Esperanto

The Esperanto is a recurring vehicle in the GTA series. It's a two door sedan in the 3D Universe and a four-door sedan in the HD Universe. It is manufactured by Albany in the HD Universe.

3D Universe
The Esperanto made its first appearance in Grand Theft Auto III. Its design became more boxy in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, and appeared alongside a similar sedan, the Remington. Despite the Remington being a lowrider, the Esperanto was not. The rounded design returned for Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories. However, it returned to the boxy design in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories.

The Esperanto is based on a 1975-1978 Cadillac Eldorado, more specifically the 1975 and 1976 models judging by the taillights. However, the vehicle has received significant changes throughout its appearances in these games.

When introduced in GTA III (and, later, in GTA Liberty City Stories), the Esperanto features a slightly curvy profile and flatter details. The GTA Vice City rendition (as well as the GTA Vice City Stories rendition) received a major retouch with the vehicle featuring a more angular body design, detailed fascia and rear fin that slant forward. GTA San Andreas' Esperanto is essentially similar in design as that of GTA Vice City, but noticeably sports differences in the rear, with its tailfin-based taillights reduced in height (implying they are now part of the rear bumper) and its rear license plate relocated from the trunk lid to the bumper. Similarly, the GTA Advance rendition maintains much of the physical traits of previous Esperanto's as seen from the top down.

One of the earliest known names of the car is the "Esparanto", revealed during development of GTA III and depicted in the Capital Autos website. Very early models of the possible Esparanto was more detailed, it had a brown vinyl roof and there were bigger resemblance to a real Cadillac from seventies. The beta Esperanto was also intended to feature hydraulics, but the feature was dropped in the final release. This feature was passed to the Yardie Lobo, however.

HD Universe
For the HD Universe the design was completely changed. The vehicle became a four door sedan for its appearance in Grand Theft Auto IV and Episodes From Liberty City.

In Grand Theft Auto IV, the Albany Esperanto is very different to the earlier renditions. Rather than being a large two-door coupe, the new car is a mid-sized four-door sedan. Its styling inspiration appears to be a pastiche of common late-70s/early-80s American car styling. The bumpers, sides and bustle-back styling (a majority of the chassis) is based on the Seventh Generation (1982-1987) Lincoln Continental. The grille and headlights are similar to a 1982/1983 Chevrolet Malibu (the shorter width of the grille makes it look like a 1984 - 85 Chevrolet Celebrity, but the Albany signature on the grille and flatter headlights are more like the Malibu); and the taillights seem based on a '80-'81 Pontiac Bonneville/'85-'86 Pontiac Parisienne, the reverse lights could also suggest some other luxury cars. The combined look seems to emulate an early Cadillac Seville as it is commonly mistaken for one. In game, the vehicle shares its interior with the Emperor.

After completing car theft missions, Stevie will buy the Esperanto from Niko for $1,800.

3D Universe
Although performance aspects vary slightly between games for this vehicle, acceleration and speed are generally quite satisfying with the rear-drive V8 or I6 (depending on the game) powertrain. The one common problem with the Esperanto, however, is its notoriously bad brakes - a problem that is only exacerbated by the vehicle's weight. Traveling at high speed it takes some time to bring the vehicle to a stop which, besides often causing minor accidents, becomes a potentially fatal problem in GTA III, where Claude is unable to jump from a moving vehicle, exposing him to serious danger in a fast-moving Esperanto about to explode. The car's handling is highly responsive, but again, the vehicle's size and weight cause problems, predisposing it to two-wheeling and loss of control when overcompensating for a swerve at high speeds. However, its huge mass absorbs damage quite well, making it a good vehicle for ramming smaller ones (and even comparably sized ones) off the road. Usually using the handbrake with this car is more effective than using the main braking system.

Grand Theft Auto IV
The Esperanto is powered by a relatively lazy-feeling engine, which is paired with a 5 speed gearbox. It has a RWD configuration unlike the real Seville, which is FWD. Overall, it is rather slow and dreary, in that acceleration is very poor and top speed is not very high. Handling is fairly acceptable, though some understeer can be felt. The suspension can be described as moderately firm, yet soft enough to cope with the rough streets of Liberty City. Braking has improved significantly over the 3D Universe Esperanto, though ABS is still not available. When crashed, this car appears to cope rather well. However, it is easy for the engine to become damaged.

Modifications (GTA San Andreas)

 * The Esperanto can only be modified in a TransFender garage.

Roman's Taxi
Roman Bellic owns a fleet of black Esperantos he uses as taxis for his business before the mission Hostile Negotiation. They are replaced by grey Cavalcades.

Police Roadcruiser
In Grand Theft Auto V, the North Yankton State Patrol used a fleet of Esperantos as police vehicles circa 2004. They are only seen in the mission Prologue. The vehicle itself doesn't appear in GTA V.

Special Variant
In Grand Theft Auto III, there is a unique navy blue variant found in Ghost Town.

Notable owners

 * Tanner drove an Esperanto in the mission: "Two-Faced Tanner."
 * Ray Bulgarin owned a white Esperanto.

Grand Theft Auto III

 * Parked by the Old School Hall in Chinatown, Portland.
 * In the parking space by the Carson General Hospital in Rockford, Staunton Island (sometimes replaced with an Ambulance).

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City

 * In the parking lot near the Moist Palms Hotel in Downtown.
 * Spawns when driving a Rancher in Downtown.
 * Occasionally spawn in Little Haiti, Little Havana and Downtown.
 * There is more than one Esperanto found parked in the car park behind the Hyman Memorial Stadium.

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

 * Can be found driving around Ganton, Idlewood and in Willowfield.
 * Can be found in Rockshore West.

Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories

 * Can be found in an alley in front of the Sweeney General Hospital, near an Angel.
 * Parked by the Old School Hall in Chinatown, Portland.
 * Can be found in the parking lot of Marco's Bistro in Saint Mark's.
 * Parked by the AMCo. gas station in Harwood, Portland.

Grand Theft Auto: GTA Vice City Stories

 * Parked next to the abandoned apartment complex across the northernmost empire building in Little Haiti.

Grand Theft Auto IV

 * In GTA IV, a black one is always available at the cab depot up until Roman's Sorrow has been completed, it can also be seen entering or leaving the building.
 * One or more may be parked at The Triangle Club in Northern Gardens, Bohan.
 * Can be found in Broker in traffic.
 * One can be found on Wenrohronon Ave. in Broker with a Marbelle, parked on the side of the road near a small construction site before the road ends. It also can be found there in multiplayer modes.
 * Can often be found in Bohan.
 * Occasionally found in Alderney.

General

 * Esperanto is the name of an auxiliary language spoken throughout the world. It could also be a misspelling of the word esperando, which means "waiting" in Spanish and Portuguese.

3D Universe

 * In a trailer for GTA Vice City, a unique black Esperanto can be seen crashing.
 * In GTA Liberty City Stories, no matter how many times the player resprays the Esperanto, there will always be a lining of rust at the bottom of the vehicle.

HD Universe

 * The Esperanto was one of the first cars to appear in any media in the run-up to GTA IV's release. It has often been mistakenly referred to as an "Albany" due to the fact that the word is conspicuously emblazoned on the grille.
 * In GTA IV, the Esperanto's engine sound, along with any other vehicle that emits the same noise, bears similarity to the sound produced by the Jersey XS, a car based on the Dodge Viper found only in Midnight Club II.
 * A wreck that looks like a cross between the San Andreas Buccaneer and Esperanto can be found in Used Auto Parts in South Bohan, just Northwest of the South Bohan Safehouse. It will reappear a few days after the Used Auto Parts garage was blown up. There is an identical wreck in Brucie's Excecutive Lifestyle Autos.

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