APC



The APC is an armored assault vehicle and is exclusively featured in The Ballad of Gay Tony. It is the first appearance of an armored land vehicle since Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.

Design
As The Ballad of Gay Tony restores the over-the-top style of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, the APC was created to fill a role similar to GTA San Andreas's S.W.A.T. The APC appears to be a mix of the Soviet/Russian BRDM-2 (wheels) and the [BTR-70 (chassis and cannon placement). It features multiple flashing strobe lights (and no siren) on various places over the vehicle.

Although the APC is described on the official TBoGT website as an "Armored Personnel Carrier" utilized by NOOSE, neither NOOSE nor the LCPD actually use the APC in-game to chase the player, except during "Frosting on the Cake".

Performance
In terms of the APC's road-going abilities, the vehicle is evidently unintended for speedy travel. While the APC has a top speed of 60 mph (96 kmph), it possesses poor acceleration that dampens the APC's potential to reach its top speed and climb steep incline. On the other hand, its soft suspensions helps in providing the APC with generally reliable steering, especially at low speeds, and its brakes are also effective even in higher speed, impressive for a large and heavy vehicle like the APC; however, the suspensions' configuration increases the APC's susceptibility to rollovers due to uneven weight distribution during sharp turns. Its excessively heavy weight also allows the APC to push aside any small vehicle without much disruption in the APC's movement.

However, the APC's true strength lies in its prowess in combat, making the APC one of the most lethal combat vehicles in-game (still a step below that of the Buzzard, but can overwhelm the lightly armed Annihilator). In place of GTA San Andreas' S.W.A.T. tank water cannon is a turret loaded with explosive rounds, which is only as powerful as an explosive round shot from an Explosive Shotgun or Advanced Sniper. As little as two shots to any part of a car, and the car will catch fire. This fire is uniquely scripted; any medium-force impact will instantly explode the car. This is a mixed blessing. Catching a police car behind you on fire can make other police run into it, causing a dynamic chain explosion. However, doing the same to police cars in front has a price: one can find it hard to maneuver around the burning car, resulting in the car exploding on impact. However, the APC is very durable, as covered below, and can resist up to four explosions before catching fire itself. Despite it's well-apparent power, the APC has some minor drawbacks. Due to it being a special vehicle with severely limited window space, other weapons cannot be used, preventing one from throwing sticky bombs or passengers helping to fend off pursuers. The turret also has a limited field of view that is incapable of shooting high up into the air, where pursuing police/NOOSE helicopters may linger.

The APC is also the most durable vehicle in the game, being able to resist high speed impacts without any noticeable body deformation, and survive gunfire and even multiple Rocket Launcher rounds. However, the APC can still be destroyed by gunfire eventually regardless, and has weak points at the rear, where its engine lies, as well as at venting on top of the APC toward the rear, which are intended to ventilate the engine and discard exhaust fumes; the only mean of destroying the APC at any area is the explosive punch cheat code.

Trivia

 * In the mission Frosting On The Cake, the APC appears, but it has a notable difference than the APC the player can drive. Instead of a turret that shoots explosive bullets, this APC has what appears to be a machine gun.
 * In multiplayer, the APC is easily available in Free Mode, and a dedicated race class is available where all racers drive the APC, during which the player can use the cannon, albeit with a slower rate of fire and less power. Given its overpowering nature, however, the APC is not available in Team Deathmatch, Deathmatch, or other competitive co-op modes not directly related to the vehicle.
 * An interesting way to blow things up is to put sticky bombs on some of the sides; then drive towards the target and press down on the d-pad. The APC will not be destroyed; instead, it will catch fire and blow up by ITSELF soon afterwards.
 * The APC can be damaged by the extreme power of the swing glitches however, one probably wouldn't notice the damage unless one uses a health pack or the health cheat. Usually the front will suffer compression, pushing about it about half a foot into the APC.
 * The APC is not amphibious although its design based from amphibious BRDM-2.

Locations

 * The APC appears in the missions "Caught with your Pants Down", where the player steals one for Yusuf Amir, and "Frosting on the Cake", where the player destroys one with Sticky Bombs to escape pursuing law enforcement after killing several Lost MC bikers.
 * Parking lot of the East Holland police headquarters in Algonquin. The vehicle can be found parked underneath in a small garage with no garage door. It also appears there in multiplayer.
 * Can be spawned via the player's phone by dialing: 272-555-8265 ("APC"-555-"TANK").
 * Can be obtained from Henrique Bardas after finishing the main storyline.
 * At Yusuf Amir's construction site after shooting all 50 seagulls. Note: The mission For the Man Who Has Everything must be completed before the APC begins to spawn here.
 * In GTA IV beta, it was planned for a new version of the Rhino, or at least some assault vehicle, to be drivable. Possibly an APC.

External link

 * Exclusive vehicles on the official The Ballad of Gay Tony website