Zirconium

Zirconium is an automotive company in Grand Theft Auto IV. The company name may allude to the production of expensive-looking but low-quality vehicles, as the element zirconium is used to make cheap diamond substitutes. The Zirconium Building in Liberty City is modeled after the Chrysler Building, although Chrysler's analogue in the GTA IV Era appears to be Schyster. The logo is similar to the Renault logo although this may be coincidental as the two companies share no other similarities.

The only Zirconium vehicle seen in the game is the Stratum, which resembles a 1992-1995 Saturn SL1 wagon.The Zirconium name may be a reference to the Ford marque Mercury, as both share the names of elements, however the only Mercury analogues seen in the game is the Solair, produced by Willard, and the Stretch and Admiral, produced by Dundreary. The Stratum may be a captive import, making it likely to be based of Saturn. It is possible that this is a reference to Diamond-Star Motors, a joint venture between the Chrysler Corporation and Mitsubishi Motors Corporation.

Zirconium can also be a parody of Acura.

Trivia

 * In GTA IV's audio files, this manufacturer is misspelled as "Zireonium" and is mispronounced by the police as "Zireoenium".
 * Zirconium is a type of metal with an atomic mass number of 40 and the symbol Zr.
 * Zirconium is a frequently used material for making cheap diamonds. This is maybe a reference to the Stratum`s low impact rezistance and cheap quality.