about 35mph in second gear, and we both stayed dead even. He moved ahead just a foot or two from me shifting, but I caught up bumper to bumper again in third, then we had to shut down cause of a red light. Almost got to run him from a stop that time, but I was behind people. Caught up to him again since we both turned the same direction off the highway, and gave him a thumbs up when I turned off to Pick N' Save.

Looked it up later and found out it's a Typhoon, with a Buick grand national engine. I'm guessing since he was along and I had a friend in the car, and we were about even, he must've been stock on power, or very mildly modded. His exhaust was about as loud as my Prodrive, so I'm not even sure if he upgraded his exhaust. Looks like most agree they were listed conservativley, and most of them make about 300hp and 400tq, with an AWD drivetrain, and 4sp automatic. I'm right at a Vishnu Stg 1. All in all I was happy with how it went down, especially since I don't do it much, and since his Typhoon has a GNX engine, I know I could've been spanked easily with some more mods on his end. Made me feel pretty

[blackshadow]

Good run!

Those things can be so f-n fast!!! i raced one when i was only running a MBC and he had upgraded intercooler, cutout in the exhaust and other stuff, and it just tore me apart...

[03Cobra]

Originally posted by OffRoadWagon
I decided to get some food on Hwy100 in Milwaukee over the weekend, which I don't normally do on a saturday night, cause there's just too many people out cruising, too many of the cars that want to race just aren't worth the gas, and I'm not too much for street racing. But I wanted some action that night, so I thought what the hell.

On the way down were the usual muffler and bodykit crowd, and none of them were throwing any exhaust noises that hinted at real performance. So I had a mountain of food, (1lb steak, salad, onion rings, and cake for desert...not bad for being 155lbs), and headed home. On the way back, I found an SUV that looked a bit like a late 80's/ early 90's GMC Jimmy, black exterior with MONSTER wheels that were super wide. I'm guessing about 18"x12", with what looked like drag radials for the tires. It was also lowered and had A-pillar guages.

I had no idea what it was, but it seemed to move itself pretty well, finally noticed a BOV between it's quick automatic shifts, so it caught my attention well, and he also seemed sick of the noise boxes and crazy kids trolling the highway, so I thought I'd give it a run. We kept getting each others attention by stomping on it, passing the other, being passed and passing some more, until we had a clear shot with no traffic in front. I honked three times, but he jumped the gun and took off on the second honk. So I floored it to catch him, lined up again, and got three honks out perfectly. I stepped on it from about 35mph in second gear, and we both stayed dead even. He moved ahead just a foot or two from me shifting, but I caught up bumper to bumper again in third, then we had to shut down cause of a red light. Almost got to run him from a stop that time, but I was behind people. Caught up to him again since we both turned the same direction off the highway, and gave him a thumbs up when I turned off to Pick N' Save.

Looked it up later and found out it's a Typhoon, with a Buick grand national engine. I'm guessing since he was along and I had a friend in the car, and we were about even, he must've been stock on power, or very mildly modded. His exhaust was about as loud as my Prodrive, so I'm not even sure if he upgraded his exhaust. Looks like most agree they were listed conservativley, and most of them make about 300hp and 400tq, with an AWD drivetrain, and 4sp automatic. I'm right at a Vishnu Stg 1. All in all I was happy with how it went down, especially since I don't do it much, and since his Typhoon has a GNX engine, I know I could've been spanked easily with some more mods on his end. Made me feel pretty

Let me set the record straight.

A GMC Typhoon or Syclone has a turbocharged 4.3 V6 chevy engine.

A Buick GN (Grand National) has a turbocharged 3.8L engine. AND the GNX has the EXACT SAME 3.8 as the other GN's. The differences in the GN and GN-X are not massive. A few engine tweeks, better engine management, better suspension, and a better rear diffy.....

The Syclone would SLAUGHTER a GN-X 0-60 due to its AWD. And are both very close in the 1/4 in stock form.

Both can be VERY VERY nasty when modded!!!!

Your WRX would get killed by either in modded form. You would need a Stage 4 to hang....

[cnstman]

when they came out, typhoon/cyclone there was a mag that had a test between the cyclone and a ferrair. the pickup won in goth acceleration and braking!!!

very impressive trucks, especially for chevy.

[OffRoadWagon]

Originally posted by 03Cobra
Let me set the record straight.

A GMC Typhoon or Syclone has a turbocharged 4.3 V6 chevy engine.

A Buick GN (Grand National) has a turbocharged 3.8L engine. AND the GNX has the EXACT SAME 3.8 as the other GN's. The differences in the GN and GN-X are not massive. A few engine tweeks, better engine management, better suspension, and a better rear diffy.....

The Syclone would SLAUGHTER a GN-X 0-60 due to its AWD. And are both very close in the 1/4 in stock form.

Both can be VERY VERY nasty when modded!!!!

Your WRX would get killed by either in modded form. You would need a Stage 4 to hang....

Oh, okay. I was going by memory on the GN engine. I always though GNX = Grand National, and the X was just cause the letter X is cool. You know how that goes.

Yeah, it was interesting cause the roads were a bit wet from rain, I think that's why he was playing around with people so much. Would've been cool to get him off the line...of course, AWD and an automatic, if he had a torque converter or something, he probably would've molly-whopped me.

[MidKnight]

Buddy of mine had a typhoon as his first car... He came from a rich family that loved fast cars, so I guess they considered this thing a beater lol... anyway, it was wicked fast.

Good run! Sounds like a good time...

[Drod]

OffRoadWagon

Good race. I saw your mod list and I must say that with your mods you did well.

[03Cobra]

Stock for stock for stock:

Syclone > GNX > Typhoon > WRX

Mod for Mod is hard to say BUT those GN's are notorious for going 12.9 @ 108 with ONLY a couple tweeks (psi on turbo).

I race an old BEATER GN (85-86) with my 03 Cobra (stock) on a 90F day at Capital Raceway. He beat me twice cause of him being auto, knowing his car, better launch... I pulled 13.0's and 13.1's @ 109 and he was mostly 12.8 - 13.0 @ 108.

A GN-X can and will pull mid 11's with a few tweeks. They are KNOWN to be VERY VERY fast cars.

Never saw a Syclone at the track. I have raced one in 1991. Twas the FASTEST damn thing I ever saw. WAY ahead of its time.....

0-60 in a stock Scylone is about 4.7 seconds. A basic chip makes that 4.3L pump out 475 in TQ. They are notorious for easily getting in the mid to high 3's 0-60.... They also max out very quickly. ALL off-the-line.... They're SICK fast and still are!!!

[Ponm]

About two years ago I was driving north from st.louis to chicago and had a run in with a cyclone while I was driving my wrx. Needless to say, he handed me my ass. They sound great.

[cnstman]

i will try to post a cyclone that runs up pikes peak for the hill climb tonight if i can find a pic.

it is amazing

[WRX]

hmmm, I never knew those things were that fast. I just got a new wrinkle in my brain.

[302@12psi]

I think I prefer the old typhoon, but this is my little tid bit on these "trucks". At carlise two years ago I was offered both a Typhoon (30,000 orig. miles GREAT SHAPE), and a Cyclone (it had been beat on several times minor rust but drivetrian was still good) For a whooping 10 thousand dollars. This of course was after many mins of haggling and walking away and coming back and trash talk. It turned out I couldnt get the money (I kind of new that before hand) but still...what a great deal that would have been.


Good race with them at any rate...just think how far they are for there time. It took ford several years to produce a "fast" truck and it's still only limited to summer time use. The SS is up there but it doesnt pack the same punch. The 4.3 is also a killer motor in N/A form let alone with some boost. One day i'll have a typhoon next to my 69 boss 302, 911 T, Sti, Factory five Cobra kit car, and the wifes Rav 4 (dont ask). One day I tell you one day.

[Danbob]

Yeah every so often I see a typhoon around here...they are so rare and even more rare cause a lot of them have been totalled by idiots who owned them - I have only seen one cyclone though and it was like two years ago - my friend was making fun of a typhoon one day for its graphics and I just turned around to him and said "you are looking at the fastest stock sport utility vehicle ever produced - that truck will hand a stock 300zx tt its ass" - he shut his hole after I said that and after he saw the thing take off like a bat out of hell. Those were some incredible vehicles and it is truly a shame that they were so far ahead of their own time

[Wade-0]

I've seen 2 different Typhoons in the last month. Before that, the last one I saw was about 10 years ago. Maybe they're making a comeback in the tuner community? My wife kept asking why I was drooling over that stupid looking Jimmy as we drove by.

[el~sharko]

Originally posted by Danbob
Yeah every so often I see a typhoon around here...they are so rare and even more rare cause a lot of them have been totalled by idiots who owned them - I have only seen one cyclone though and it was like two years ago - my friend was making fun of a typhoon one day for its graphics and I just turned around to him and said "you are looking at the fastest stock sport utility vehicle ever produced - that truck will hand a stock 300zx tt its ass" - he shut his hole after I said that and after he saw the thing take off like a bat out of hell. Those were some incredible vehicles and it is truly a shame that they were so far ahead of their own time

isn't a srt10 or lighting faster stock.