The Hyundai Santa Cruz, Ford Maverick, and Ram Dakota, oh my! There are so many compact trucks on the way. However, where is GMC in this little truck battle? Will they resurrect the GMC Syclone to outmuscle the competition? 

Will we get a new GMC Syclone truck? 

Are you ready for a little 90’s nostalgia? Because the 1991 GMC Syclone has a few parts of the 90’s culture that we love. For example, the name Syclone is ridiculous. Who drove their Syclone to the movies for the latest Tom Cruise film? Were their versions with lightning on them? Did the Sylcone enter the danger zone? 

Alright, on a more serious note, the 1991 Syclone was created to provide the Chevy S-10 with a companion. But it wasn’t very useful. According to Road and Track, it could only carry a payload of up to 500 lb and tow 2,000 lb. But it was about the size of a Ford Ranger and other compact options. 

Instead of being a utility truck, the Syclone was ready to race, so the S-15 was built to go fast. It had a turbocharged V6 engine that pumped out 280 hp. Imagine finding one in good condition today. You could fly in it. 

But unfortunately, the Syclone didn’t catch on. Only 3,000 models were built. That makes it a classic now. Despite being a terrible truck, we think it was just misunderstood. It still rules the racetrack decades later. 

What about the 2021 Syclone? 

According to Motor Authority, a New Jersey man revived the Syclone by modifying the GMC Canyon. Specialty Vehicle Engineering (SVE) first launched a Syclone in 2019. It had a supercharged V6 engine with 455 hp. 

But the 2021 GMC Sylcone made a larger impact by packing 750-hp and 600 lb-ft of torque. The truck is equipped with a supercharged version of the General Motors’ 5.3-liter V8.

It also has an upgraded suspension, a lowered ride height, a high-flow fuel system, a high-flow stainless steel exhaust, six-piston brake calipers, 13.5-inch rotors, and much more. 

There are some drawbacks, though. Only 50 models were built in 2021, making these trucks hard to find. These trucks also aren’t emission legal in the state of California. This moded truck also begins around $80,000.

Is the Syclone dead? 

So far, we don’t see any information about the classic GMC Syclone making a comeback. The Cyclone was based on the GMC Sanoma, the tiny truck that the larger GMC Canyon replaced. 

Fun fact, the Sonoma is the exact same as the Chevy S-10. So, looking to its cousin may help us figure out what to expect. According to The News Wheel, the 2021 Chevy S10 is a thing. However, there’s more bad news. The new Chevy S10 is currently only available in South America. 

We get the Chevy Colorado up here instead. The 2021 S10 has a standard 2.5-liter engine with up to 206 hp. The 2.8-liter turbodiesel option pumps out 200 hp. While the S10 was discontinued in 2004 in North America, it has remained incredibly popular in other parts of the world.