The Cartel Cruiser is the gang vehicle of the Colombian Cartel featured in Grand Theft Auto III and Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories.
Design
3D Universe
The Cartel Cruiser resembles a 1979-1991 Chevrolet Suburban, but is designed as a 4-door pickup truck, making it similar to a late-1980s Ford F-150 (in reality, the 1979-1991 Chevrolet Suburban is only offered in SUV form; the pickup truck form is known as the Chevrolet C/K). The Cruiser also features a roll bar in the back, side runners, a blue paint job, and fog lights on the grill. In GTA III, the reverse lights are mounted in the rear bumper; however they are integrated into the tail light clusters in GTA LCS; rear fog lights take the place of the reverse lights in the bumper instead.
Similar to the Forelli Exsess, Sindacco Argento and Yardie Lobo, it does not have a civilian variant, but its closest civilian counterpart, however, is the Bobcat. It is one of the only two 4-door pickup trucks in the 3D Universe.
At one point of game development of GTA III, the Cartel Cruiser was known as the Columbia, which is possibly a reference to the Colombian Cartel's name. The old name is still evidently used in a showcase of the truck at the official Rockstar North website. In the beta, the car was also black. [citation/verification needed]
Version History Gallery
Performance
3D Universe
Powered by a turbocharged V8 engine, it is powerful enough to send its all wheel drive system into slides, which is unusual for the GTA III engine. However it suffers from turbo lag, where the car has poor acceleration from a standing start, until the turbo cuts in. This can be heard, when the engine noise becomes louder and more aggressive. At higher revs, it can outrun a Patriot or a Sentinel in a straight line drag race. However, its high center of gravity causes the body to roll in corners.
The Cartel Cruiser in GTA LCS performs similarly to the one in GTA III, only being much heavier, resulting in a noticeably lower acceleration. Its heavy weight, however makes up for better durability and low center of gravity, thus it has a better handling, stability and traction at high speeds. Unlike the GTA III rendition, rollovers and tailspins are less prone to occur in cornering, making it one of the best drifting cars in the game. It is also capable to ram other cars more easily, due to its aforementioned weight. The vehicle is exceptionally durable compared to the GTA III version. It is also one of the most durable cars in LCS, being able to withstand more damage than other SUV/trucks.
3D Universe Overview
| Acceleration (0-60 mph in Seconds) |
Top Speed (mph / kmh) |
Gears | Engine | Drivetrain (FWD / RWD / AWD) |
Mass (kg / lbs) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N/A | 109 / 175 | 5 | Petrol | AWD | 3200 / 7055 |
| N/A | N/A | N/A | F4 Turbocharged V8 (In-game model) | AWD | Cannot be observed |
Prominent Appearances in Missions
Grand Theft Auto III
- Bomb Da Base Act II - The Cartel use two Cruisers to guard the Les Cargo ship in Portland Harbor.
- Deal Steal - Two Cruisers are used by the Cartel at the meeting place near the Carson General Hospital.
- Arms Shortage - Claude and Phil Cassidy suffer an attack from the Cartel men, some of which arrive in the gun shop driving this vehicle.
- Liberator - Claude uses the Cruiser to rescue the Old Oriental Gentleman from the Cartel compound in Aspatria.
- Waka-Gashira Wipeout! - Claude uses the Cruiser to kill the Yakuza Waka-Gashira, Kenji Kasen, atop the Newport Multistory Car Park.
- Grand Theft Aero - A Cruiser is seen parked at the rear entrance to the construction site in Fort Staunton.
- Escort Service - Cartel members can be seen driving the Cruiser at multiple points in an attempt to stop the Old Oriental Gentleman from reaching Pike Creek.
- Espresso-2-Go! - A Cruiser will chase Claude if he destroys one of the two coffee stalls in Shoreside Vale.
- S.A.M. - Several Cruisers are seen along the runway of the Francis International Airport.
- The Exchange - Several Cruisers spawn throughout the mission, one being parked in a garage near the Cartel Mansion, and others are formed as roadblocks alongside the Cochrane Dam.
Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories
- Panlantic Land Grab - The Cartel escort Avery's Bobcat using two Cruisers.
- Love on the Run - Toni and Love suffer an attack from the Cartel men, that will constantly arrive in the mansion driving this vehicle.
- Scooter Shooter - Cartel members can be seen driving the Cruiser as the sixth, seventh and eighth targets, with one gunner in the back.
Locations
Grand Theft Auto III
- In the construction site in Fort Staunton, Staunton Island (only until Grand Theft Aero, where they'll be replaced by Yakuza Stingers).
- In the Cartel mansion in Cedar Grove, Shoreside Vale.
- Near D-Ice’s phone in Wichita Gardens, Shoreside Vale.
- Driving around Fort Staunton and Cedar Grove. It is quite dangerous to obtain it from these locations, as the Cartel members from the start of the game will immediately attack the player on sight. However, once Grand Theft Aero is completed, Yakuza members will fight off the Cartel in Fort Staunton, making it slightly less dangerous to obtain.
- Six Cartel Cruisers can be found during the mission The Exchange.
- Can be found as one of the burning vehicles during Firefighter missions.
Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories
- Driving around Cedar Grove and Francis International Airport in Shoreside Vale.
- Can be obtained during the missions Panlantic Land Grab and Love on the Run.
- Very rarely spawns in Belleville Park.
- Can be found as a target vehicle in Scooter Shooter.
Trivia
General
- The default radio stations for the Cartel Cruiser are:
- GTA III: Rise FM or Flashback 95.6, rarely Lips 106.
- GTA Liberty City Stories: Rise FM.
In-game
- The GTA III rendition's performance seems to be reused for the Sandking.
- According to the engine sound, it is strange that in GTA III, the car has an older engine, but in Liberty City Stories it has a more modern-sounding engine, despite LCS passing in 1998 and III in 2001.
- The Cartel Cruiser is very comparable to the Gang Rancher featured in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories, as they share numerous similarities:
- Both cars have styling cues from a 1979-1991 Chevrolet Suburban.
- Both cars are utilized by gangs that are the player's enemies (Colombian Cartel and Sharks)
- Both cars are the fastest SUV/truck in their respective games.
- Gangs that use both cars runs drug business.
See Also
- Bobcat - Closest civilian version.
- Patriot - A four-wheel-drive crew cab truck.
- Cavalcade FXT - A similar-looking vehicle in Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars.
- FBI Rancher - A vehicle in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories that was also based on a four-door pickup truck version of the 1979-1991 Suburban.
- Rancher XL - Grand Theft Auto V counterpart which is also based on 1979-1991 Chevrolet Suburban.
