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Specialty Vehicle Engineering's 750-horsepower GMC Canyon fully revealed

GMC's celebrated Syclone will turn 30 in early 2021, but nothing suggests the company will mark the occasion by releasing a modern interpretation of the pickup. New Jersey-based tuner Specialty Vehicle Engineering (SVE) is taking the matter into its own hands by building a limited number of GMC Canyon trucks with Hellcat-like power. Although the original Syclone received a turbocharged V6, the 2021 model gains a 5.3-liter V8 normally found in bigger vehicles, including the Sierra and Yukon. SVE rebuilt it with forged aluminum pistons, forged steel connecting rods, high-lift valve springs, a custom crankshaft and upgraded fuel injectors among other aftermarket parts. It also added a supercharger to raise the eight's output to 750 horsepower and 600 pound-feet of torque. Power flows to the four wheels via a strengthened 8-speed automatic transmission and a permanent all-wheel-drive system. For context, the first Syclone gave the Chevrolet Corvette a run for its money with a fuel-injected, 4.3-liter V6 turbocharged to 280 horsepower and 360 pound-feet of torque. These numbers were spectacular in the early 1990s since the Sonoma that Syclone was based on shipped with the 105-horse Iron Duke four-cylinder as standard. Even compared with the Sonoma GT that got a naturally aspirated 4.3-liter V6 with 195 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque, the Syclone was impressive. SVE installed six-pistons front calipers that clamp 13.6-inch slotted rotors, and it kept the factory brakes out back. It also lowered the suspension by two inches in the front and five inches in the back, upgraded the shocks, and added a heavy-duty rear sway bar. These modifications help drivers make the most of the extra power, but SVE hasn't published performance specifications (like the truck's zero-to-60-mph time) yet. Surprisingly, the eight-cylinder weighs almost the same as the V6 it replaces so the engine swap doesn't affect weight distribution. Visually, the Syclone can't be mistaken for a run-of-the-mill Canyon. It wears a deep front bumper, has cladding over the rocker panels and rides on 20-inch alloys. Edition-specific emblems round out the look, and the list of options includes a body-colored grille as well as a folding tonneau cover. SVE's images show a truck painted black, which was the only color offered on the 1991 model, but it's available in any factory hue. Inside, the modern-day Syclone gains special floor mats and a numbered plaque on the dashboard. Leather is optional.

Leveling kit now available for Chevy Colorado, but not yet for GMC Canyon

In various bits of news this year concerning the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon pickups, we kept hearing about a front leveling kit. GM Authority found a few details in early order guides in January. In February, the kit came up in relation to the Canyon's AT4 Off-Road Performance Package, and again with AEV's upgraded Colorado Bison. After three months of waiting, GMA has more info. The kit eliminates the trucks' raked stance by raising the front by one inch, using an electro-coated upper spacer and a polyurethane lower spacer in order to maintain the proper suspension geometry. Installation is a bolt-on job with low-profile nuts, but the task will require a spring compressor. Fitted properly, the kit doesn't void GM's new vehicle warranty on the Colorado. Why do we only mention the Colorado? Because for some reason, the kit isn't available for the Canyon yet as a standalone component; the GMC stays raked without one of the aforementioned option packages. For Chevy, the leveling kit is compatible with any trim in four-wheel drive except the ZR2. It cannot be installed on two-wheel-drive trucks, nor any truck wearing wheels that are 20 inches or above. The kit is available now, ordered through any Chevy dealer for $150. There is a treat in store for GMC buyers, though, but it requires spending a lot more money. GM Authority discovered that the 2021 Yukon will offer the brand's first illuminated emblem. Priced at $475 as a dealer-installed option, a backlit glow will show off the GMC logo in the grille. The brand makes the logo in red and black, it's thought the red logo will get the nod, at least at first. Only the front logo earns the spotlight, not the one on the tailgate. GMA says the tchotchke will be available on all four trims when the new full-size crossover goes on sale in a few months.

2015 GMC Canyon is a Chevy Colorado in Sierra clothing [w/video]

Ford may not offer the Ranger in America anymore, nor Dodge (or Ram) its Dakota. But General Motors - not unlike Toyota with its Tacoma and Nissan with the Frontier - isn't about to give up on the midsize pickup market. Less than two months ago, it revealed the new Chevrolet Colorado, and now it's following up with its mechanical twin, the 2015 GMC Canyon.
Launched today ahead of its reveal at the Detroit Auto Show, the Canyon slots into the GMC lineup (and differentiates itself from its Chevrolet twin) with styling that closely apes the larger GMC Sierra 1500 and Sierra HD, only a size or two smaller. Oh, there are visual differences, like a subtly different grille treatment and lower fascia, but it still maintains its big brother's square-jawed good looks and rectilinear flared fenders.
Two aluminum-block engines with direct injection and variable valve timing are available: a 2.5-liter inline-four comes standard with 193 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque, and a 3.6-liter V6 is available with 302 hp and 270 lb-ft. Buyers will also be able to choose between three bodystyle configurations, three trim levels and either two- or four-wheel drive. A six-speed automatic transmits the power to the road, but a six-speed manual is available on the base model with the 2.5 and 2WD, and there's an All Terrain package available on SLE models. A diesel is expected later.