GTA vehicles

Updated 29 October 2026 · Fan site. Not affiliated with Rockstar Games or Take-Two Interactive.

Vehicles are at the heart of Grand Theft Auto, a series named after car theft. Players can steal almost anything on the road, from family saloons to supercars, plus boats, aircraft and even tanks. The cars are built by made-up brands that parody real makers, such as Grotti for Ferrari, Pegassi for Lamborghini, Bravado for Dodge and Vapid for Ford.

How do vehicles work in GTA?

Stealing cars is in the series' name, and vehicles are the main way to cross the map in every game. Wikipedia describes them as part of how the games simulate a working city. Wikipedia also notes that players can drive for jobs such as taxi driving, firefighting, street racing and bus driving. In the first Grand Theft Auto (1997), stealing and selling cars was one way to earn points. Vehicles also unlock jobs. A taxi, an ambulance, a fire engine or a police car can start the side missions of the 3D games.

The choice of vehicles grew quickly. Wikipedia counts more than 180 in San Andreas (2004), covering cars, motorbikes, aircraft, boats and remote-control toys. Most can be upgraded with parts such as hydraulics, nitrous and new stereos. GTA V (2013) lets each of its three leads upgrade their own vehicles, and GTA Online keeps adding new ones with its updates. A fresh coat of paint has another use too: a Pay 'n' Spray visit can help shake off a wanted level.

Are GTA car brands real?

No. Rockstar avoids real manufacturers and invents its own. Most brands are clear send-ups of real companies, often with a similar badge or a name that plays on the original. The GTA Wiki dates most of the best-known brands to GTA IV (2008). Some car names are much older, such as the Infernus, Banshee and Cheetah, which go back to GTA III.

Vapid shows how close the jokes can get. The GTA Wiki notes that its red oval badge mimics Ford's famous blue oval. Bravado's range follows Dodge almost model for model, with a Charger-style Buffalo, a Challenger-style Gauntlet and a Ram-style Bison pickup.

What are the most iconic cars in GTA?

The Infernus is the series' signature supercar. It appears in every 3D-era game except Advance and returned in GTA IV, Chinatown Wars and GTA V. The modern Pegassi version is based mainly on the Lamborghini Murciélago, according to the GTA Wiki.

The Banshee is the series' muscular American sports car. The 3D-era version is modelled on the first Dodge Viper roadster, and the HD version, now built by Bravado, on the late-1990s Viper. The Cheetah began as a Ferrari Testarossa look-alike in GTA III, Vice City and San Andreas, each game using a different generation of the real car. In GTA V it returned as a Grotti supercar based mainly on the Ferrari Enzo.

Can you fly planes and drive boats in GTA?

Yes. Wikipedia lists aircraft and boats among the vehicles of San Andreas, which also has a Pilot School with a set of flying tests. Vice City hands out a Sea Sparrow helicopter as one of its hidden package rewards, and GTA IV rewards players who shoot all 200 flying rats with an Annihilator helicopter on a rooftop in Liberty City.

The Hunter is the attack helicopter of the 3D era, largely based on the AH-64 Apache. It first appeared in Vice City, where the GTA Wiki says it is parked at the Fort Baxter Air Base and is also the reward for all 100 hidden packages. In San Andreas it unlocks after gold medals in every Pilot School test.

Can you drive a tank in GTA?

In many games, yes. The Rhino is the series' tank. It follows the tanks of the 2D games and, in GTA III and San Andreas, arrives with the army at a six-star wanted level. It is also a cheat favourite, since GTA III's PC code GIVEUSATANK drops one beside you (see GTA cheats). In GTA V you can steal one from the Fort Zancudo military base or buy one from the in-game Warstock Cache & Carry website for $3,000,000. The GTA Wiki gives the GTA V Rhino a 120 mm cannon and a weight of 60 tons.

GTA Online sells the Rhino too, at $1,500,000 from the same website. The GTA Wiki notes that it was first locked behind rank 70. Online even has an adversary mode, Rhino Hunt, in which players on light off-road vehicles armed with sticky bombs try to bring tanks down.