The Picador is a coupé utility featured in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, Grand Theft Auto V and Grand Theft Auto Online. It is manufactured by Cheval in the HD Universe.
Design
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
The Picador is based on the 1972 Chevrolet El Camino, which happens to share similar design cues with the 1970-1972 Chevrolet Monte Carlo (a car which the Buccaneer shares a likeness to). As a result, the Picador is implied to be a ute variant of the Buccaneer, which shares a similar grille and headlight design.
The Picador may occasionally be depicted with different items on its bed, such as planks or Sprunk cans. The vehicle is seen in a variety of primary colors on the body, as well as secondary colors on the inner bed walls and wheel wells (though this color cannot be changed through a mod shop).
Grand Theft Auto V and Grand Theft Auto Online
In Grand Theft Auto V and Grand Theft Auto Online, the Picador retains the essential ute design, taking design cues from the Holden HJ[1], Holden HK[2] and Chevrolet El Camino utilities in keeping with Cheval being primarily based on GM-Holden. The rear fascia and tail light design is almost identical to that of the 1969 Chevrolet El Camino[3], while retaining the overall shape and size of the later model Holden. The front end has references to the 1967 El Camino in the headlight and grille assembly[4], with some similarity to the the rarer dual headlight version of the HK Holden[5].
The Picador's design is generally narrower than the GTA San Andreas iteration, featuring a silver front bumper with a wide vented section holding two square amber signals on the edges and a plate holder on the center. The upper area consist of a grilled section with a wide divider on the middle and the Cheval emblem on the center, along with four circular headlamps on the outer edges. The bonnet has a slightly bulged profile and features a vented section near the windshield.
The sides of the vehicle are very simple in design, featuring small flares around the upper sides of the wheel arches and inset/ridged details on the skirting area, as well as horizontal door handles and circular rear-view mirrors near the A-pillars of the cabin. The cabin area is relatively small, featuring silver trimming around the windshield and rear window, while the sides appear to use dual trimming; thinner trim around the window glass and wider around the actual door frame, seen in the small gaps next to the door windows. The area behind the cabin is occupied by a small truck bed with the wheel wells on either side.
The rear end of the car mostly consists of the tailgate, which has a black panel with silver upper and lower borders and a plastic middle strip, as well as the Cheval badges on the center. The rear quarters of the vehicle are occupied by square-shaped red marker lamps, which also have silver trimming around. The rear bumper is finished in silver and houses two rectangular brake lamps near the edges and the license plate on the center, while two exhaust tubes can be seen below. In the enhanced version, the car uses the same interior as the Bobcat XL.
The vehicle only has a primary color, which is applied on the entire bodywork. It also uses a set of five-spoke rims wrapped in low-profile tires, which is unique in design compared to certain muscle rims seen in Los Santos Customs and other mod shops.
Current Design Gallery
Version History Gallery
Performance
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
The Picador has the highest top speed and acceleration for any pickup in the game, possibly due to the large V8 engine. However, it is also the lightest and lacks the torque of the stronger trucks; its cornering is also a little unstable, owing to its rear-wheel-drive layout. The Picador can only carry two in the cab.
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 | 103 / 165 | 5 | Diesel | RWD | 1600 / 3527 |
| N/A | N/A | 5 | FR V8 (In-game model) | RWD | Cannot be observed |
Grand Theft Auto V and Grand Theft Auto Online
The Picador's speed and acceleration are good in comparison to most street cars, especially when upgraded, but it is heavily outclassed by other muscle cars. Its handling is at odds with more conventional muscle cars, since its four-wheel-drive system gives it excellent traction and launch speed. This, combined with its soft suspension, makes the Picador one of the best muscle cars for offroading, though one must be wary of body roll. Crash deformation is poor and bullet resistance is only average.
The Picador is powered by a large displacement V8, and it shares its engine sound with the Sabre Turbo, Fugitive and Gauntlet.
GTA V/GTA 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 | 84 / 135 | 5 | N/A | AWD 40% FWD 60% RWD |
1600 / 3527 | 65 |
| N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 7.8 Seconds | 100 / 160 | 5 | F4 SOHC V8 (In-game model) | AWD | Cannot be observed | Cannot be observed |
 |
Speed | 72.434425% | ||||
| Acceleration | 55% | |||||
| Braking | 26.666668% | |||||
| Traction | 62.121212% | |||||
Modifications
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
- The Picador can be modified at TransFender:
| Type | Upgrade | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Color | Car Color 1 (64 different colors) | $ 150 |
| Hood | Fury Scoop | $ 150 |
| Champ Scoop | $ 100 | |
| Exhausts | Large Exhaust | $ 250 |
| Small Exhaust | $ 150 | |
| Upswept Exhaust | $ 400 | |
| Lights | Round Fog Lamp | $ 100 |
| Nitro | 2x Nitrous | $ 200 |
| 5x Nitrous | $ 500 | |
| 10x Nitrous | $ 1000 | |
| Roof | Roof Scoop | $ 80 |
| Side skirts | Side Skirt | $ 500 |
| 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 |
- The Transfender in Las Venturas charges 20% more for each modification except colours.
Grand Theft Auto V and Grand Theft Auto Online
| Category | Modification | Cost (GTA V) | Cost (GTA Online) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Armor | No Armor | $100 | $200 | |
| Armor Upgrade 20% | $500 | $4,500 | ||
| Armor Upgrade 40% | $1,250 | $7,500 | ||
| Armor Upgrade 60% | $2,000 | $12,000 | ||
| Armor Upgrade 80% | $3,500 | $21,000 | ||
| Armor Upgrade 100% | $5,000 | $30,000 | ||
| Brakes | Stock Brakes | $100 | $200 | |
| Street Brakes | $2,000 | $4,000 | ||
| Sport Brakes | $2,700 | $5,400 | ||
| Race Brakes | $3,500 | $7,000 | ||
| Engine | EMS Upgrade, Level 1 | $900 | $1,800 | |
| EMS Upgrade, Level 2 | $1,250 | $2,500 | ||
| EMS Upgrade, Level 3 | $1,800 | $3,600 | ||
| EMS Upgrade, Level 4 | $3,350 | $6,700 | ||
| Explosives | Ignition Bomb | N/A | $5,000 | |
| Remote Bomb | N/A | $7,500 | ||
| Horns | Main article: Los Santos Customs/Horns | - | - | |
| Lights | Headlights | Stock Lights | $100 | $200 |
| Xenon Lights | $300 | $3,000 | ||
| Neon Kits | Main article: Los Santos Customs/Lights | - | - | |
| Loss/Theft Prevention | Tracker | N/A | $2,000 | |
| Full Coverage | N/A | $1,125 | ||
| 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: Los Santos Customs/Respray Colors | - | - | |
| Sell | Sell Vehicle | N/A | $900 | |
| Transmission | Stock Transmission | $100 | $200 | |
| Street Transmission | $2,950 | $5,900 | ||
| Sports Transmission | $3,250 | $6,500 | ||
| Race Transmission | $4,000 | $8,000 | ||
| Turbo | None | $500 | $1,000 | |
| Turbo Tuning | $2,500 | $30,000 | ||
| Wheels | Main article: Los Santos Customs/Wheels | - | - | |
| Windows | None | $100 | $500 | |
| Light Smoke | $200 | $1,500 | ||
| Dark Smoke | $450 | $3,500 | ||
| Limo | $700 | $5,000 | ||
Image Gallery
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
Grand Theft Auto V and Grand Theft Auto Online
Variants
MarshallGrand Theft Auto V & Grand Theft Auto Online |
 (Rear quarter view) |
In the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC versions of the game, there is a monster truck variant of the Picador named the Marshall. It is essentially a lifted monster truck with the bodywork of a Picador attached to the chassis, powered by a large V8 engine in a mid configuration, powering all four wheels. |
Prominent Appearances in Missions
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
- Ryder - CJ and Ryder use the car to go to Well Stacked Pizza and Reece's barbershop, both in Idlewood, LS.
- Catalyst - CJ and Ryder go to the Freight train stopped in Jefferson and kill some Vagos and Ballas. After CJ climbs on the train, he has to throw the crates to Ryder that's standing on his Picador.
- Photo Opportunity - Ryder appears with his Picador in Angel Pine.
- Pier 69 - Ryder arrives at Pier 69 with his car.
Notable Owners
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
- Ryder owns an all-brown Picador with a license plate reading "SHERM" and he uses it in some missions. Even after his death, the car still spawns regularly. The bed accessories are still the same as a normal one.
Locations
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
- Can be found around Los Santos, especially in Ocean Docks and Willowfield, and other southern districts.
- Parked at Ryder's house in Ganton, Los Santos, always with an all-brown body.
- Rarely found in San Fierro and Las Venturas.
- Commonly found in Red County, Flint County and Whetstone.
Grand Theft Auto V
- Can be seen driven around Strawberry.
- Very common around Sandy Shores and occasionally Harmony.
- Can be bought online from Southern San Andreas Super Autos for $9,000.
Trivia
General
- The default radio stations for the Picador are:
- GTA San Andreas: Radio Los Santos.
- GTA V: Rebel Radio (or East Los FM in the Aztecas' variant).
- The Spanish name Picador is a horse-mounted member of a bullfighting crew, which confronts the bull with his pike ("pica", hence the name) during the first third of each bull. Additionally, "Picador" in Spanish may also refer to a vehicle or a person that takes part in "picadas" (slang for drag racing commonly used on Latin America). This makes sense, as the Picador is a muscle car.
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
- Ryder's Picador has a license plate reading "SHERM", a slang term for a PCP-immersed Marijuana and Tobacco mixture (CJ calls Ryder "sherm-head" throughout the game).
- Only the front plate reads "SHERM". The rear plate is a standard randomized plate. This was corrected in the Definitive Edition.
- The Picador took the place of a Sadler as Ryder's car of choice during development of the game.[6]
- It is one of few cars to have the protagonist driving it during missions while the owner is in the passenger seat. Others include Sweet Johnson's Greenwood, Big Smoke's black Perennial (though CJ and Smoke are not seen riding it with CJ in the driver's seat near the ending cutscene of Big Smoke's introduction mission) and Glendale, Cesar Vialpando's red Savanna (only during the mission Photo Opportunity), Phil Cassidy's Walton and Lance Vance's Infernus.
- There is a glitch with Ryder's Picador on the mobile version of GTA San Andreas. After completion of the mission Robbing Uncle Sam, Ryder's Picador will stop spawning. To fix this glitch, turn off the game and wait a few hours while outside his house. If successful, the car will always respawn and the player can steal it anytime.
Grand Theft Auto V and Grand Theft Auto Online
- Strangely, the interior has a Vapid logo on the floor mat of the Picador. This is most likely due to the reuse of vehicle interiors.
References
See Also
- Marshall - Monster truck variant of the Picador in GTA V.
