2000 GMC Jimmy Diamond Edition

2000 GMC Jimmy Diamond Edition
CHICAGO - GMC announced it will be celebrating the 30th anniversary of its Jimmy nameplate with the introduction of a special Diamond Edition version. The 2000 Jimmy Diamond Edition is essentially a gussied-up Jimmy that will bow as a 2000 model. Wearing a black-and-silver theme, this limited edition stands out from its lesser brethren with a slew of aftermarket-style add-ons, such as a prominent grille guard with integrated fog lamps and aluminum side step tubes.

Just in case you'd mistake it for a backyard conversion, GMC has added silver-colored bodyside cladding that runs from the front to the rear wheel wells along the lower door panels, complete with special badging. There's also a heavy duty roof rack and a set of front frame-mounted recovery hooks. Should you desire, you can opt for High Intensity Discharge headlamps, borrowed from Jimmy's snooty sister, the GMC Envoy.

Inside, the Diamond Edition really earns its moniker with diamond-quilted perforated leather upholstery that looks like it came right out a custom big rig. The driver's seat is an eight-way power unit, while both driver and front passenger seats are heated and feature power lumbar controls. What's more, a diamond-patterned material covers the dash, console and door plates. There's also embroidered headrests and trim panels, an uplevel stereo with CD and special berber floor mats to round out the luxury touches.

GMC didn't want Jimmy lovers to think the 30th anniversary model was just a matter of stick-ons, so it threw in a heavy duty trailering package, the Z85 heavy duty suspension and GM's AutoTrac two-speed active transfer case, good for a 5000-pound towing capacity. It all rides on P235/75R-15 on-road/off-road blackwalls, mounted on a special set of - what else? - "diamond-cut" polished alloy wheels.

With all of this look-at-me stuff standard and a good-sized list of other optional features, the Diamond Edition Jimmy was meant to attract high-profile compact SUV buyers. Pricing was not announced, but GMC says it expects to sell some 10,000 units. Considering the popularity of luxury utes of every size, maybe the idea of a high-content, factory collectible sport utility isn't that far-fetched after all.