Not to be confused with the crime syndicate; Zaibatsu Corporation, or the game developer Kaihatsu.
The Maibatsu Corporation (Japanese Katakana: マイバツ) (BAWSAQ: MAI) is a Japanese multinational conglomerate that has appeared in every Grand Theft Auto game since Grand Theft Auto III, except for Grand Theft Auto Advance. The company is also featured in the Manhunt series.
Overview[]
The player can buy stocks from them at the Bawsaq.com website in GTA V. The name "Maibatsu" is a portmanteau of Mitsubishi (the conglomerate's main inspiration), and Daihatsu, and is also similar in name to "Zaibatsu" (財閥), a Japanese term for a large conglomerate. Maibatsu's description as an "over-diversified" company reflects Mitsubishi Group's incredibly diverse products, from cars (Mitsubishi Motors Corporation/MMC), heavy equipment (Mitsubishi Heavy Industries), aircraft, and home appliances.
Appearances in Games[]
3D Universe[]
- Grand Theft Auto III: Maibatsu has radio and print advertisements for the Monstrosity, a very large SUV (RC truck in European version) with extremely bad fuel efficiency.
- Grand Theft Auto: Vice City:
- Maibatsu runs a sexually provocative ad on the radio to promote the Thunder.
- There is an ad run by the lobby group Buy American Coalition which encourages consumers to purchase domestic cars out of patriotism (a reference to the US auto industry being threatened by the growing popularity of cheaper and more fuel efficient Japanese imports), although it concedes that the Maibatsu Thunder is cheaper and better than its domestic contemporaries.
- On the talk radio station VCPR, Jonathan Freeloader announces Enviromental Week which is sponsored by Maibatsu and the Vice City Power Corporation.
- On the talk radio station K-Chat, during her interview with Gethsemanee Starhawk Moonmaker, Amy Sheckenhausen says she prefers American cars after Gethsemanee mentions the coracle, which Amy initially believed to be a kind of Maibatsu car.
- In Manhunt, members of The Hoods mention Maibatsu a couple of times when interacting with each other. One of them also says he bought a new Maibatsu Monstrosity with leather interior. [1][2]
- Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas:
- Maibatsu runs an ad on the radio encouraging parents to buy their kids cars instead of bicycles.
- A certain type of pedestrian[vague] has a chance to mention a "'79 Maibatsu" car model when interacting with other pedestrians.
- Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories: Maibatsu runs an ad on the radio for the Womb, a minivan designed for men. It features a cooler for beer and a television on the dashboard among its features. The ad states that men can watch football, masturbate and be away from their wives in the Womb. They have also put on a petition to ban motorcycles, which has been receiving support from the Liberty Tree.
- The Maibatsu Plaza complex in the City Center of Cottonmouth is named after the company.
- Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories: In the Vice City Inquirer, the Buy American Coalition asks readers to "take a mallet to a Maibatsu today". On the official website, Toni's bag contains keys for a Maibatsu car, which feature the logo emblazoned on then.
HD Universe[]
- Grand Theft Auto IV: The corporation is more blatantly based on Mitsubishi. Maibatsu now produces the Mule truck, Sanchez dirtbike, and Vincent sedan. In the WKTT in-game radio, a quick reference to the Maibatsu Monstrosity can be heard.
- Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars: Maibatsu does not make any notable appearance in Chinatown Wars aside from the presence of the Sanchez dirtbike.
- Grand Theft Auto V: Maibatsu now produces the Penumbra coupé and the Frogger helicopter, while the Mule truck and the Sanchez dirtbike from GTA IV are also present. They also seem to be a manufacturer of solar panels, as their logo can be seen on several around the city[3]. There is also a Maibatsu Motors Inc. factory in Vespucci Boulevard and Supply Street in East Los Santos.
- Grand Theft Auto Online: In the After Hours update, when collecting Solomun, English Dave will make reference to Maibatsus[4] being the party pills of the 1990s that made him "chuck it". This is a reference to the Mitsubishi Ecstasy "brand".
Although the Maibatsu Corporation is most famous for the vehicles it manufactures, Maibatsu also manufactures, among many other things, electronics and cruise missiles.[5]
Vehicles[]
3D Universe[]
| Image | Vehicle | Style | Based on (3D Universe) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 The Monstrosity in Grand Theft Auto III. |
Monstrosity | Full-size SUV/truck | Mitsubishi Montero | Only depicted in advertisements; Not seen on the road |
| Thunder | Sports compact | Only depicted in advertisements; Not seen on the road | ||
| Womb | Minivan | Unknown | Only depicted in advertisements; Not seen on the road |
HD Universe[]
| Image | Vehicle | Style | Based on (HD Universe) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 The Frogger in Grand Theft Auto V. |
Frogger | Transport Helicopter | Eurocopter EC130 | Grand Theft Auto V exclusive. |
 The Manchez in Grand Theft Auto Online. |
Manchez | Dirt bike | FX Bikes Mountain Moto FX5 | Returns in the Bikers update for Grand Theft Auto Online. |
 The Manchez Scout in Grand Theft Auto Online. |
Manchez Scout | Dirt bike | Armstrong MT500 | Added in The Cayo Perico Heist update for Grand Theft Auto Online. Militarized version of the Manchez. |
 The Manchez Scout C in Grand Theft Auto Online. |
Manchez Scout C | Dirt bike | Armstrong MT500 | Civilian variant of the Manchez Scout. Added in the Los Santos Drug Wars update for Grand Theft Auto Online. |
 The MonstroCiti in Grand Theft Auto Online. |
MonstroCiti | Off-road competition car | Mitsubishi Pajero Evolution (V55W) | Added in the San Andreas Mercenaries update for Grand Theft Auto Online. |
 The Mule in Grand Theft Auto V.  The Mule in Grand Theft Auto V.  The Mule in Grand Theft Auto Online. |
Mule | Cabover box truck | 1994-2004 Isuzu Elf | Available in standard, ramp-door and armored "Heists" variants (the latter added in Grand Theft Auto Online as part of the Heists update) |
 The Mule Custom in Grand Theft Auto Online. |
Mule Custom | Custom cabover box truck | Introduced in the GTA Online: After Hours update for Grand Theft Auto Online. Custom variant of the Mule. | |
 The Penumbra in Grand Theft Auto V. |
Penumbra | Sports Coupé | 2006-2012 Mitsubishi Eclipse | Grand Theft Auto V exclusive. |
 The Penumbra FF in Grand Theft Auto Online. |
Penumbra FF | Sports Coupé | 1995-1999 Mitsubishi Eclipse | Added in the Los Santos Summer Special update for Grand Theft Auto Online. |
 The Sanchez in Grand Theft Auto V. |
Sanchez | Dirt bike | Yamaha YZ450F | Dubbed Sanchez 2 in Southern San Andreas Super Autos website (GTA V) |
 The Sanchez (livery) in Grand Theft Auto V. |
Sanchez (livery) | Dirt bike | Based on the Sanchez. | |
 The Vincent in Grand Theft Auto IV. |
Vincent | Mid-size sedan | 1996-2006 Mitsubishi Galant | Grand Theft Auto IV exclusive. |
Gallery[]
3D Universe[]
HD Universe[]
Trivia[]
- The "Maibatsu Corporation" is likely a nod to the Zaibatsu Corporation, a massive corporation that plays a large role in Grand Theft Auto 2.
- The Maibatsu Monstrosity ad seen in the European GTA III handbooks is clearly a Ford F-250 body on a monster truck chassis, with almost no alterations to make it differ otherwise.
- The Maibatsu Plaza statue appears to have taken inspiration from Lee Lawrie's Atlas statue at the Rockefeller Center in New York City.
