Zirconium

Zirconium is an automotive company in the HD Universe of Grand Theft Auto.

Overview
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 HD Universe appears to be Schyster.

Only two Zirconium vehicles are seen in the game; the Stratum, which resembles a 1994-1997 Honda Accord station wagon, and the Journey, which resembles a Vogue 26′ Villa Grand.

Zirconium could possibly be loosely based on the defunct Saturn Corporation, as the Stratum is said to bear some resemblance to the Saturn SW. The choice of Zirconium as the name could also allude to the public perception that Saturn vehicles were bland GM knockoffs of Japanese automobiles.

Trivia

 * In GTA IV's audio files, this manufacturer is misspelled as "Zireonium" and is mispronounced by the police as "Zireoenium". Interestingly enough, a sound clip with the same mispronounciation can be found in GTA V's files that was probably recorded before being corrected.

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