Real-life vehicles that have been parodied in GTA games

GTA, the three letters many school-going kids were obsessed with at one point of time. Rockstar Games caused a sensation among many kids growing up in the late 2000s with the GTA franchise. While the first GTA came out back in 1997, titles such as GTA 3, GTA Vice City and GTA San Andreas would go on to attain a cult status among gamers and teenagers growing up in the late-2000 and early-2010 era. The latest GTA title may have come out eight years ago, but it still manages to be immensely successful even today!

More than completing missions, we loved to drive the in-game cars and bikes and create havoc with our stupid antics. We also loved finding cars and bikes similar to the ones existing in the real world and compare them. Unlike Need For Speed and Forza Horizon, Rockstar Games never had the intention of licensing vehicles for video games, which is why you will never find a Ford Mustang, a Toyota Supra, or even a Lamborghini Gallardo in GTA franchises. Instead, you will find vehicles with some rather hilarious names and designs which were obvious parodies of their real-life counterparts.

The Faggio is a scooter powered by a small two-stroke engine with a three-speed gearbox, resulting in it being among the slowest and the least powerful two-wheelers in the GTA franchise. However, it scores points in its favour by being very flickable and offering great levels of maneuverability. The design is a reference to the 1973 Piaggio Vespa 50 Special with its square headlamp, slightly bulky side panels, protruding centre area in the footwell and multiple colour options. However, in later titles, the Faggio bears resemblance to the 1955 Vespa 150 GS.

The name itself is a parody of Piaggio, and is probably rooted in a derogatory word.

The Landstalker is a humorous take on the Land Rover and/or the Toyota Land Cruiser. In earlier GTA titles, the Landstalker was heavily based on the 1989 Jeep Wagoneer. In later titles, the design of the Landstalker has elements of the third generation Lincoln Navigator, the third generation Ford Explorer, and the 2006 Range Rover.

Being a lightweight 4-door SUV, it offers decent performance levels. However, the SUV is very hard to control and caution has to be exercised while taking fast turns, as even a slight error will cause the car to flip over and eventually explode. We have ended up with a ‘Wasted’ screen and flared tempers multiple times due to this!

The Rancher is a two-door SUV that draws inspiration from the Ford Bronco and the Chevrolet K5 Blazer, while its name is a reference to the Ford Ranger. Interestingly, its Police variant in GTA San Andreas also shares its name with the Ford Ranger. The Rancher comes equipped with 4x4 and offers excellent levels of power and off-road ability unlike the Landstalker.

The Rancher makes an appearance in GTA 5 as the four-door Rancher XL which, interestingly resembles the FBI Rancher from older GTA titles.

The Cheetah is aptly named after the animal owing to its amazing performance. A two-door supercar powered by a V8 engine, the Cheetah offers excellent levels of handling, top speed and also maintains its line very well. The design of the Cheetah is a nod to the Ferrari Testarossa. However, in GTA 3 and Vice City, the Cheetah's engine was placed in the front, which was very unlike the car it is based on.

A mid-engined supercar which heavily resembles the Ford GT, the Bullet is powered by a V6 engine with a rear-wheel drivetrain. The Bullet is one of the more controllable supercars in the game despite being insanely fast and offering tremendous levels of acceleration. It is, however, very prone to damage and will explode quickly if you're trying to escape the cops and they fire at you.

The Bullet remains a capable car in later GTA titles, but loses its sheen by being the second slowest supercar in the game.

Maibatsu is a Japanese carmaker in the GTA franchise, and while its cars do not make an appearance until GTA 5, its commercials are highly satirical in nature which can be heard in the in-game radio stations. The name Maibatsu is a play on both Mitsubishi and Daihatsu, but seems more focused on Mitsubishi as the company descriptions are eerily similar.

Another mid-engined V6 supercar which can not only go insanely fast, but also handle extremely well, the Turismo is among the best supercars (and a hypercar in later titles) you can find in the GTA series. This car can hit dangerous levels of top speed without nitrous, and is extremely fun to drive. The Turismo borrows strong design cues from the Ferrari F40. It is, however, a rare car to find in the older GTA titles.

Rockstar Games are notorious for the satirical nature of their games, and these are just a few examples of automobile companies it has taken digs at. Since we cannot include every vehicle in one single article as the list is just too diverse, leave a comment below about your favorite car or bike from a GTA game, and tell us about your crazy antics.