Cars & Bids
Without any discounts, a new Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat starts at a cool $81,990 with destination. Sure, the EPA says it only gets 13 mpg combined, but the engine also makes 710 horsepower and 645 pound-feet of torque, and who’s worried about gas mileage on their way to a sub-12-second quarter mile? Then again, if it’s an American SUV that uses forced induction to make big power that you’re after, why not save a few bucks and buy this heavily modified 1993 GMC Typhoon that’s currently for sale on Cars & Bids?
Admittedly, the Typhoon is missing rear doors, a third row, any form of factory warranty, and a tow rating, so if you care about those things for some weird reason, this isn’t the SUV for you. It also uses a 4.3-liter turbocharged V6 to make its power, not a 6.2-liter supercharged V8, so it’s never going to sound as good. Still, as you may have guessed based on the wheel and tire package, the SUV you’re looking at is no stock Typhoon. Instead, this one’s been heavily modified, and with the help of a little nitrous, it now reportedly makes 682 hp.
Warranties are for cowards
Cars & Bids
Exactly how much power this Typhoon makes at the crank, no one can say, but even using incredibly conservative estimates, there’s a good chance it beats the Durango Hellcat. As for how quick that kind of power makes the 30-year-old GMC, the owner claims they never measured a 0-60 time, but “even at high elevation up here in Montana this car consistently ran mid 10s in the 1/4 mile.” Assuming that’s accurate, you’re looking at one seriously quick SUV.
That does mean you’ll have to wait for the car to arrive from Montana, but at least it’s actually located in Montana instead of wearing Montana plates for tax fraud purposes? And sure, what one person would call “buying a Durango Hellcat-killer,” many others would consider “paying to take on someone else’s project right before it turns into the biggest money pit anyone in this country has ever seen.” Maybe one’s more accurate than the other. Maybe not. But if you’re going to risk your hard-earned cash on a three-decade-old GMC, at least make it one that reportedly runs 10s.
Cars & Bids
Typhoons also tend to be less expensive to buy than you might expect. GMC reportedly built about 4,700 of them, which isn’t exactly a huge production run, but mostly stock Typhoons tend to sell somewhere in the $20,000 range. We’ve already learned I’m terrible at predicting how much a car will sell for, but will it break the $80,000 mark? I refuse to believe it. Buy this thing cheap, let future you figure out how to keep it on the road, and just enjoy the ride. As long as you enjoy yourself, it can’t be too bad, right?
