The Taxi is a four-door taxicab appearing in Grand Theft Auto III, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, Grand Theft Auto Advance, Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories.
The Taxi returns from the 2D Universe as the series' main taxicab, and goes on to appear throughout the HD Universe. In comparison to past and future titles, the Taxi has numerous variants and often appears alongside other models of taxicab in each game.
Description[]
Generally appearing as a taxicab variant of each game's police car, the Taxi appears as a functional taxicab operated by various taxi firms throughout the 3D Universe:
- Kaufman Cabs (GTA Vice City)
- L.C.C. Taxis (GTA IV and EFLC)
- Mean Street Taxis (GTA III and GTA Liberty City Stories)
- Sunnyside Taxis (GTA San Andreas)
- Vice City Cabs (GTA Vice City and GTA Vice City Stories)
The Taxi, alongside the Cabbie, can also be used to trigger taxi driver-based activities throughout the 3D Universe. It can also be used to take Taxi Rides for a fee, albeit limited, around each game's world.
Influence[]
The Taxi resembles various 1980s-1990s sedans across the 3D Universe, often accompanying the game's police car.
- In Grand Theft Auto III and Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories, the Taxi resembles a cross between a fourth generation Chevrolet Caprice and a 1992-1997 Ford Crown Victoria.
- In Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories, the Taxi resembles a Ford LTD.
- In Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, the Taxi resembles a fourth generation Chevrolet Caprice.
Design[]
Grand Theft Auto III and Liberty City Stories[]
The Taxi in Grand Theft Auto III and Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories features a boxy sedan design. It may spawn with one of two roof signs; a traditional one with "TAXI" written on its sides, and a modern one with orange lights on the sides and the word "TAXI" facing forwards. It is seen in a yellow primary color for the main body, with shades of grey secondary colors for the bumper. Rarely, the Taxi may spawn with a unique chrome trim around the wheel wells, grille and headlights and taillights, as well as without a roof sign at all.
In Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories, it may also appear with yellow or black bumpers, as well as the traditional grey color.
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and Vice City Stories[]
In Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories, the Taxi returns again as a boxy sedan, albeit slightly more compact in design. It now only spawns with a single "TAXI" sign and once again spawns in a yellow primary color for the main body, with shades of grey secondary colors for the bumpers.
Like Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories, the Taxi may also spawn with yellow or black bumpers in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories.
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas[]
The Taxi in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is a variant of the Premier, also used as the SAPD and SFPD variants of the police car. It appears in an all-yellow color and features a single roof sign with "TAXI" written on the sides.
Grand Theft Auto Advance[]
The Taxi in Grand Theft Auto Advance is generally boxier in design when compared to the police vehicle of the game. It is only seen in a yellow color.
Performance[]
Although the appearance of the Taxi between Grand Theft Auto III and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories varies drastically, the performance of the Taxi in these games may be described as all-round average. With moderate speed, moderate acceleration, light construction, moderate endurance, capable steering, and stable cornering (all traits which are helpful during Taxi Driver missions), the Taxi is generally an acceptable vehicle to drive. The vehicle is also front wheel drive, reducing the chances of tailspin when cornering, and allowing the vehicle to perform 180-degree turns backwards or forwards with ease.
The GTA III rendition of the Taxi possesses almost identical handling properties to that of the Kuruma. However, the Taxi does not suffer from the stiff suspension and heavy kerb weight the Kuruma has.
Variants[]
| Image | Vehicle | Description | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Special variants | |||
 A Bickle'76 in Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories. |
Bickle'76 | Customized variant of the Taxi appearing in Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories. Unlocked after collecting and dropping off 100 fares in the Taxi Driver activity. | |
Modifications[]
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas[]
The Taxi is one of only a handful of public vehicles that could be customized at a modification workshop; specially, at TransFender.
The modification options (see TransFender article for pricing) of the vehicle include:
| Type | Upgrade | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Color | Car Color 1 (64 different colors) | $150 |
| Hood | Fury Scoop | $150 |
| Champ Scoop | $100 | |
| Exhausts | Medium Exhaust | $200 |
| Twin Exhaust | $300 | |
| Nitro | 2x Nitrous | $200 |
| 5x Nitrous | $500 | |
| 10x Nitrous | $1,000 | |
| Spoilers | Win | $550 |
| Alpha | $250 | |
| 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 | |
| Car Stereo | Bass Boost | $100 |
| Hydraulics | Hydraulics | $1,500 |
Gallery[]
Design[]
Images[]
A beta Taxi in Grand Theft Auto III.
A Taxi without a roof sign in Grand Theft Auto III.
A Taxi without a roof sign in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City.
Comparison between two Taxis in Grand Theft Auto III, each with different roof sign extras.
A Taxi in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas - The Definitive Edition. (Rear quarter view)
Locations[]
Grand Theft Auto III[]
- Parked in an alley north-west from the entrance of Salvatore's Gentlemen's Club, Saint Mark's, Portland.
- Commonly parked in Newport Multistory Car Park, Newport, Staunton Island.
- Parked in the parking lot of Francis International Airport, Shoreside Vale.
- Two parked in front of the terminal of Francis International Airport, Shoreside Vale.
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City[]
- Occasionally spawns in the parking lot next to the North Point Mall (Cabbies will also spawn here).
- Spawns occasionally in the parking lot near the Washington Mall.
Grand Theft Auto Advance[]
- Parked in Newport, west from King Courtney's yellow boat.
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas[]
- Always spawns around and in the main cities and sometimes in some parts of the state, as the Taxi is one of the most seen Public Service vehicle.
Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories[]
- At the Mean Street Taxis depot.
- Occasionally spawns at the top level of the Newport Multistory Car Park.
- Frequently spawns in front of the Francis International Airport. When on the road headed there, instead of turning right towards the parking lot, continue going straight towards the roundabout. It should be parked next to a Freeway beside some steps, though it may not always spawn.
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories[]
- Sometimes spawns in the North Point Mall parking garage.
- Rarely spawns behind the Hyman Memorial Stadium.
Prominent Appearances in Gameplay[]
The Taxi can be used to activate the Taxi Driver activity in almost all games in the 3D Universe. Upon entering a Taxi and activating the activity, the player is tasked with collecting fares and dropping them off at their destination.
Grand Theft Auto III[]
- Cutting the Grass – Curly Bob takes a Taxi at Luigi's Sex Club 7 to go to the docks and meet Catalina and Miguel.
- Import/Export – The Taxi is one of the 16 vehicles wanted for the Shoreside Vale portion of the Import/Export side mission.
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City[]
- Cannon Fodder – A Taxi arrives with three Cubans to help Tommy and Rico attack the drug factory.
- The Job – The group drive to the bank with a Taxi, that can be used after to escape from police too.
- V.I.P. – The player has to use their Kaufman Cab to hit a rival Taxi until its passenger gets out and enters their cab.
- Friendly Rivalry – Three normal Taxis around the city have to be destroyed.
- Cabmaggedon – Six rival Taxis will try to destroy the player's Kaufman Cab by ramming into it.
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas[]
- In the Beginning – Carl is inside of a Taxi before he is stopped by Tenpenny.
- Snail Trail – After exiting Market Station, one of the targets takes a Taxi to go to the pier.
- Driving School – The Taxi is used in one test (Spin and Go).
- Saint Mark's Bistro – Carl takes a Taxi to Marco's Bistro in Portland, Liberty City.
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories[]
- Truck Stop – A Taxi and a Cabbie can be seen at the Beachcomber Hotel to pick up two men who will assist in hijacking the truck.
Oversights[]
Grand Theft Auto III and Vice City[]
- Taxis may very rarely spawn without their roof lights. The roof will still glow as if there was a light there when Taxi missions are activated. In these cases, saving the car in a garage will not fix it.
- In GTA Vice City, the Taxi has a white spot on the windshield due to an error in applying the vehicle's reflection map.
- The Taxi design used in GTA III appears on a billboard near Escobar International Airport in GTA Vice City, despite the fact GTA Vice City takes place in 1986, and the Taxi in GTA III is based on a 1990's car.
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas[]
- In the mobile version, after completing the Taxi side mission, when CJ tries to jack an occupied Taxi, the carjack icon will have the standard car icon. But, when CJ exits the Taxi and re-enter it again, the carjack icon will have the lowrider car icon. The same also applies to the Cabbie.
Radio Stations[]
- In Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, the Taxi plays CSR 103.9.
Specifications[]
Model[]
| Model name | Texture name | Handling name | Text label name | In-game name | Swankness | Flags | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GTA III | taxi
|
taxi
|
TAXI
|
TAXI
|
Taxi | N/A |
|
| GTA Vice City | taxi
|
taxi
|
TAXI
|
TAXI
|
Taxi | N/A |
|
| GTA San Andreas | taxi
|
taxi
|
TAXI
|
TAXI
|
Taxi | N/A |
|
| GTA Advance | TAXI
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
TAXI | N/A | |
| GTA Liberty City Stories | taxi
|
taxi
|
TAXI
|
TAXI
|
Taxi | N/A |
|
| GTA Vice City Stories | taxi
|
taxi
|
TAXI
|
TAXI
|
Taxi | N/A |
Handling[]
| Max velocity (kmh / mph) | Gears | Engine type | Drivetrain | Mass (kg / lbs) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GTA III | 180 / 111.6 | 5 | Petrol | FWD | 1450 / 3190 |
| GTA Vice City | 180 / 111.6 | 5 | Petrol | FWD | 1450 / 3190 |
| GTA San Andreas | 180 / 111.6 | 5 | Petrol | FWD | 1450 / 3190 |
| GTA Advance | |||||
| GTA Liberty City Stories | 180 / 111.6 | 5 | Petrol | FWD | 1450 / 3190 |
| GTA Vice City Stories | 180 / 111.6 | 5 | Petrol | FWD | 1450 / 3190 |
Audio[]
| Horns | Engine | Police scanner | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Model | Category | Color | |||
| GTA III | |
|
N/A | N/A | N/A | |
| GTA Vice City | |
|
N/A | N/A | N/A | |
| GTA San Andreas | |
|
N/A | N/A | N/A | |
| GTA Advance | |
|
N/A | N/A | N/A | |
| GTA Liberty City Stories | |
|
N/A | N/A | N/A | |
| GTA Vice City Stories | |
|
N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Traffic Default Colors[]
| GTA III | PrimaryPrimaryPrimary color (1) | SecondarySecondarySecondary color (2) |
|---|---|---|
| 6 Taxi Yellow | 75 Grey 6 | |
| 6 Taxi Yellow | 73 Grey 4 | |
| 6 Taxi Yellow | 76 Grey 7 |
| GTA Vice City | PrimaryPrimaryPrimary color (1) | SecondarySecondarySecondary color (2) |
|---|---|---|
| 6 Taxi Yellow | 75 Grey 6 | |
| 6 Taxi Yellow | 73 Grey 4 | |
| 6 Taxi Yellow | 76 Grey 7 |
| GTA San Andreas | PrimaryPrimaryPrimary color (1) | SecondarySecondarySecondary color (2) | TertiaryTertiaryTertiary color (3) | QuaternaryQuaternaryQuaternary color (4) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 Taxi Yellow | 1 White | 0 Black | 0 Black |
| GTA Liberty City Stories | PrimaryPrimaryPrimary color (1) | SecondarySecondarySecondary color (2) |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | 98 | |
| 6 | 6 | |
| 6 | 0 |
| GTA Vice City Stories | PrimaryPrimaryPrimary color (1) | SecondarySecondarySecondary color (2) |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | 75 | |
| 6 | 6 | |
| 6 | 76 |
Beta Content[]
Grand Theft Auto III[]
The Taxi's beta design appears in an early render on the Capital Autos promotional website prior to the game's official release. The car appears with a slightly more rounded body design, more akin to that of the Chevrolet Caprice it is based on. It also features a different set of rims and a lowered ride height.
An early taxi model can be found in the leftover vehicles.dff file in the 10th Anniversary mobile versions of the game, with some of its final textures keeping their early names.[1] This model directly resembles that of the early render on the Capital Autos promotonal website.
The beta Taxi as seen in an early render on the Capital Autos promotional website.
The early "taxi" model of the Taxi included in the leftover vehicles.dff file. (Rear quarter view)
The same model with leftover textures applied. (Rear quarter view)
Trivia[]
- In GTA Vice City and GTA San Andreas, when the player steals a Taxi and enters it for the first time, $11 - $24 will be added to the player's wallet.
- In GTA Vice City, GTA Liberty City Stories and GTA Vice City Stories, if the player is wasted or busted during a mission, a Taxi comes up to the hospital or police station, and the player is prompted to get inside it. It then takes the player to the place where he received the mission.
- In the PlayStation Portable version of GTA Vice City Stories, the sign of the Taxi has its lettering on the sides, while in the PlayStation 2 version the sign is facing forwards.
See Also[]
- Taxi – All relevant articles on taxis, including taxi models, missions and other functionality.
- Premier – Civilian variant of the Taxi in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.
- Bickle'76 – Customized variant of the Taxi in Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories.
References[]
- ↑ 3D model(07/05/2025)Grand Theft Auto III: 10 Year Anniversary (Android version)
\android\gta3\models\Generic\vehicles.dff/taxi