Zirconium is an American automotive company featured in the HD Universe of the Grand Theft Auto series.
Description[]
The company name and logo allude to the production of exotic-looking but low-quality vehicles, as the element zirconium is commonly used to make cheap diamond substitutes.
Only three Zirconium vehicles are displayed in the series: the Stratum, which resembles various Japanese station wagons, the Journey, and the Journey II, the latter two resembling the 1977–1980 Triple E motorhomes.
As of 2008, Zirconium appears to be headquartered in the Zirconium Building in Liberty City.
Influence[]
The company's presumed headquarters, the Zirconium Building, is modeled after the Chrysler Building, despite Chrysler's analogue in the HD Universe appearing to be Schyster. This, paired with the origin of the company's name, denotes that Zirconium could be a reference to Diamond-Star Motors, a former American-Japanese manufacturing joint venture between the Chrysler Corporation and Mitsubishi Motors.
Additionally, Zirconium could be loosely based on the defunct Saturn Corporation, as the Stratum bears minor resemblance to the Saturn SW, in conjunction with the vehicle's name being reminiscent of the Saturn brand. The Zirconium name might also allude to the public perception that Saturn vehicles were bland GM knockoffs of Japanese automobiles, which may account for the Stratum's distinctly Japanese styling elements.
Another brand with a similar reputation on which Zirconium could be based is Eagle, a former subsidiary of the Chrysler Corporation, introduced largely to compete with the Saturn brand. The Stratum's Southern San Andreas Super Autos description in Grand Theft Auto Online is a possible reference to Eagle's various short-lived station wagon models.
Vehicles[]
| Image | Vehicle | Style | Influence | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 The Journey in Grand Theft Auto V. |
Journey | Class A motorhome | 1977-1980 Triple E models | |
 The Journey II in Grand Theft Auto Online. |
Journey II | Class A motorhome | Based on the Journey. Added in the Los Santos Drug Wars update for Grand Theft Auto Online. | |
 The Stratum in Grand Theft Auto V. |
Stratum | Four-door station wagon | 1994-1997 Honda Accord station wagon |
Gallery[]
Oversights[]
- In the audio files for Grand Theft Auto IV, the manufacturer is misspelled as "Zireonium" and is pronounced incorrectly in the same fashion by the police scanner.[1] An unused sound clip with the same mispronunciation can be found in the files for Grand Theft Auto V, seemingly recorded before a correction was made.
References[]
- ↑ pc\audio\Sfx\POLICE_SCANNER\MANUFACTURER\MAN_ZIREONIUM
