This 682-HP 1993 GMC Typhoon Puts Modern Muscle SUVs on Notice

A new Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat will set you back $81,990 before any options. For that price, you get a 710-horsepower supercharged V8, a sub-12-second quarter mile, and an EPA rating of 13 mpg combined. But if you’re chasing big power from an American SUV without the factory price tag, there’s a more interesting option: a heavily modified 1993 GMC Typhoon currently listed on Cars & Bids.

Yes, the Typhoon lacks rear doors, a third row, a warranty, and any meaningful tow rating. 2-liter V8, so it won’t sound the same. But this particular example is far from stock. With extensive modifications and a shot of nitrous, it reportedly puts 682 horsepower to the wheels.

Exactly what that translates to at the crank is anyone’s guess. Even with conservative estimates, it likely outpaces the Durango Hellcat. The owner says they never clocked a 0-60 time but claims the truck runs consistent mid-10-second quarter miles at high elevation in Montana. If true, that’s seriously quick for any SUV, let alone one built when Bill Clinton was in office.

Buying a 30-year-old project car always carries risk. Some might call it a Hellcat-killer; others might call it a money pit waiting to happen. But Typhoons are rarer than you’d think—GMC built only about 4,700 of them. Clean stock examples trade hands in the $20,000 range. This one likely won’t hit $80,000.

So if you’re willing to let future you handle the upkeep, it could be a bargain way to embarrass modern muscle SUVs at the track. And isn’t that the whole point?