This is the GMC Typhoon, a turbocharged, AWD SUV based on the two-door S15 Jimmy in the same way (and with the same pieces) as the GMC Syclone was based on the S15/ Sonoma pickup. Available only for 1992 and '93, Typhoon used the Syclone's mechanicals and styling spiffs. All it added was a roof and a back seat.
As Chevy and GMC generated big bucks selling SUVs in the late '80s, Buick engineers lamented the demise of their turbocharged 3.8-liter V-6. To keep themselves amused, they would stick 3.8 Turbos in every Buick that would accept one. Reattas! Electra wagons! Their dreams were answered when a few made their way into the 1989 Pontiac Trans Am Indy Pace Car. When that program ended, and Buick ran out of their own turbo-compatible cars, they looked elsewhere in the GM lineup.
Buick pitched the idea to Chevy, who rejected it since they had the SS454 on the boil, so they pitched it to GMC, which had long ago been paired with Pontiac in GM's corporate marketing machinations. Perhaps seeing the flood of great press that the '89 Turbo Trans Am brought to Pontiac, GMC got on board—but the division required a few tweaks to the formula. Not least of these was adapting Buick's turbo expertise to the LB4 V-6, since the S15 would need considerable engineering work to make the Buick 3.8 fit. GMC added all-wheel drive to the mix to aid traction. The Syclone pickup was born, followed quickly by the S15 Jimmy-based Typhoon.
The Typhoon's basic engine is GM's all-iron LB4 V-6—three-quarters of a small-block Chevy V-8, which became the base six-cylinder engine in multiple car and truck lines starting in the 1980s. It shared the 350's bore and stroke, although the crank had 30-degree offsets between rod pins in order to make a proper even-fire engine, so rod journals were beefed up. The 1.94/1.60-inch valves were also shared with the small-block. In the early '90s, with a 9.4:1 compression ratio, the LB4 was good for 160 horsepower.
Using electronic multi-point fuel injection (including Corvette-spec fuel injectors), a single Mitsubishi turbocharger pumping out an electronically regulated 14 psi of boost, and a Garrett water-to-air intercooler, GMC found 280 hp and a whopping 360 lb-ft of torque. In an era when most hot cars were approaching 300 hp, a 280-hp truck was an eye-opener. (Stock versions have long been rumored to have more chutzpah than a lighter 300-hp Corvette, with the power rating downplayed to keep the Bowling Green bosses quiet.) Other changes included a compression drop to 8.35:1, a specific intake manifold that integrated the TPI-injected Corvette's twin-throat 48-mm throttle body, nodular iron main bearing caps, graphite-composite head gaskets, and more. The only available transmission was a 4L60 four-speed automatic, which was also cribbed from the Corvette. The all-wheel-drive system, borrowed from the Chevy Astro/GMC Safari vans, split torque automatically through the transfer case, with one-third to the front wheels and the remaining two-thirds headed out back; a viscous coupling (incorporating silicone fluid and no less than 51 clutch plates) sensed which wheels were slipping in sloppy or extreme conditions, and reassessed power distribution accordingly.
Suspension was slammed and stiffened— the gently raked Typhoon sits nearly 3 inches closer to the ground than a standard-issue S15 Jimmy—and the power heads out to four 16 x 8 cast-aluminum wheels wearing 245/50VR16 rubber. Brakes were 11.9-inch rotors in front and 11.2-inch drums in back, with full antilock capability. Lower body cladding (incorporating fender flares, a front spoiler with foglamps, and a rear roll pan) helped give shape and nuance to a truck that otherwise appeared to have been styled by The Lego Group.
For its era, the cabin was chock full of toys: leather seats, leather-wrapped four-spoke steering wheel, power locks and windows, air conditioning, cup holders, and more. A Pontiac Sunbird GT Turbo donated its gauge cluster. It incorporated three main gauges: a 120-mph speedometer front and center, a combination tach and boost gauge on the right, and a quartet of sweep needles in the nacelle on the left, which told fuel level, oil pressure, water temp, and battery charge.
If you know about the SyTy twins, and you're used to seeing them in all black like the Grim Reaper's hearse, then seeing one in red may come as a bit of a surprise. More than half of all Typhoons were painted black, but other factory-available colors over the Typhoon's two-year life included Frost White, Royal Blue Metallic, Garnet Red, Forest Green Metallic, Aspen Blue, Bright Teal, and the Apple Red seen here. Just 345 were painted red with grey lower-body cladding for the 1992 model year. GMC built just 4,697 Typhoons across two seasons before the division pulled the plug at the end of '93.
SPECIFICATIONS
ENGINE
Type OHV V-6; iron block and heads, turbocharged
Displacement 262-cu.in.
Horsepower 280 @ 4400 rpm
Fuel system GM electronic engine-control system with port fuel injection, Mitsubishi turbocharger
TRANSMISSION
Type GM 4L60 four-speed automatic with lockup torque converter
WEIGHTS & MEASURES
Wheelbase 108.3 in
Overall length 180.5 in
Overall width 64.8 in
Overall height 60.0 in Shipping weight 3800 lbs
PRODUCTION
GMC built 4,697 Typhoon SUVs
Based on the Marathon four-door station wagon, the Aerobus was introduced in 1962 with a two-model range. One was a nine-passenger model with three pairs of passenger doors, and the other a longer 12-passenger version with four pairs of doors, such as the one now listed on Hemmings.com. A standard Checker taxi sedan from 1956 to 1982 rode on a 120-inch wheelbase. Limousine models sported a 129-inch wheelbase. The nine-passenger Aerobus had a wheelbase nearly three-feet longer than the sedan at 154.5 inches. Finally, the 12-passenger version had a distance between the axles of 189 inches. Its overall length was a hair under 270 inches, meaning it was over 22 feet long. For comparison, a current 2024 Ford F-350 Super Duty Crew Cab with a full eight-foot bed rides on a 176-inch wheelbase and has an overall length of 266 inches. That’s how long the big Aerobus was! Some sources indicate that the bigger Aerobus holds the record for the longest production car ever made, though volume was never particularly high.
Checker advertised the Aerobus not only for airport transportation as the name implies, but also “Perfect for schools, institutions, resorts, motels, hotels, inter-plant transportation, employee pick-up—even large families! It’s the practical idea in mass transportation.” Some model years, Checker used the name “Aerobus Limousine” for the model, incorporating both the six- and eight-door versions under that moniker.
The Aerobus included the features of the A8 that were carried over to the A9 and later A11 models, such as the high roofline and tall doors that allowed for easier passenger access. Low, flat floors contributed to the roominess as well. The commodious nature of the Checker cab that made it a leader in its field fully carried over to the Aerobus, which not only accommodated 12 people, but also plenty of luggage behind the fourth row. The rear cargo compartment glass was protected by an internal cage of sorts made of stainless-steel strips.
Underpinning that massive wagon was a modified version of the Checker sedan’s frame. Unlike some extended-wheelbase limousines, the Aerobus’s frame was not cut and then extended. Rather, the side rails were one-piece units fabricated especially for the job. Standard equipment included power steering and power brakes and a V8 engine. During its production lifetime from 1962 through 1977, the Aerobus featured both Chrysler and Chevrolet engines. At first, Checker sourced a Mopar Poly 318-cu.in. powerplant, which was later supplanted with a Chevrolet small-block V8. For a while, that meant a 327-cu.in. version but later a 350 V8, as seen on this 1972 version, when the engine was rated at 215 horsepower and 335 lb-ft of torque.
Other features on the Aerobus included a 23-gallon fuel tank, a heavy-duty alternator, and two additional floor-mounted auxiliary heaters for the rear passengers. Much of the chassis and suspension consisted of heavy-duty components needed to accommodate the vehicle with a curb weight of nearly two-and-a-half tons.
Variants of the Aerobus included the Convoy, which Checker billed as a “12-passenger security van,” a euphemism for a prisoner transport vehicle. The second and third row seats were removed and replaced by a pair of inward facing benches. All of the seats behind the front row were enclosed in a welded steel cage with a single door at the front that, when open, would allow passengers to exit a right-side passenger door. The front passenger sat, reserved for a guard, faced rearward toward the other passengers, but outside the cage. It is believed that at least one Convoy prototype was built, with any sales unknown and no examples believed to exist today.
Checker's Aerobus has made plenty of appearances in popular culture. In the film Catch Me If You Can, Leonardo DiCaprio’s character, dressed in a pilot’s uniform, emerges at the airport drop-off from an eight-door Aerobus along with a bevy of flight attendants. The distinctive Aerobus has made plenty of other appearances over the years in other American and overseas productions, including in the original Hawaii Five-O, the film Medium Cool, and, appropriately enough, the original disaster movie Airport.
This 12-passenger, 1972 Checker Aerobus now listed on Hemmings Auctions, features a paint scheme that pays homage to four very distinct taxi styles in four colors, including the near ubiquitous yellow. A black-and-white checkered stripe runs the length of each side and additional taxi components include what appears to be a New York City taxi sign on the roof along with a fare schedule posted on the side.
Power comes from what is believed to be the original Chevrolet-sourced 350 cu.in. V8, which puts power to the rear whiles via Turbo Hydra-Matic three-speed automatic. The seller’s notes indicate some mechanical upgrades with the installation of a stronger rear end and rear axles, along with precision bearings. A modern audio system has also been installed as well as a backup camera, the latter surely an essential when navigating such a long vehicle in everyday traffic.
Head on over to Hemmings Auctions to take a closer look at this mega-extended wagon. Make a bid, but be sure to consider who will be on your guest list when you're driving this unique Checker Aerobus.
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