Taxi

File:Taxi (GTA3) (front).jpg

A Taxi in GTA III.

The Taxi is a four door sedan-based taxi featured, in some form or other, in nearly all of the games in the Grand Theft Auto series so far. The Taxi represents modern but generic taxis of their setting's era, and is often one of the most common vehicles on the road. Like other taxis from Grand Theft Auto III to Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories, the Taxi can be used to perform taxi side-missions. The Taxi does not appear in Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars.

Appears in

• Grand Theft Auto 1
• Grand Theft Auto 2
• Grand Theft Auto III
• Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
• Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
• Grand Theft Auto Advance
• Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories
• Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories
• Grand Theft Auto IV

Design

GTA 1 — GTA 2

For Grand Theft Auto 1 there are three versions of the Taxi; the Liberty City version is based on the Portsmouth, the San Andreas version is based on the Vulture, and the Vice City version is based on the Flamer. The Taxi in Grand Theft Auto 2 is similar to an elongated Fiat 500.

GTA III — GTA Vice City Stories

From GTA III onwards, the Taxi is usually based on the same model as the police car from the same game.

In GTA III, it resembles a cross between a late model Chevrolet Caprice and Ford Crown Victoria, and a Chevrolet Corsica inspired grill, and headlights, while in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City it is a Ford LTD lookalike. In Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas the Taxi is based on the Premier, which is an early-nineties Chevrolet Caprice, while the Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories renditions are essentially resued GTA III and GTA Vice City renditions of the Taxi, respectively. The GTA Liberty City Stories rendition, in particular, may additionally appear with yellow, black or grey bumpers.

The Taxi in GTA Advance has little indication of which car it is based on, but is generally more boxy in design when compared to the game's Police.

GTA IV

In Grand Theft Auto IV, there are two different taxi sedans, one built by Declasse, based on the Merit, and the other is built by Vapid and is influenced heavily by the Ford Crown Victoria P72. There are two variants of the Vapid Taxi; one has yellow bumpers, the other gray ones, and some have rooftop advertisements for WTF, Conjoined Twins, and Banging Trash Can Lids For An Hour. The Vapid taxi doesn't have a civilian version, but there is a model also used by the Liberty City Police Department as a police cruiser. There is also a taxi based on the game's Minivan model, which shares strong influence of a NYC taxi Caravan, but its official in-game name is "Cabby".

Performance

GTA 1 — GTA 2

Early renditions of the Taxi are generally undesirable due to their mediocre performance. While differing between cities and partially based on muscle vehicles, GTA1's taxis are generally slow, but compensate with good steering. For the GTA2 rendition, however, the complete opposite may be said, with moderate speed, but sluggish controls, inferior to the Taxi Xpress. Both games' renditions have moderate crash endurance.

GTA III — GTA Vice City Stories

Despite drastically differing appearances between GTA III and GTA Vice City Stories, the Taxi's performance in the games may be described as all round average. With moderate speed, moderate acceleration, light construction, moderate endurance, competent steering and stable cornering, the Taxi is generally an acceptable vehicle to drive, traits that are helpful during Taxi Driver missions. The vehicle is also front wheel drive, reducing the chances of tailspins when cornering and allowing the vehicle to perform 180s turns backwards or forwards with ease.

GTA IV

The Declasse, Merit-based taxi in GTA IV is powered by a V6, coupled to a 5 speed gearbox in a RWD layout. Acceleration is very good, and the top speed is also good for a vehicle as common as this. The brakes have been upgraded over the civilian model, and requires a shorter stopping distance. The suspension has also had an upgrade, making this vehicle corner more effectively at speed. Crash deformation is acceptable, and the cab can survive a few frontal hits before failing.

The Vapid, Police Cruiser-based Taxi is powered by a 4.6L V8, coupled to a 5 speed gearbox in a RWD layout. Acceleration is good, and the top speed is above average. Brakes are shared with the Police Cruiser and as such, are very good. ABS is standard on this vehicle. The suspension is shared again with the police model, making quick work of cornering and the bumpy roads of Liberty City. Crash deformation is good, and the vehicle can sustain multiple frontal impacts before failing.

Hailing a cab

A new feature introduced into GTA IV is hailing a cab. Niko can whistle for a cab, and when it comes near take it anywhere in the city for a fee. Upon entry into the Taxi a screen will come up that is in the front of the Taxi, showing the main locations around the city such as: safehouses, bowling, Helitours etc. The player can also choose a custom location by bring up the start menu and putting a waypoint on the map of where they want to go. Niko will need to pay the driver a fee for the ride, depending on the distance, or wether the player chooses the hurry option or skipped the ride.

When the hurry option is used, the taxi driver's capabilities or lack there of show. When the driver is faced with vehicles, objects, etc. blocking his way he'll ram them and attempt to get around. If he is still stuck he will back up, way too much usually; hitting other vehicles and pedestrians sometimes, and try again.

Niko can also unlock free cab rides from Roman Bellic after the player gains enough respect with him. Just pull up Niko's phone and select from Roman "Car Services". He'll dispatch one of his cabs to Niko's location and the driver will take Niko to any destination in Liberty City or Alderney (except Niko won't need to pay a fee). In the beginning of the game Roman's Taxi is a black Esperanto, but later it's switched to a black Cavalcade (when Roman is rich).

Starting in GTA Vice City and every game until Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories, if the player is on a mission, but gets busted or wasted, a cab can take him or her to the mission's start point.

Taxi side mission

Main article: Taxi Driver

Locations

GTA IV

• A Vapid Taxi can be found parked in an alley near Manganese Street and Burlesque in Star Junction, Algonquin.

Trivia

• In some of the games in the series, Taxis' radios default to a certain station. They are as follows:
  • GTA Vice City and GTA Vice City Stories - Espantoso or VCPR
  • GTA San Andreas - K-JAH Radio West
  • GTA Liberty City Stories - Radio Del Mundo
  • GTA IV - San Juan Sounds (in the Declasse Taxi) ; WKTT, PLR, Integrity 2.0 (in the Vapid Taxi)

• In GTA III there are two similar models of the taxi and have two differences:
  • The "Taxi" light above the car.
  • The front and the rear bumpers are darker.

• In GTA Vice City, the Taxis have white spots on the windshield. This is due to an error in applying a reflection map onto the vehicle.

• In GTA III and GTA Vice City, there are chances that the signs on top of the roof of the Taxi might not show up at all, resulting in a "lightless" Taxi.

• In GTA IV, when the player crashes either of the three taxis, it's "Taxi" or advert sign can fall off the roof, depending on the force of the impact. Making it fall off can make the vehicle appear similar to an unmarked taxi. If the player crashes a vehicle into, or otherwise damages a taxi, the driver of the taxi will frequently exit his vehicle and assault the player, pulling them out of their vehicle or simply punching them. They also go to extreme lengths to avenge their stricken vehicle such as hanging on to the players' vehicle until they can't hold on.

• The GTA IV Taxi originally had a black paintjob variant, as seen in the Vladimir Glebov trailer.

Variants

• Bickle '76

Modifications (GTA San Andreas)

• Transfender

Gallery

• A Liberty City Taxi in GTA 1.

  A Liberty City Taxi in GTA 1.

• A San Andreas Taxi in GTA 1.

  A San Andreas Taxi in GTA 1.

• A Vice City Taxi in GTA 1.

  A Vice City Taxi in GTA 1.

• A Taxi in GTA 2.

  A Taxi in GTA 2.

• A Taxi in GTA III; rear view.

  A Taxi in GTA III; rear view.

• The two taxi differences in GTA III.

  The two taxi differences in GTA III.

• A Taxi in GTA Vice City.

  A Taxi in GTA Vice City.

• A Taxi in GTA Vice City; rear view.

  A Taxi in GTA Vice City; rear view.

• A Taxi in GTA San Andreas.

  A Taxi in GTA San Andreas.

• A Taxi In GTA San Andreas Rear Quarter View

  A Taxi In GTA San Andreas Rear Quarter View

• A Taxi in GTA Advance.

  A Taxi in GTA Advance.

• A Declasse "Taxi Car" in GTA IV

  A Declasse "Taxi Car" in GTA IV

• A Declasse "Taxi Car" in GTA IV; rear view.

  A Declasse "Taxi Car" in GTA IV; rear view.

• A Vapid "Taxi Car" in GTA IV.

  A Vapid "Taxi Car" in GTA IV.

• A Vapid "Taxi Car" in GTA IV; rear view.

  A Vapid "Taxi Car" in GTA IV; rear view.

See also

• London Cab, the British equivalent featured in Grand Theft Auto: London, 1969 and London, 1961.
• Taxi Xpress, another taxi featured in Grand Theft Auto 2.
• Cabbie, the older, Checker cab-style equivalent seen in the GTA III trilogy.
• Cabby, a minivan taxi featured in Grand Theft Auto IV.
• Premier, the civilian equivalent of the taxi in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.