The Hotknife is a custom car appearing in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, Grand Theft Auto V and Grand Theft Auto Online. It is manufactured by Vapid in HD Universe.
Influence[]
3D Universe[]
The Hotknife is a late 1920s/early 1930s Hot Rod resembling a 1931 Ford Model A coupe, with modifications and a custom paint job.
HD Universe[]
The Hotknife returns with a slightly updated design, being based on a Rat's Glass Speedstar Coupe kit car with the Speedstar Fender Package, which itself is based on the heavily modified 1933 Ford Model 40B. Some of the elements, such as the exhausts and tail lights, seem to be derived from the 1932 Ford Roadster "Red Ram Special."
Design[]
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas[]
The Hotknife may spawn with or without a cover for the engine bay and is only available in a single paint scheme; a purple body with white accents and a black roof.
Grand Theft Auto V and Online[]
The front of the Hotknife features a sleek chrome grille with what looks like the symbol of a bent sword pointing down, placed over two edges that are part of the vehicle's chassis. Two circular lamps can be seen on either side of the grille. On the sides, large fenders may be seen running along the vehicle, covering the wheels and having black steps on the middle section, while the engine bay area features exhaust stacks on both sides. The cabin area features two classic circular rear-view mirrors finished in chrome, placed near the A-pillar. The rear of the car is very traditional, featuring a curved trunk with a chrome handle, and two circular tail lights below the same. The car lacks any sort of bumper and only features a license plate mounted below the bodywork. On the lower side, the suspension is composed of small shock absorbers and articulated bars that start in the vehicle' structure and ends in the axle shafts. Its interior is shared with the Peyote, using the same large analog dial on the driver side.
The fenders and the engine bay cover are considered extras. Therefore, the Hotknife will spawn with exposed wheels and engine, revealing two support frames passing over the engine, as well as red wiring coming from an open space located in the driver's cab. The vehicle spawns in a variety of two-tone colors, with the primary one on the front, sides and fenders of the vehicle and a secondary one on the hood, roof and curved rear. The stock wheels are similar to the "Wired" lowrider rims available in Los Santos Customs.
Performance[]
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas[]
For what the Hotknife lacks in being easy to find, it makes up for in being a very fun vehicle to drive. It handles well on-road and off-road. There is a great acceleration to be had from the V8 up front, resulting in great air times when going off certain jumps, but its top speed is ultimately lower than the more aerodynamic cars found in the game. Its cornering is not too good, which makes turning at high speed somewhat difficult, but this can be solved by using the handbrake. One bad aspect about this car is its poor endurance in crashes because of the exposed front suspension and radiator, which is made up for by the suspension being so good that it rarely tips over. Important to note are the car's side steps, which can actually collide with curbs when turning due to the car's extremely low stance.
The vehicle is powered by a V8 engine fitted with a bug catcher on top, a 5-speed gearbox and a rear-wheel drivetrain.
GTA San Andreas Overview[]
| Acceleration (0-60 mph in Seconds) |
Top Speed (mph / kmh) |
Gears | Engine | Drivetrain (FWD / RWD / AWD) |
Mass (kg / lbs) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N/A | 124 / 200 | 5 | Petrol | RWD | 1400 / 3086 |
| N/A | N/A | 5 | FMRFMRFront-mid engine, rear wheel drive V8 (In-game model) | RWD | Cannot be observed |
Grand Theft Auto V and Online[]
The Hotknife has acceptable acceleration and top speed which is average for a Muscle car. Its handling, though, is outright terrible. It has immense understeer, and feels very uncomfortable to steer through traffic, to such a point that high speeds make the car feel almost impossible to steer. This understeer-heavy trend even continues into the lower speeds. The Hotknife's braking is also poor, and this leads to a nasty combination where the car will wreck frequently. What makes the Hotknife worse is how it handles crashes. Being relatively light and lacking much downforce, the Hotknife is almost always taken out by traffic to unrealistic results. In a collision, it will regularly end up being sent rolling or airborne briefly while the traffic will often emerge almost unaffected. Deformation is strong though, and the car will be able to take a decent amount of abuse before being out of commission.
Being a muscle-like vehicle, the Hotknife comes with a carburetored single-cam V8 engine. This gives the vehicle a loud engine sound, in a similar manner to muscle cars like the Dominator and the Gauntlet.
GTA V and Online Overview[]
| Acceleration (0-60 mph in Seconds) |
Top Speed (mph / kmh) |
Gears | Engine | Drivetrain (FWD / RWD / AWD) |
Mass (kg / lbs) |
Fuel Tank Size (litres) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N/A | 87 / 140 | 5 | N/A | RWD | 700 / 1543 | 45 |
| 3.1 Seconds | 170 / 274 | N/A | 4.0L 520hp (Website) | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 6.9 Seconds | 95 / 152 | 5 | FMRFMRFront-mid engine, rear wheel drive SOHCSOHCSingle Overhead Camshaft V8 w/ 4 Double Barrel Carburetors (In-game model) | RWD | Cannot be observed | Cannot be observed |
Modifications[]
Grand Theft Auto V and Online[]
| Category | Modification | Cost (GTA V) | Cost (GTA Online) | Image | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Armor | No Armor | $325 | $1,000 | ||
| Armor Upgrade 20% | $1,625 | $7,500 | |||
| Armor Upgrade 40% | $4,062 | $12,000 | |||
| Armor Upgrade 60% | $6,500 | $20,000 | |||
| Armor Upgrade 80% | $11,375 | $35,000 | |||
| Armor Upgrade 100% | $16,250 | $50,000 | |||
| Bodywork | None | $350 | $700 |  | |
| Cycle Fenders | $550 | $1,100 |  | ||
| Brakes | Stock Brakes | $325 | $1,000 | ||
| Street Brakes | $6,500 | $20,000 | |||
| Sport Brakes | $8,775 | $27,000 | |||
| Race Brakes | $11,375 | $35,000 | |||
| Engine | EMS Upgrade, Level 1 | $2,925 | $9,000 | ||
| EMS Upgrade, Level 2 | $4,062 | $12,500 | |||
| EMS Upgrade, Level 3 | $5,850 | $18,000 | |||
| EMS Upgrade, Level 4 | $10,887 | $33,500 | |||
| Explosives | Ignition Bomb | N/A | $5,000 | ||
| Remote Bomb | N/A | $7,500 | |||
| Hoods | Stock Hood | $450 | $1,600 |  | |
| Triple Intake Bug Catcher | $850 | $3,000 |   | ||
| Single Intake Bug Catcher | $1,200 | $5,000 |   | ||
| Horns | Main article: Vehicle Customization in GTA V/Horns | - | - | ||
| Lights | Headlights | Stock Lights | $200 | $600 | |
| Xenon Lights | $1,000 | $7,500 | |||
| Neon Kits | Main article: Vehicle Customization in GTA V/Lights | - | - | ||
| Loss/Theft Prevention | Tracker | N/A | Too Hot | ||
| Full Coverage | N/A | Too Hot | |||
| Plates | Blue on White 1 | $50 | $200 | ||
| Blue on White 2 | $50 | $200 | |||
| Blue on White 3 | $50 | $200 | |||
| Yellow on Blue | $75 | $300 | |||
| Yellow on Black | $150 | $600 | |||
| Respray | Main article: Vehicle Customization in GTA V/Respray Colors | - | - | ||
| Sell | Sell Vehicle | N/A | Too Hot | ||
| Suspension | Stock Suspension | $100 | $200 | ||
| Lowered Suspension | $500 | $1,000 | |||
| Street Suspension | $1,000 | $2,000 | |||
| Sport Suspension | $1,700 | $3,400 | |||
| Competition Suspension | $2,200 | $4,400 | |||
| Transmission | Stock Transmission | $325 | $1,000 | ||
| Street Transmission | $9,587 | $29,500 | |||
| Sports Transmission | $10,562 | $32,500 | |||
| Race Transmission | $13,000 | $40,000 | |||
| Turbo | None | $1,625 | $5,000 | ||
| Turbo Tuning | $8,125 | $50,000 | |||
| Wheels | Main article: Vehicle Customization in GTA V/Wheels | - | - | ||
| Windows | None | $100 | $500 | ||
| Light Smoke | $200 | $1,500 | |||
| Dark Smoke | $450 | $3,500 | |||
| Limo | $700 | $5,000 | |||
Gallery[]
Design[]
The Hotknife in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas - The Definitive Edition. (Rear quarter view)
The licence plate of the Hotknife in Doherty, reading "GOLD".
The Hotknife on Legendary Motorsport.
Locations[]
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas[]
Like the Phoenix, the Hotknife is an extremely rare car to find in GTA San Andreas, but with patience and searching in the right places, it will eventually spawn.
- One spawns in the parking lot of the Driving School in Doherty, San Fierro after the player completes the school and gets a gold medal on each test (its license plate reads "GOLD").
- It can be obtained through the Vigilante side mission. Rarely, criminals may be driving a Hotknife, but only in the first two levels of the side mission, otherwise only four-door cars are used (this can be done at any point in the game).
- It spawns often when the "fast cars" and "crazy town" cheats are activated.
- It spawns inside The Four Dragons Casino (The Definitive Edition only).
Grand Theft Auto V[]
Original Version[]
- The vehicle is immediately given to the player in a garage for every character if the player has the Collector's Edition.
Enhanced version[]
- Can be bought for $90,000 (for free to Collector's Edition holders) from Legendary Motorsport.
Grand Theft Auto Online[]
Original Version[]
- Can be bought for free from Legendary Motorsport if the player has the Collector's Edition.
Enhanced Version[]
- Can be bought for $90,000 (for free to Collector's Edition holders) from Legendary Motorsport.
Expanded and Enhanced Version[]
- Can be bought for free from Legendary Motorsport.
Rockstar Games Social Club[]
Grand Theft Auto V and Online[]
.jpg){kind=link}
Radio Stations[]
- In Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, the Hotknife plays Playback FM.
- In Grand Theft Auto V and Online, the default radio stations are grouped by genre. The Hotknife uses the "Punk" group which plays Channel X.
Specifications[]
Model[]
| Model name | Texture name | Handling name | Text label name | In-game name | Swankness | Flags | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GTA San Andreas | hotknife
|
hotknife
|
HOTKNIFE
|
HOTKNIFE
|
Hotknife | N/A |
|
| GTA V | hotknife
|
hotknife
|
HOTKNIFE
|
HOTKNIFE
|
Hotknife | |
Traffic Default Colors[]
| GTA San Andreas | PrimaryPrimaryPrimary color (1) | SecondarySecondarySecondary color (2) | TertiaryTertiaryTertiary color (3) | QuaternaryQuaternaryQuaternary color (4) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 White | 1 White | 0 Black | 0 Black | |
| 12 Jasper Green Poly | 12 Jasper Green Poly | 0 Black | 0 Black | |
| 2 Police Car Blue | 2 Police Car Blue | 0 Black | 0 Black | |
| 6 Taxi Yellow | 6 Taxi Yellow | 0 Black | 0 Black | |
| 4 Midnight Blue | 4 Midnight Blue | 0 Black | 0 Black | |
| 46 Light Ivory | 46 Light Ivory | 0 Black | 0 Black | |
| 53 Surf Blue | 53 Surf Blue | 0 Black | 0 Black |
| GTA V | PrimaryPrimaryPrimary color (1) | SecondarySecondarySecondary color (2) | PearlescentPearlescentPearlescent color (3) | WheelsWheelsWheel/tertiary color (4) | TrimTrimTrim/quaternary color (5) | AccentAccentAccent/quinary color (6) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 Metallic Black (Metallic) | 4 Metallic Silver (Metallic) | 2 Metallic Black Steel (Metallic) | 156 Default Alloy Color (Classic) | 0 Metallic Black (Metallic) | 0 Metallic Black (Metallic) | |
| 4 Metallic Silver (Metallic) | 0 Metallic Black (Metallic) | 4 Metallic Silver (Metallic) | 156 Default Alloy Color (Classic) | 0 Metallic Black (Metallic) | 0 Metallic Black (Metallic) | |
| 29 Metallic Formula Red (Metallic) | 0 Metallic Black (Metallic) | 5 Metallic Blue Silver (Metallic) | 156 Default Alloy Color (Classic) | 0 Metallic Black (Metallic) | 0 Metallic Black (Metallic) | |
| 28 Metallic Torino Red (Metallic) | 34 Metallic Cabernet Red (Metallic) | 38 Metallic Orange (Metallic) | 156 Default Alloy Color (Classic) | 0 Metallic Black (Metallic) | 0 Metallic Black (Metallic) | |
| 55 Matte Lime Green (Matte) | 0 Metallic Black (Metallic) | 0 Metallic Black (Metallic) | 156 Default Alloy Color (Classic) | 0 Metallic Black (Metallic) | 0 Metallic Black (Metallic) | |
| 88 Metallic Taxi Yellow (Metallic) | 0 Metallic Black (Metallic) | 0 Metallic Black (Metallic) | 156 Default Alloy Color (Classic) | 0 Metallic Black (Metallic) | 0 Metallic Black (Metallic) | |
| 12 Matte Black (Matte) | 1 Metallic Graphite Black (Metallic) | 0 Metallic Black (Metallic) | 156 Default Alloy Color (Classic) | 0 Metallic Black (Metallic) | 0 Metallic Black (Metallic) | |
| 0 Metallic Black (Metallic) | 0 Metallic Black (Metallic) | 2 Metallic Black Steel (Metallic) | 156 Default Alloy Color (Classic) | 0 Metallic Black (Metallic) | 0 Metallic Black (Metallic) | |
| 13 Matte Gray (Matte) | 40 Matte Dark Red (Matte) | 0 Metallic Black (Metallic) | 156 Default Alloy Color (Classic) | 0 Metallic Black (Metallic) | 0 Metallic Black (Metallic) |
Trivia[]
General[]
- The name Hotknife is a possible reference to "hotknifing", a common method of smoking hash, while also being a play on "hot rod".
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas[]
- Strangely, the upper frame of the passenger side's door is inconsistent to that of the driver's side, appearing recessed and colored purple (as opposed to the driver side's black), This is caused by the door being set in too much into the car's body, which is evident when the door swings open, revealing the door to be identical to the driver-side door.
- Found in the game files, the Hotknife in front of the Driving School is actually painted silver, like the Bullet beside it (this can be seen clearly using modifications).
- It is the oldest car in the 3D Universe, along with the Hustler, Hermes, and the Thunder-Rodd.
Grand Theft Auto V and Online[]
- If the player looks at the Hotknife's grille from the side or from the back, the grille is invisible.
- It is the third oldest car in the HD Universe, along with the Z-Type, Duneloader, Rat-Loader, Roosevelt, Fränken Stange, and the old rusty Tractor.
- When entering the Hotknife, the name of the vehicle at the bottom right of the screen does not display the manufacturer, despite the manufacturer being displayed on the car itself.
- This has been fixed in the enhanced version, displaying as "Vapid Hotknife, Muscle".
- If there are two players in the Hotknife, the driver's right shoulder will clip into the passenger's left shoulder due to lack of space.
- As of the 1.16 patch, the Hotknife will be free to replace if it gets destroyed by any means.
- However, for those who do not own the Collector's Edition, it will still be rendered unrecoverable.
- The vehicle's pre-2019 "main" image on its Rockstar Games Social Club listing showed it with a missing hood and front fenders, but no bug catcher. This configuration is not the default and is unavailable as a mod option.
See Also[]
Other similar vehicles:
- 29 Special and Hotrod – Grand Theft Auto.
- Hustler – Another hotrod manufactured by Vapid.
- Thunder-Rodd – Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories.