Visibly lifted by the pace of new loan signing Marvin Williams, Torquay registered only their second win in 28 league games – and Wycombe could not have complained if they had lost by half-a-dozen goals.
Apart from the three goals, Torquay hit the woodwork and Wycombe keeper Ricardo Batista made three one-on-one saves during a second-half when Torquay repeatedly caught Wycombe on the break.
Experienced striker Scott McGleish missed a great chance for Wycombe after only five minutes, heading Tommy Mooney's cross over from five yards. And it never got any better for the outgunned Chairboys.
Lloyd Kerry set Torquay on their way with his first senior goal – a spectacular 25-yard volley in the 20th minute.
Only a desperate block by Wycombe's Sam Stockley stopped Stephen Cooke finishing off a Lee Thorpe flick in the 28th minute.
But Williams marked an eye-catching debut when he headed home Stephen Cooke's corner from point-blank range to make it 2-0 in the 40th minute.
Kerry hit the bar just before half-time, and it was only Batista's heroics which kept Wycombe in with any hope.
Batista pulled off three one-on-one saves, two from Thorpe and one from Williams, before Torquay settled the contest in the 76th minute.
Cooke's right-wing free-kick took a touch off Wycombe midfielder Tommy Doherty and Torquay defender Chris Robertson, making his debut after signing from Sheffield United, capped a fine performance by volleying the third.
Wycombe boss Paul Lambert had sent on 22-goal leading scorer Jermaine Easter at half-time, in a bid to salvage something from the wreckage.
But even against Easter, Mooney and ex-Northampton man McGleish – who have scored 59 goals between them this season – Torquay cruised to their first clean-sheet since the end of October.
It was always competitive, but there was nothing in the match to justify a spate of yellow cards from referee Paul Melin in the closing stages – eight in all and six in the last 10 minutes.