The Cheetah is a supercar featured in Grand Theft Auto III, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories.
Influence[]
In all its 3D Universe iterations, the Cheetah closely resembles a 1984-1996 Ferrari Testarossa, with each game's version following the design of the corresponding era:
- In Grand Theft Auto III and Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories, it looks like a slightly genericized and modernized Ferrari Testarossa F512 M.
- In Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories, it resembles a mid-80s Testarossa.
- In Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, the Cheetah resembles a Ferrari 512 TR Testarossa, albeit without the hidden headlamps, and with the rear lights of an Ferrari Testarossa F512 M.
Design[]
Looking at the shape of the Cheetah, it appears to be a rear/mid-rear engined vehicle. However, when the hood is removed, in Grand Theft Auto III and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, the engine appears to be at the front, possibly due to programming limitations. However, in GTA San Andreas, the engine is moved to the rear of the chassis, while the front is empty.
The Ferrari Testarossa began sales in 1984 (The year in which GTA Vice City Stories is set). The first "red head" didn't sell enough until late 1985, and therefore, for the sake of having no irregularities about the comparison of the two cars, the developers of the game made the Cheetah scarce in Vice City Stories, spawning only in parking lots.
Performance[]
The acceleration of the Cheetah is slightly inferior to other sports cars in the game, but handling, speed and braking are far superior to all others. Due to its low suspension, it hugs the road and is not prone to rolling over or spinning out of control when cornering at high speeds. However, the version depicted in GTA III has stiffer suspensions than those of the Banshee, Stinger and Infernus, making it incapable of handling bumps and curbs without compromising stability. For most of the 3D Universe, it was the fastest car, but its top speed is slightly lower in GTA San Andreas. It is powered by a V8 engine in all of its appearances.
Overview[]
| Acceleration (0-60 mph in Seconds) |
Top Speed (mph / kmh) |
Gears | Engine | Drivetrain (FWD / RWD / AWD) |
Mass (kg / lbs) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N/A | 143 / 230 (GTA III — GTA Liberty City Stories)
124 / 200 (GTA Vice City Stories) |
5 | Petrol | RWD | 1200 / 2646 (GTA III — GTA Liberty City Stories)
1400 / 3086 (GTA Vice City Stories) |
| N/A | N/A | 5 | N/A | RWD | Cannot be observed |
Variants[]
| Image | Vehicle | Description | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
 The VCPD Cheetah in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. |
VCPD Cheetah | A police version of the Cheetah, with a red beacon light inside and sirens, used by the Vice Squad (3D Universe). | Appears in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories. |
| Special variants | |||
 The bright red Cheetah in Grand Theft Auto III. |
Kenji's Target Cheetah | A Cheetah painted in an unobtainable bright red color. | Found at the Carson General Hospital in Grand Theft Auto III during the mission Grand Theft Auto, as one of the target vehicles to be collected for Kenji Kasen. |
 The special red Cheetah in Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories. The special light blue Cheetah in Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories. |
Wi-Cheetah Run Cheetahs | Two of the Cheetahs that spawn as competitors in the GTA Liberty City Stories mission Wi-Cheetah Run spawn in unobtainable special red and light blue colors, as well as being fire-proof and tip-proof. | These vehicles can be kept by blowing them up after they cross the finish line, then being pushed into one of the safehouses' garages. |
Modifications[]
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas[]
The Cheetah can be modified at TransFender:
| Type | Upgrade | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Color | Car Color 1 (64 different colors) | $150 |
| Exhausts | Twin Exhaust | $300 |
| Upswept Exhaust | $400 | |
| Nitro | 2x Nitrous | $200 |
| 5x Nitrous | $500 | |
| 10x Nitrous | $1,000 | |
| Spoilers | Win | $550 |
| Fury | $350 | |
| Alpha | $250 | |
| Side skirts | Side Skirt | $500 |
| Wheels | Import | $820 |
| Atomic | $770 | |
| Ahab | $1,000 | |
| Virtual | $620 | |
| Access | $1,140 | |
| Off Road Wheel | $1,000 | |
| Mega | $1,030 | |
| Grove | $1,230 | |
| Twist | $1,200 | |
| Wires | $1,560 | |
| Hydraulics | Hydraulics | $1,500 |
- The Transfender in Las Venturas charges 20% more for each modification except colors.
Gallery[]
Design[]
Images[]
Locations[]
Grand Theft Auto III[]
- Located in the Cartel Mansion in Cedar Grove, Shoreside Vale, Liberty City.
- In the Francis International Airport parking lot across the fire station.
- Can be seen during the mission Chaperone.
- Used as a trap for Claude in the mission Last Requests.
- Used as the opponents' cars during the missions Turismo and Bling-bling Scramble.
- Can be found in the eastern parking lot of Carson General Hospital in the mission Grand Theft Auto.
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City[]
- Parking area near Colonel Cortez' yacht in Ocean Beach.
- North of Ricardo Diaz' Mansion, Starfish Island.
- One of the competitors for the Sunshine Autos races.
- Commonly seen on the streets of Starfish Island and Vice City Beach, the most affluent places of the city.
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas[]
- Spawns around Market, Temple, Vinewood, Verona Beach, Rodeo, Santa Maria Beach and Richman, Los Santos.
- Spawns around King's, Palisades, Juniper Hollow, Avispa Country Club, Paradiso and Queens, San Fierro.
- Spawns more uncommonly around Downtown and Doherty, San Fierro.
- Spawns around The Strip, Prickle Pine and Old Venturas Strip, Las Venturas.
- Found parked in front of a house in Prickle Pine, Las Venturas (only when wanted for export).
- Importable from Easter Basin, San Fierro after completing export lists. Import cost: $84,000 (import days vary depend on the order it was exported on the list it was on).
Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories[]
- In the Francis International Airport parking lot across the fire station.
- In the Cartel Mansion, Cedar Grove, Shoreside Vale (may not always spawn).
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories[]
- Northernmost road on Starfish Island.
- A randomly colored Cheetah is in front of Diaz's Mansion on Starfish Island.
- In front of Lance's hotel in Downtown.
- In the parking lot behind the hospital in Downtown.
Prominent Appearances in Gameplay[]
Grand Theft Auto III[]
- Turismo - Claude participates in a street race around Portland against three other Cheetahs.
- Chaperone - The car is seen parked outside the warehouse in Atlantic Quays where the party takes place. After the police raids, a Mafia man flees with the car. Car can be saved in safehouse garage. This is one of two storyline missions in Portland during which player can obtain and keep Cheetah, the other one being Turismo.
- Last Requests - Salvatore asks Claude to pick up a Cheetah, before the course of the mission is changed by Maria warning him that the car is a trap.
- Bling-bling Scramble - Claude has to race against a Cheetah, a Bobcat and a Patriot in this mission.
- Grand Theft Auto - Claude is tasked by Kenji to collect a Cheetah and two other cars and deliver them to a garage in Newport.
- Import/Export - The Cheetah is one of the 16 vehicles wanted for the Shoreside Vale portion of the Import/Export side mission.
Grand Theft Auto Vice City[]
- Sunshine Autos Import Garage - The Cheetah is one of the 24 vehicles wanted by Sunshine Autos for its import garage. It is placed on the third list. A VCPD Cheetah can also be used.
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas[]
- Race Tournaments - The player has to race against this car in Into the Country, SF to LV and LV Ringroad.
- Exports and Imports - The Cheetah is one of the 30 vehicles wanted for the side-mission. Placed on the second list.
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories[]
- Fear the Repo - The Cheetah is one of the three vehicles to be repossessed for Marty (along with a Sentinel and a Benson). It is to be stolen from Bayshore Avenue, at the south end of the block encompassing the safehouse.
- The Audition - Victor and Lance take a Cheetah to make their way to King Knuts to answer Forbes’ call.
- Caught as an Act - There is one parked at the stadium, which can be used to chase after Forbes.
- Snitch Hitch - Very similar to the previously mentioned mission, Vic and Lance take a Cheetah to drive down to the airport to meet Lance’s contact.
- From Zero to Hero - A Cheetah is parked at the location of the Barracks OLs.
- Steal the Deal - Victor and Lance follow Gonzalez's thug who is driving a Cheetah.
- Civil Asset Forfeiture Impound - The Cheetah is one of the 32 vehicles wanted by the Civil Asset Forfeiture Impound in the side-mission of the same name. Placed on the second list.
Notable Owners[]
Radio Stations[]
- In Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, the Cheetah plays SF-UR.
Trivia[]
- The car is named after an animal with the same name, which is a type of feline capable of running at high speeds. This clearly refers to the car's superior performance in its class.
- When zoomed into the front grill of the pre release Rocket, it actually says "Fiesta", or "Fasta".
The Cheetah's four wing mirror configurations in GTA Vice City, including a "black strobe light" variant of the wing mirror-less Cheetah, which does not exist in other games.
- The GTA Vice City Stories and GTA San Andreas renditions feature variations of wing mirrors, either featuring two on both sides, one on the driver's side or none. Unusually, for some Cheetahs without rear mirrors in GTA Vice City, a blacked-out dashboard strobe light used in the police Cheetah may be seen.
- These mirror and strobe configurations further emphasizes the relation to the Ferrari Testarossa. The car was uniquely available in the single driver-side mirror setup early in its production period due to legislations in Italy. The car featured on Miami Vice also has the same setup.
- If the player bought it on Easter Basin Docks, it may have a vanity plate reading "IMY AK". This plate also appears on the BF-400 used in Just Business and the Feltzer used in End of the Line.
- When respraying a Cheetah in Vice City Stories, the paintjobs will cycle through either of two sequences. The first one is: dark blue -> dark gray -> dark red -> cherry red, and the other is: green -> silver -> gold -> white.
- The inclusion of the Cheetah in GTA Vice City, based on the Testarossa, is a reference to Miami Vice. This is also referenced by the artwork of the car, as well as the inclusion of the song "Crockett's Theme" in the game, also from the movie.