Design
3D Universe
Between Grand Theft Auto III and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories, the Pony is depicted as a generic, medium sized van that has appeared in two different forms:
For GTA III and GTA Liberty City Stories, the Pony features a modern appearance with a high roof (compared to the Rumpo's lower roof) and resembles a slightly generic 1992-96 Ford Econoline.
The GTA Vice City, GTA San Andreas and GTA Vice City Stories renditions, however are directed in an older form with a conventionally low roof which makes the van aesthetically similar to Ford vans from the late 1980's and 1990's such as the Ford Econoline, with influences from the 1979 Dodge Tradesman.
In all its incarnations, the Pony is capable of carrying four passengers (two in the front, two in the back), and can be found driving around industrial areas.
Regular Ponies in San Andreas may occasionally appear with stereo systems in their cargo holds. One such Pony is seen during the mission "Life's a Beach", where it is used by a DJ for a beach party (see #Variants for more details).
Grand Theft Auto IV
In Grand Theft Auto IV, the Pony is manufactured by Brute and is bigger than its last appearance. The front resembles a 1997–2002 GMC Savana and GMC Vandura, while the sides and rear resemble a 1986–1993 Dodge Ram Van. It has tall, narrow taillights, more so than the Ram Van, and its side-mirrors seem to closely resemble modern vans, particularly the 1996–present Chevy Express/GMC Savana. The rear also resembles that of the 1995–2005 GMC Safari. Its interior features unique metal bars that separate the cab from the cargo hold. The van may spawn with or without a roof rack as the only available accessory. It can also spawn with boxes loaded in the back.
The Pony comes with various different company names including Sum Yung Gai Chinese Restaurant, U-Benders Plumbing Services, Pizza This and Mr. Wong's Laundrette. There is not a Pony without a company name in GTA IV.
Grand Theft Auto V
The Pony returns to Grand Theft Auto V with the same design, however its liveries have been replaced with 3 different liveries; Sunset Bleach, GoPostal and Sprunk Extreme. The van spawns with several random colours, however some of the colours only appear paired with a specific livery. Color set 3 (dark grey) spawns only with the GoPostal livery[1], and set 6 (black) only spawns with the Sprunk Extreme livery.[2]
Current Design Gallery
Version History Gallery
Performance
3D Universe
In GTA III and GTA Liberty City Stories, despite being a van the Pony is able to accelerate finely and reach top speed very quickly making it one of the best vans in the games. Although the steering isn't as favourable it can easily be overcomed by using the handbrake on sharp turns and corners.
The Pony's performance was harshly redesigned in GTA Vice City, GTA Vice City Stories. While it retained its decent top speed, its acceleration was now poor. Unless the van is being driven on a lengthy road with no interruption -which is almost never the case- it will never have enough time on full-throttle to reach top speed. The van's heavy weight prevents it from being able to effectively steer without using the handbrake, but even that isn't straightforward because using the handbrake tends to cause the van to come to a complete stop before continuing to accelerate unless it's being driven on top speed, which is very unlikely due to aforementioned reasons. In GTA San Andreas the steering seems to be more responsive but the van still suffers from the poor acceleration.
3D Universe Overview
| Acceleration (0-60 mph in Seconds) | Top Speed (mph / kmh) | Gears | Engine | Drivetrain (FWD / RWD / AWD) | Mass (kg / lbs) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N/A | 99 / 160 | 5 | Diesel | RWD | 2600 / 5732 |
| N/A | N/A | 5 | N/A | RWD | Cannot be observed |
Grand Theft Auto IV
The Pony's performance is somewhat distant compared to the Speedo and the Burrito, as its top speed and acceleration are lower, given the rather large size and the RWD layout. Its handling is decent and its brakes are average, but tends to be problematic when attempting to steer. Resistance to crashes is something that the Pony will have over the Speedo and the Burrito, as the rather heavy weight allows it to push vehicles easily at top speeds and seems to withstand more head-on collisions than the two aforementioned vans. In other words, instead of the Burrito's focus on speed and the Speedo's focus on handling, the Pony is heavily focused on resistance.
The Pony is powered by a transversely-laid, double-cam inline-4, coupled to a 5-speed gearbox in a FR layout. There is a badge on the rear that states it is a supercharged engine.
GTA IV Overview
| Acceleration (0-60 mph in Seconds) | Top Speed (mph / kmh) | Gears | Engines | Drivetrain (FWD / RWD / AWD) | Mass (kg / lbs) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N/A | 71 / 115 | 5 | N/A | RWD | 2500 / 5512 |
| N/A | N/A | N/A | Supercharged (Badging) | N/A | N/A |
| N/A | N/A | 5 | FR DOHC Inline-4 (In-game model) | RWD | Cannot be observed |
Grand Theft Auto V
The Pony's performance remains challenging, as the van has extremely poor acceleration, which is on par with the Utility Truck's. The Pony has a higher top speed than other vans, however its sheer weight and size prove a struggle for the van to reach it, and the low-revving diesel-sounding engine clearly is not powerful enough. The vehicle has acceptable brakes, and a mediocre cornering, which can be said better than other, larger vans, but still not as nimble as the Speedo or Rumpo. Strangely enough, the Pony can drift quite decently for a van with below-average performance.
On a technical standpoint, the Pony is not different from its GTA IV iteration, having the same inline-4 coupled to a 5-speed gearbox in a FR layout, again stated to be a supercharged engine. However, it is slightly faster due to the increased speed, according to the files.
GTA V 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 | 81 / 130 | 5 | N/A | RWD | 2500 / 5512 | 65 |
| N/A | N/A | N/A | Supercharged (Badging) | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 7.7 Seconds | 100 / 160 | 5 | FR DOHC Inline-4 (In-game model) | RWD | Cannot be observed | Cannot be observed |
 | Speed | 69.751678% | ||||
| Acceleration | 39.999996% | |||||
| Braking | 20% | |||||
| Traction | 59.090912% | |||||
Liveries
Grand Theft Auto IV
Grand Theft Auto V
Image Gallery
Grand Theft Auto IV
Grand Theft Auto V
Variants
PanlanticGrand Theft Auto III & Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories |
 (Rear quarter view) |
A Panlantic Construction Company version of the Pony appears in Grand Theft Auto III and Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories (although unavailable without Cheat Devices). This version has the company's logo on the sides and spawns in a single color (grey in GTA III and white in GTA LCS). |
TOYZGrand Theft Auto III & Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories |
 (Rear quarter view) |
In Grand Theft Auto III and Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories, the TOYZ is a variant of the Pony that bears the Toyz'n The Hood logos on it and can be used to start sidemissions in RC Vehicles. It always spawns in a black color in GTA III and white in GTA LCS. |
Top FunGrand Theft Auto: Vice City |
 (Rear quarter view) |
In Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, the Top Fun is a variant of the Pony that bears the "Top Fun" logos on it and, like the TOYZ, can be used to start sidemissions in RC Vehicles. It always spawns in a light grey color. |
Berkley's RC VanGrand Theft Auto: San Andreas |
 (Rear quarter view) |
In Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, the Berkley's RC Van is a variant of the Pony that bears the Berkleys RC logos on it and is known to be one of the rarest variants in the game. It is the replacement of the Top Fun from Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and therefore, labeled as "Top Fun" in the files. |
Ballot VanGrand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories |
 (Rear quarter view) |
The Ballot Van appears in Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories, depicted as a Pony with a blue paintjob and a Gruppe Sechs marking on the rear. It cannot be found outside missions and is only featured in the mission Counterfeit Count. |
Special Variants
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
Black
A Pony with a unique black body colors can be found during "Loose Ends". It can be also found driving on the streets or parked somewhere in the city if the player inputs "Black Cars" cheat into the game.
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
Teal
During the Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas mission "Life's a Beach", there is a also unique teal Pony with a large stereo system and off-road wheels (presumably to allow it to traverse the sandy beach); it is a one-of-a-kind vehicle as Ponies cannot be modified at TransFender.
Grand Theft Auto V
Smoke On The Water
A special variant of the Pony appears in Grand Theft Auto V, the "Smoke On The Water" livery, which is seen in drug missions.
Prominent Appearances in Missions
Grand Theft Auto III
- Import/Export - The Pony is one of the 23 vehicles wanted for the Portland Island portion of the Import/Export side mission.
- A unique black Pony available in the mission Under Surveillance.
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
- Cannon Fodder - After the cutscene at Cafe Robina, a Pony spawns at the empty yard beside the cafe, so no time need to be wasted while looking for a four-door vehicle if the player doesn't have one. Later in the mission Tommy and the Cubans must steal another Pony loaded with drugs.
- Loose Ends - A unique black Pony spawns within the yard during this mission.
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
- Life's a Beach - CJ has to steal, for OG Loc, the van with a sound system and off-road tires after dancing with the DJ .
- The Green Sabre - Some Ballas arrive into two Ponies to perform the onslaught against GSF.
- Wear Flowers in Your Hair - The crew have to watch some vans driving around the Santa Flora Medical Center and the San Fierro Police Headquarters
- Pier 69 - A Pony arrives at Pier 69 carrying five (or more) Rifa members.
- Toreno's Last Flight - A unique light blue Pony spawns in the middle of the alley heading to the San Fierro Police Headquarters Impound Garage.
Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories
- Snappy Dresser - Toni must tail Casa, who gets on a unique white Pony to Callahan Point. Later Casa parks it near the cafe. If Toni tries to keep near to the Pony, Casa will be spotted and the mission will fail.
- Dead Meat - The same white Pony reappears in the mission after Toni executes Casa. It can be obtained during the mission progress by driving it into the safehouse garage and destroying it, or simply dumping the van into the water, although this will lead to mission failure. NOTE: It is impossible to obtain the Pony after mission passed, because it disappears when the mission is completed.
- Taking the Peace - Toni must get on a unique black Pony to get the control of a gang leader's car. After killing all the enemies, the mission passes and the Pony can be driven to a garage if the player wishes to do so.
- Night of the Livid Dreads - A black Pony is used by the targets to kill the Yardies. It still exists after mission passes, but locked. Push it to a garage to obtain the unlocked doors and save as usual.
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories
- Money for Nothing - Two Ponies are used in this mission, one is used by Victor as a decoy van and the other one is used by Lance and Forbes to carry the drugs away to safety.
- Civil Asset Forfeiture Impound - The Pony is one of the 32 vehicles wanted by the Civil Asset Forfeiture Impound in the side-mission of the same name. Placed on the first list.
Grand Theft Auto IV
- Luck of the Irish - The last enemy attacker attempts to leave the area by taking a Pony on the alleyway. However, Niko reacts quickly and snipes him.
Grand Theft Auto Online
- The Smoke on the Water variant is used by the player when setting up a Weed Farm.
Locations
Grand Theft Auto III
- Next to a chain-linked fence east of the Supa Save! in Portland Harbor, Portland Island
- At the entrance of an alleyway of Kai Lee's Hot Sauce Company in Chinatown, Portland Island
- In the parking lot of the AMCo. Petroleum Company in Trenton, across the street from Joey's Garage
- At the car crusher in Harwood, Portland Island
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
- Usually seen in industrial areas of each city such as Ocean Docks, Easter Basin, LVA Freight Depot or Spinybed.
- Usually seen at the Fallen Tree.
- Usually found driving around Octane Springs and Sherman Dam.
- Usually found driving around Hunter Quarry.
Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories
- The Pony spawns throughout Portland Island.
- A rare black Pony is available in the mission Taking the Peace.
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories
- Parked near a silo just east of the Malibu Club in Vice Point.
- Regularly seen driving around the Viceport area.
- Spawns parked outside Hyman Memorial Stadium during the mission Caught as an Act.
Grand Theft Auto IV
- Spawns at Munsee Avenue, near the Dillon Street intersection in Downtown Broker (Only during office hours.)
- Spawns at a small shop in Leftwood, Alderney.
Grand Theft Auto V
- Used for the Smoke on the Water delivery missions. It can be obtained if the player switches from Franklin straight after the mission and switches back, the player should find that the van is now enterable. It can only be stored at a garage beside a safehouse, though.
- Can spawn on Amarillo Vista near Lester's house in El Burro Heights.
Grand Theft Auto Online
- Can rarely be found parked in La Mesa or Cypress Flats.
- Spawns more frequently in the enhanced version. It cannot be modified, sold or kept in garages.
Trivia
General
- Similar to the Burrito, the vehicle is named after a small horse, which references its utilitarian design and purpose.
- The Pony plays the following radio stations by default when entered:
- GTA Vice City and GTA Vice City Stories: Emotion 98.3
- GTA San Andreas: Playback FM
- GTA IV: The Vibe 98.8
- Episodes from Liberty City: Vice City FM or K109 The Studio
- GTA V: FlyLo FM and Soulwax FM
- The Smoke on the Water variant in GTA V frequently plays Blue Ark FM.
Bugs/Glitches
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
- A cosmetic glitch in GTA Vice City causes any Pony which enters a Pay 'n' Spray to emerge with its front bumper facing the opposite direction, towards the rear. Simply parking the vehicle in a garage and allowing the garage door to close will restore the bumper's alignment. This problem is also present on GTA Vice City's Rumpo.
See Also
References
- ↑
3 20 20 20 156 - ↑
6 0 56 56 156 Only spawns with Sprunk Extreme livery.
