The Cabbie is a four-door taxicab featured in both 3D Universe and HD Universe of the Grand Theft Auto series.
Design
3D Universe
The Cabbie is evidently based on a Checker Taxi, namely the 1970s and 1980s models considering the games' timelines (albeit with single headlights reminiscent of the 1956 Marathon). It is generally depicted as the older counterpart of the Taxi and remained the same across all games, with fewer changes on the details and always carrying a traditional "TAXI" sign on the roof:
- The Grand Theft Auto III and Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories renditions have slanted headlight housings (similar to the Checker Taxi), narrow tail lights and square amber indicators on the front and rear quarters, as well as bulky bumpers, numerous separations on the grille and a large exhaust on the rear that is integrated within the rear bumper. It is seen in a bright yellow primary color for the body and a grey secondary color for the bumpers, handles and details, and is decorated with checkered stripes on the sides.
- The Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories renditions have flatter shapes on the housings and slightly larger headlights, while the wheels are more inset on the wheel wells. The bumpers are also smalller and follow the shape of the vehicle's ends, while the grille has fewer horizontal separations and the exhaust is located beneath the rear bumper. It is seen in a darker/worn yellow livery on the body and a grey secondary color for the bumpers and rims, and is decorated with forward arrow patterns on the sides.
- The Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas rendition retains most of the features from the Vice City models, but the tail lights consist of single red units opposed to the red and white dual units from previous iterations, as well as the interior. It is only seen in a yellow primary color for the body and lack any stripes or patterns on the sides.
Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars
In Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars, the Cabbie returns as the only taxi operating in Liberty City, and seems to retain the same features as the Grand Theft Auto III version, including the checkered stripes.
Players can enter Cabbies and take Taxi Rides to destinations.
Version History Gallery
Performance
3D Universe
The Cabbie is generally slower and heavier than its more modern counterpart, the Taxi. Its handling is also inferior; the vehicle is somewhat unstable under heavy cornering, and its wobbly suspension can make it prone to rolling over and losing control, especially when driving at high speeds or going over hills. These factors make the Cabbie a poor choice for the taxi side-mission, where speed is critical.
Some players, however, favor its rear-wheel drive, which is more capable of powersliding in corners. Also if the player knows how to control the Cabbie, its large V8 engine can be potent in a fast getaway. The Cabbie is also more capable of off-roading than the modern Taxi. Lastly, the Cabbie is more durable and should last longer.
The Cabbie uses a petrol engine and a 4-speed gearbox that powers the rear wheels. It produces a rather noisy sound, likely due to it being an old vehicle.
3D Universe Overview
| Acceleration (0-60 mph in Seconds) |
Top Speed (mph / kmh) |
Gears | Engine | Drivetrain (FWD / RWD / AWD) |
Mass (kg / lbs) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N/A | 99 / 160 | 4 | Petrol | RWD | 1250 / 2756 (GTA III) 1750 / 3858 (GTA VC - GTA VCS) |
| N/A | N/A | 4 | N/A | RWD | Cannot be observed |
Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars
In Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars, the Cabbie's performance has been improved. Acceleration is acceptable and so is handling. These factors make the Cabbie a good car for evading police (i.e. ramming police cars). Completing Taxi Driver side mission with gold medal makes all Cabbies bulletproof and become very tough, which may be useful in certain missions.
Modifications (GTA San Andreas)
- The Cabbie can only be modified in a TransFender mod-garage.
| Type | Upgrade | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Color | Car Color 1 (64 different colors) | $ 150 |
| Nitro | 2x Nitrous | $ 200 |
| 5x Nitrous | $ 500 | |
| 10x Nitrous | $ 1000 | |
| Wheels | Import | $ 820 |
| Atomic | $ 770 | |
| Ahab | $ 1000 | |
| Virtual | $ 620 | |
| Access | $ 1140 | |
| Off Road Wheel | $ 1000 | |
| Mega | $ 1030 | |
| Grove | $ 1230 | |
| Twist | $ 1200 | |
| Wires | $ 1560 | |
| Car Stereo | Bass Boost | $ 100 |
| Hydraulics | Hydraulics | $ 1500 |
Image Gallery
Variants
BorgnineGrand Theft Auto III & Grand Theft Auto Advance |
 (Rear quarter view) |
The Borgnine is a special version of the Cabbie, having a red paintjob, modified bumpers with bloody spikes and an improved performance. It appears in Grand Theft Auto III and Grand Theft Auto Advance. |
Kaufman CabGrand Theft Auto Vice City |
 (Rear quarter view) |
The Kaufman Cab is essentially a Cabbie with the Kaufman Cabs company logo on its sides, as well as having a different ingame name and performance. It appears in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. |
Zebra CabGrand Theft Auto Vice City |
 (Rear quarter view) |
The Zebra Cab is a special modified Cabbie, painted in a yellow-and-black zebra pattern, with darker metal trims and bumpers, as well as improved performance. It appears in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. |
Taxi companies
Taxi side mission
Prominent Appearances in Missions
Grand Theft Auto III
- Import/Export - The Cabbie is one of the 16 vehicles wanted for the Shoreside Vale portion of the Import/Export side mission.
Locations
In many cases, Cabbies are only available as part of city traffic, and are not frequently parked in specific locations. However, at least three of the games do spawn Cabbies in set locations:
Grand Theft Auto III
- Parked at the Mean Street Taxis depot in Trenton, Portland Island.
- Randomly parked at the Multistory car park in Newport, Staunton Island.
- Driven anywhere, albeit less than the Taxi.
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
- A Cabbie may spawn in the parking lot of the Moist Palms Hotel.
- Sometimes can be found parked at a parking space outside of North Point Mall.
- Occasionally spawn in Ocean Beach, Washington Beach, Starfish Island, Vice Point, or almost through the whole city, but less common than the Kaufman Cab and Taxi.
- Sometimes appears parked at the parking lot in Escobar International.
- An operational taxi service can take formerly Wasted or Busted players to their last mission trigger. These are marked in the radar and awaits the player outside the hospital/police station, where the player spawns. However, sometimes a Kaufman Cab may replace it instead.
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
- Commonly found driving all across San Andreas, mainly in the three cities but sometimes can also occupy the rural zones. Less common than the Taxi.
Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories
- Parked in front of the Francis International Airport terminal, Shoreside Vale (may be locked)
- Driven anywhere, albeit less than the Taxi.
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories
- Found driven almost anywhere in the city.
Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars
- Long-Yang's drug dealing area in Cerveza Heights has a Cabbie parked there. However, it is locked.
- Found driven almost anywhere in the city.
- Usually parked near the Pay 'n' Spray in Hove Beach. It is the place where the 'champion' leaves his car in the mission Pimp His Ride.
Trivia
General
- The Cabbie plays the following radio stations by default when entered:
- GTA Vice City + GTA Vice City Stories: VCPR or Espantoso.
- GTA San Andreas: Bounce FM.
- GTA Liberty City Stories: Radio Del Mundo.
- GTA Chinatown Wars: Prairie Cartel or Turntables on the Hudson.
- In real life, Checker Marathons were withdrawn from service in New York City in 1999, after a law established that taxis could not be more than five years old.
- After completing the Taxi Driver side-mission in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories, hydraulics are unlocked for the Cabbie and the Taxi (and for Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, the Zebra Cab can as well); this disables the vehicles' horns.
Grand Theft Auto III
- Cabbies do not have gear sticks or handbrakes.
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
- If the player enters the "All Black Cars" cheat, both the Cabbie and the Taxi will be given black bumpers, and rims, instead of a black body design. This is because it uses a livery wrapping the entire vehicle, unlike other renditions that have dedicated colors.
Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories
- At Staunton Island, after getting wasted or busted, when entering the Cabbie and arriving at the place where the mission is, Toni will bail out for an unknown reason.
Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars
A rendering of the papercraft Cabbie from the GTA Chinatown Wars section of the Rockstar Games Social Club.
- Under the GTA Chinatown Wars section of the Rockstar Games Social Club website, members may download a printable papercraft model of the game's Cabbie. The vehicle's design differs in terms of detailing.
- There is a glitch that can occur in a Cabbie. If Huang calls a Cabbie and enters it, sets a route to Osama, and skips the journey, he, along with the vehicle and its driver, will spawn on Happiness Island. It is unknown why this happens. When stealing the Cabbie on Happiness Island he can do the Taxi Driver mission as there are fares on the island. However, there's no way out of the island in a car, so he can either quit the mission or destroy the vehicle by driving it into the water and getting out immediately after.
- In the iOS version, the vehicle can become bullet-, fire- and collision-proof after the player takes a taxi ride. Only headlights can be damaged when crashing, and the only way to destroy the vehicle is by flipping it or driving it into water.
See Also
- Taxi - Prominent taxicab in the Grand Theft Auto series.
- London Cab - Grand Theft Auto: London 1969 and Grand Theft Auto: London 1961 equivalent.
- Taxi Xpress - Grand Theft Auto 2 equivalent.
- Cabby - Grand Theft Auto IV equivalent.
