Emperor

This article is about the car made by Albany. For the manufacturer, see Emperor (manufacturer).
An Emperor in GTA San Andreas (Rear quarter view).

The Emperor is a 4-door sedan featured in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas and Grand Theft Auto IV. The car varies significantly between the two games.

Description

Design

In GTA San Andreas, the Emperor, based on an 1990-1993 Infiniti Q45 or 1988-1994 Renault 19 (front, hood) represents a then contemporary large four-door sedan, with a lean design and somewhat rounded profile.

In GTA IV, the Emperor, given an Albany badge, is based on a '78 or '79 Cadillac Deville or Fleetwood, judging by the front bumper, with a flattened front end and no hood ornament. The greenhouse is closer to a 1980-1984 Deville/1980-1986 Fleetwood; the rear could also be from these cars since their trunks have more subtle creases (the Emperor has extremely subtle creases on the trunk). It features a "beater" version of the Emperor, with junky paint finishes, worn interiors, an occasionally missing quarter panel, and old wheels and tires.

Performance

Acceleration and speed of GTA San Andreas' Emperor are somewhat disappointing, as are handling and braking. The engine sounds as though it is a large V6 or V8, but is apparently incapable of delivering substantial power to the bulky, rear-drive vehicle. Using the E-brake around corners almost guarantees fishtailing, making this car almost useless when driving at high speeds. It is, however, a sturdy vehicle with low chances of roll overs, and does a fairly good job of absorbing damage.

GTA IV's Emperor is powered by a low-output V8, coupled to a 5 speed gearbox in RWD configuration. Due to its weight and low-power engine, the Emperor is quite slow off the line, and it's top speed leaves much to be desired. Its soft suspension often results in its rear swinging out of control and subtle fishtailing. Braking is very poor, and strangely, for a vehicle that's designed to be reminiscent of late 1970s/early 1980s cars, ABS is standard equipment. Crash deformation is below average, and build quality is surprisingly low: as the Emperor cannot sustain much damage before failing or catching fire.

Trivia

Locations

GTA San Andreas
GTA IV