Buccaneer

The Albany Buccaneer is a 2-door coupé/personal luxury car in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, Grand Theft Auto IV (where it is misspelled "Bucanneer"), Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars and Grand Theft Auto V.

GTA San Andreas
The Buccaneer is based on a 1970-1972 Chevrolet Monte Carlo (probably the 1972 model, as it doesn't have turning signals on the bumper). Its design resembles that of the Picador, as both cars take inspiration from vehicles built upon the Chevelle platform.

GTA IV — Chinatown Wars
The Albany Buccaneer in GTA IV looks more like the 1971-1973 Buick Riviera, while it still broadly draws inspiration from the 1970-1972 Monte Carlo (but it has lost much of its fastback profile and has exaggerated proportions), but is also influenced by other vehicles — the front end looks closer to that of the 1974 Chevrolet Caprice and even more so 1974 Cadillacs because of the hood ornament.

The GTA Chinatown Wars rendition retains the Monte Carlo influences, leaning more towards the design of the GTA San Andreas rendition, although it is far shorter than both its previous renditions. Its wide headlights echo the double headlights of the GTA IV rendition.

GTA V
In GTA V the Buccaneer's design is changed completely from GTA IV. The front strongly represents the 1963-1965 Buick Riviera, specifically the 65 model, as the stacked headlights were only in that model. It also appears to draw inspiration from both the first generation Pontiac Grand Prix for its headlights and 1966 GTO for the grille unit.

The rear of the vehicle is reminiscent of a 1966 Chevrolet Chevelle SS with its similar square, concave-folded tail lights and inner reverse lights with a black matte strip running along the back of the trunk connecting the two.

GTA San Andreas
The Picador slightly outperforms the Buccaneer in acceleration and handling, but the Buccaneer has a higher top speed. Despite its lowrider-like appearance, it can only be modified at TransFender. It houses a high power and torque large displacement V8 engine under the bonnet of the car.

GTA IV
The Bucanneer is a fairly heavy car, needing a V8 to lug around its portly weight, however its cornering is acceptable at low speeds. Its back end is prone to fishtailing when cornering at high speeds. Its top speed is about 102 mph (164 kph). The name "Bucanneer", seen when the player enters the vehicle, is clearly a typographical error — the name is spelled correctly on the rear of the car, in Stevie's text message requesting the car, and within game files.

GTA V
The Buccaneer, despite being based on a heavy luxury coupe, has the highest speed of all the muscle cars, with it achieving about 198 mph. This is not a very big advantage however, as muscle cars such as the Gauntlet and Blade only go 3 or 4 mph slower. Braking is acceptable, but nothing too spectacular or noteworthy. Having a decently powerful V8 the hood, acceleration is average, achieving 60 mph in the 5 second range. The Buccaneer is able to go through most corners without spinning out, and oversteer is quite minimal, which is surprising for a vehicle of its size and weight. Overrall the Buccaneer is a solid muscle car, where despite having the highest speed in its class, has statistics that are common with the category.

Variants


In Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, the Buccaneer, along with the Tampa and the Manana, is a gang car of the Da Nang Boys. It can only be found in the Easter Basin and Garver Bridge region in San Fierro, along with the Tampa. They can sometimes be spotted in Las Venturas near The Four Dragons Casino driving around the strip or parked in parking garages. In Grand Theft Auto IV, a Buccaneer is requested as part of Stevie's Car Thefts, with a uniquely candy maroon and black body color. As a new Bucanneer will respawn at the same spot until the player delivers one to S&M Auto Sales, the player can save one at their safehouse before delivering another.

In Chinatown Wars, a Buccaneer is the first car in the game available for the player to steal. This Buccaneer has a unique white color and can't be found anywhere else. The player can store it just directly after the mission ends.

In Grand Theft Auto V, there are unique modified Buccaneers belonging to the Los Santos Vagos, Families, and Ballas gangs. These gang variants feature upgraded performance parts, front bumper splitters, unique grills, vented hoods, tinted windows, and aftermarket rims. The gangs will open fire against the player if he steals one of their cars.

Modifications (GTA San Andreas)

 * The Buccaneer can be modified at TransFender:

Trivia

 * Upon completion of Stevie's Car Thefts in GTA IV, the Bucanneer may be sold at his garage for $1,800.
 * In Grand Theft Auto IV, a Bucanneer appears with single headlights in a body shop business sign.
 * The Buccaneer plays the following radio stations by default when entered:
 * GTA San Andreas: Playback FM.
 * GTA IV: Vladivostok FM.
 * GTA Chinatown Wars: Alchemist.
 * GTA V: Channel X.
 * The Buccaneer is the first vehicle available to the player in GTA Chinatown Wars.
 * Due to the low height of its driver's seat, CJ will kick the car's occupant when stealing the car in GTA San Andreas.
 * In GTA V, this may have been the substitute for the Dukes.
 * In Grand Theft Auto IV, the steering wheel bears a Declasse emblem.
 * The GTA San Andreas and GTA IV versions looks very similar to each other.
 * The GTA IV version of this car somewhat resembles the Tampa, and also the GTA IV rendition of the Emperor.
 * Found in Midnight Club 2, another game made by Rockstar, there is a muscle car called the Bestia. It appears that the design for the Buccanneer in Grand Theft Auto V takes heavy inspiration from this vehicle. Coincidently the Bestia is unlocked in Los Angeles the city that Los Santos is based off.
 * Strangely, the engine of the GTA V version is incredibly quiet, despite that it's one of the fastest cars in the game.
 * The Buccaneer is one of six updated vehicles in GTA V that do not also appears in their GTA IV and its episodes models. The other vehicles are the Sentinel, the Feltzer, the Coquette, the Police Cruiser and the Police Maverick.
 * The gang variant of the Buccaneer in GTA Online nets the players $9,875 in Los Santos Customs upon selling it.

GTA San Andreas

 * Bayside Marina parking lot, Tierra Robada.
 * Very common in Easter Basin and Esplanade North because these are Da Nang Boys territories.
 * Spawns anywhere when the "junk cars" cheat is activated.

GTA IV + Episodes from Liberty City

 * Mostly spawns in Beachgate, Firefly Island and Hove Beach (Broker).
 * Rarely spawn in Boulevard, Fortside, Bohan Industrial, Little Bay, Northern Gardens and South Bohan (Bohan).
 * Very rarely spawn in North Holland, Northwood, Star Junction, Presidents City (Algonquin), Schottler and Beechwood City (Broker).

GTA V

 * Commonly spawns in Cypress Flats, South Los Santos.
 * A special yellow and black Buccaneer is driven by the Vagos and can be found driving and parked in Rancho.
 * A special purple and gold Buccaneer is driven by the Ballas and can be found driving and parked in Grove Street.
 * A special green and black Buccaneer is driven by The Families and can be found driving and parked in Chamberlain Hills.

GTA Online

 * Spawns frequently when being requested by Simeon Yetarian for his Import/Export Garage.
 * Vagos variant spawns frequently in the parking lots of Limited LTD Service and Herr Kutz Barber in Davis.

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