Moonbeam
| Moonbeam | |
|---|---|
 A Moonbeam in GTA III. | |
| Appearance(s) |
GTA III GTA Vice City GTA San Andreas GTA Liberty City Stories GTA Vice City Stories GTA IV |
| Vehicle type | Civilian van |
| Body style | 4-door minivan |
| Capacity | 4 (driver and 3 passengers) |
| Manufacturer | Declasse (GTA IV) |
| ADVERTISEMENT | |
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"Good for big families. Or a large gang of criminals."
- Official Vice City Bureau of Investigation file description, GTA Vice City.
The Moonbeam is a large four-door minivan featured in:
- Grand Theft Auto III
- Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
- Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
- Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories
- Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories
- Grand Theft Auto IV
GTA III — GTA Vice City Stories
Design
Between GTA III and GTA Vice City Stories, the Moonbeam is straightforwardly modeled after a 1985—1994 Chevrolet Astro/1985—1994 GMC Safari, but it has tall taillights. Minor cosmetic changes have been made throughout its appearances, but the van has generally retained its bulky 1980s design, making it unattractive in all its appearances. Whilst the GTA Liberty City Stories rendition of the Moonbeam is based on that of GTA III, the GTA Vice City Stories rendition adopts the design of the GTA Liberty City Stories or GTA III rendition, instead of the usual GTA Vice City rendition.
During development of GTA III, the van was, at one point, known as the "Aster", a clear reference to the Chevrolet Astro name. The "Aster" is depicted in the Capital Autos website.
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The "Aster", an early iteration of the Moonbeam prior to GTA III's release.
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GTA III (Rear quarter view).
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GTA Vice City (Rear quarter view).
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GTA San Andreas (Rear quarter view).
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GTA Liberty City Stories (Rear quarter view).
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GTA Vice City Stories (Rear quarter view).
Performance
Moonbeams between GTA III and GTA Vice City Stories all possess similar handling properties. Performance is poor, due to the underpowered engines, front wheel drive layouts (Moonbeams in GTA San Andreas, GTA Liberty City Stories and GTA Vice City Stories are rear wheel drive), heavy bodies, soft suspension, and high center of gravity (leading to a tendency to flip on rough terrains); as a result, the Moonbeam is generally unsuitable for high-speed driving and has little practical use aside its fundamental function as a mode of transport. The Moonbeam only holds a maximum of four occupants.
GTA IV
Design
In GTA IV, the Moonbeam (now with a Declasse manufacturer badge) is still based on a 1985—1994 Chevrolet Astro/1985—1994 GMC Safari but the front end has been greatly altered, incorporating more realistic detailing and design cues, as well as supporting one-tone or two-tone body colors.
The Moonbeam can be found in several different configurations, of which several are tied with variants of side scuffs. They include:
- Four side scuff designs: A fully plastic variant with steps on the front only, a plastic variant with metal trims with or without "DECLASSE" badges, and a hanging metallic variant;
- Two roof designs: One with a pair of luggage bars (tied with the plastic/metal side scuffs with "DECLASSE" badges), and another featuring an elevated aero roof with "Super Streamline" badges (tied with the plastic/metal side scuffs without "DECLASSE" badges);
- An optional continental tire and ladder; and
- Optional blanked out rear side windows which comes with or without a custom billet grille that covers the headlamps. In the Episodes from Liberty City editions of The Lost and Damned and The Ballad of Gay Tony, the billet grille option is not available on any Moonbeam.
Note that the continental tire and ladder, and the blanked out rear side windows option are never available together on a Moonbeam. In addition, regardless of whether it has a "Super Streamline" roof or not, a Super Streamline badge is featured on all Moonbeams on the driver's door.
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A Moonbeam in GTA IV, with luggage bars on the roof and paneled rear quarter windows.
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GTA IV rendition; rear quarter view depicting its optional rear-mounted continental tire and ladder.
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GTA IV rendition; front quarter view with a "Super Streamline" roof, a billet grille covering the headlamps and engine grille, and paneled rear quarter windows.
Performance
The GTA IV rendition of the Moonbeam is powered by a 3.5L diesel engine, presumably a V6, and features a rear wheel drive layout, however its lack of power makes this characteristic negligible; with a top speed of 77 mph or 125 km/h, the Moonbeam drives as slowly as its predecessors, and still suffers from understeer. Frustratingly, the Moonbeam fails to withstand a large amount of damage, as its large size would suggest.
Variant
In GTA IV, a Moonbeam is requested as part of Stevie's Car Thefts, appearing with a uniquely black and red body. As a new Moonbeam will respawn at the same spot until the player delivers one to S&M Auto Sales, the player can save one at their safehouse before delivering another.
Customization in GTA San Andreas
The Moonbeam in GTA San Andreas can be modified at a TransFender, which offers a moderate range of customizations for the vehicle. It earns the distinction of being the only van in the game that can be modified at a mod garage, as other vans in the game are industrial vehicles that are not accepted by any mod garage.
Italicized pricing denotes prices at the Las Venturas TransFender, which charges 20% more except Colors.
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Trivia
- The Moonbeam in GTA Vice City, along with the game's Bobcat, is one of the earliest vehicles in the series to physically depict its name; sporting a "MOONBEAM" badge on its trunk lid.
- Driving a Moonbeam into the TransFender in Las Venturas will cause the vehicle to spawn on top of the garage but underneath the roof, trapping the player and the vehicle. At this point the player can only escape by blowing themselves up, re-loading the game's save file, or re-loading the game itself.
- During development of GTA IV, the moonbeam was to have a "MOONBEAM" decal applied to its back hatch, similar to the GTA Vice City rendition.
- Moonbeams in GTA IV can be sold at S&M Auto Sales for $2,200 each in pristine condition after completion of Stevie's Car Thefts.
- In GTA IV the Moonbeam is equipped with the "door ajar" bong when the driver's door is opened.
- In GTA IV it is impossible to do a burnout with the Moonbeam, possibly due to the excessively heavy weight, or the highly-underpowered engine.
- The Moonbeam is strangely not classified as a "people carrier" in Race Mode, but instead paired with the Steed, Burrito and Pony in the "vans" class.
- In GTA Vice City the Moonbeam originally had sliding rear doors.
- The Moonbeam plays the following radio stations by default when entered:
- West Coast Talk Radio in GTA San Andreas.
- Integrity 2.0, WKTT Radio or PLR in GTA IV.
Locations
- GTA III
- Head Radio station in Harwood, Portland.
- Garage 30 north of Momma's Restaurante, Saint Mark's, Portland
- In the departments of Hepburn Heights, Portland
- In Callahan Point, Portland
- In the Carson General Hospital in Rockford, Staunton Island
- And in the Liberty Tree offices on Bedford Point, Staunton Island
- GTA San Andreas
- Commonly seen driving around Los Santos especially Idlewood.
- GTA Liberty City Stories
- Ferry Terminal, Harwood, Portland.
- Next to an apartment building near Rothwell Station, Hepburn Heights, Portland.
- Parking lot of Fidl in Portland View, Portland.
- Carson General Hospital, Rockford, Staunton Island.
- AmCo underground parking lot, Torrington, Staunton Island.
- GTA IV
- Commonly found in Broker, Bohan, and the west end of Alderney.
- Commonly seen in Middle Park East.