Saying that Grand Theft Auto is popular would be an understatement. Everyone has heard of it, and almost every gamer kid – or children trapped in an adult’s body – are playing it or has played an iteration of the GTA series at some point in their lives.
GTA 5 Rare cars - location of rare or tuned cars for free
This is especially true for car guys, because where else can you wreak automotive havoc in a city without too real-life consequences right? Well, there are in-game cops, which are particularly aggressive in Grand Theft Auto V, but we digress. It’s fun (even dealing with the in-game cops part) and there are a lot of car-related things in GTA that you simply can’t do in other racing games and especially in real life.
It also helps that the GTA V game map is huge.
Now, in Grand Theft Auto V, the latest one in the series, the advancement in graphics has come to such a point that details on the in-game cars are clear. As such, Rockstar Games, the developer of this massively popular game series, has turned to use more real-life inspirations for their in-game car models.
So can you tell which real-life cars these GTA V cars are based on?
Note: We did not include mods because there are some that will literally place real-life models in the game.
Can you name these cars from Grand Theft Auto V?
1. Zirconium Stratum
If you’ve ever tried using this in the game, it is stable, fast, and it’s everywhere. That’s unlike its real-life counterpart: the 1994 to 1997 Honda Accord Wagon, which is very rare here in the Philippines. The real-life Accord Wagon, however, can either come with a beefy V6 and then there’s the Japan-only Honda Accord SIR which has the 190 horsepower H22A engine. So yeah, the real-life one can be as fast as the one in GTA V.
The Stratum up top, and the real life Accord Wagon picture below
Due to its stable handling in GTA, the Stratum is the car to get if you’re in for a drive-by mission. An ambush drive-by, mind you, because it’s quite fragile.
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2. Annis Elegy RH8
The Elegy RH8 in GTA V is a clear nod to the Nissan GT-R. The front lights, however, are more akin to the ones found on the G37 Coupe, and the rear lights are more similar to the 2009 Toyota FT-86 concept. So yes, it’s a combination of three cars, with the GT-R aesthetic being dominant.
The RH8 at the top and the Nissan GT-R below
And yes, the RH8 is one of the best handling cars in GTA V because like the real-life GT-R, it has an all-wheel-drive, great weight distribution, and great traction.
3. Cheval Surge
Cheval, an in-game car manufacturer, which sounds like Chevrolet, has the Surge. Like its real-life Chevrolet Volt hybrid counterpart, the Surge doesn’t have a traditional transmission so it handles like a go-kart.
The Surge at the top picture, and the Chevy Volt below
It also explodes if falling from a certain height, thus implying that it uses a fuel cell or a lithium-polymer battery. The real-life Volt uses a lithium-ion which can still explode when presented with the right conditions.
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4. Dinka Jester
Weirdly enough, Rockstar’s equivalent of Honda is called Dinka, which is the name of an African tribe in South Sudan.
Moving on, Dinka in GTA V has the Jester. A two-door sports car based on the 2015 Honda NSX. The headlights and the hood of the Jester, however, are more in line with the ones found on the BMW i8.
The Jester and the Honda NSX supercar
Also, it’s called the Jester because of the front fascia’s angry grin. Maybe.
5. Dinka Blista Compact
Another Honda-inspired vehicle in GTA V is the Blista Compact, which you hardcore GTA fans will know have appeared as early as GTA: Vice City.
The Blista Compact and the Honda CR-X is essentially the same vehicle
Like its real-life counterpart, the Honda CR-X, it’s a two-door coupe, and like the real thing, it has a lot of tuning potential.
6. Dinka Kanjo
Released in the Casino Heist update, the Dinka Kanjo is another two-door coupe based on the Honda Civic Type R EK. In the game, however, it comes with tail lights from the Honda Today, and a grille and splitter that looks like the one on the Honda Integra Type R.
If you're curious, you can google what Kanjo means. You won't be disappointed
Being a potential getaway car in the Casino Heist downloadable content (DLC), the Kanjo is a fast car but it does have problems in stock form especially when taking corners. So, like the real-life EK9, the Kanjo benefits much from aftermarket mods from the many garages in San Andreas, the fictional state where GTA V takes place. It’s essentially GTA’s version of southern California.
7. Annis Hellion
GTA V has a lot of SUVs. The Hellion, like its real-life counterpart, the Nissan Patrol Safari for sale, is rather common here in the Philippines.
Boxy and robust. And yes, even in GTA V the Hellion does well in the desert parts
If you take a close look, though, its front end does look a lot like the Jeep Cherokee. It also has good durability off-road although its big tires are very prone to be shot down.
8. Annis Elegy Retro Custom
In GTA V, Nissan based cars are made by Annis, which is a weird combination of Nissan and Mazda.
One of their vehicles is the Elegy Retro Custom, which is based on the R32 Nissan Skyline GT-R, with R34 tail lights, and an R33 front fascia.
The Elegy Retro is what happens when you mix the elements of the R32, R33, and R34.
Like the RH8 (Nissan GT-R), this GTA car has all-wheel drive.
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9. Grotti Cheetah Classic
Being set in a fictional version of California, GTA V would not be complete without a fictional version of the famed Ferrari Testarossa. This is where the Grotti Cheetah Classic comes in.
Like the Blista, the Cheetah is a staple of the GTA series. It’s been around since GTA 3, and in all releases of the said series, it’s a fast car ideal for race type activities in-game. Note though that like the real life Testarossa, the Cheetah is great for cruising across San Andreas.
In GTA, the Cheetah is the go-to car if you want to go stunt jumping
Like most GTA cars, the Cheetah also borrows from other real-life models. The taillights comes from the Ferrari 512 BB and its front fascia has some similarities with the Ferrari 288 GTO.
10. Vapid Dominator GTX
From its appearance alone, you can tell that the Vapid Dominator GTX is based on the sixth generation Ford Mustang. If you take a closer look, however, its front fascia and taillights look like the one on the Dodge Charger instead. So yes, it’s another GTA franken-car.
Life the real-life Mustang, the Dominator has significant mass so it's great for offensive driving
The Dominator GTX is also one of the easiest in-game muscle cars to drive.
11. Coil Raiden
Taking its name from our favorite lighting god, Raiden from Mortal Kombat, this car is made by Coil, the GTA V equivalent of Tesla. Because Tesla Coil, get it?
Electrify your life with the Coil Raiden...we mean the Tesla Model S
Now like the real-life Model S, the Coil is fast on acceleration but lacking in top speed. Also for some reason, it’s one of the most fragile cars in the game.
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