Sabre
| Sabre | |
|---|---|
 A Sabre in GTA Vice City. | |
| Appearance(s) |
GTA Vice City GTA San Andreas GTA Vice City Stories GTA IV |
| Vehicle type | Civilian car |
| Body style | 2-door coupe |
| Capacity | 2 (driver and passenger) |
| Manufacturer | Declasse (GTA IV) |
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The Sabre is a hardtop coupe muscle car introduced in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City.
Contents
Design
GTA Vice City — GTA Vice City Stories
The Sabre in GTA Vice City, GTA San Andreas, and GTA Vice City Stories closely resembles a 1970 Oldsmobile Cutlass, but without the split grille (but the front bumper is still intact) and the trunk is larger and the back window is awkwardly small (similar in size to the rear window on the convertible version). The name is a parody of Cutlass, judging by the fact that the Sabre and Cutlass are swords. Being a 2 door makes it a bad choice for drive-bys or carrying an entourage in GTA San Andreas; it is also used as a gang car by the San Fierro Rifa. A green Sabre is used by the Ballas for a special occasion in an attempt to kill Grove Street leader Sweet in a drive-by shooting by hitting the Johnson House. However, Sweet was not home and his mother Beverly Johnson is killed instead.
GTA Vice City (Rear quarter view).
GTA San Andreas (Rear quarter view).
GTA Vice City Stories (Rear quarter view).
GTA IV
The Declasse Sabre in GTA IV is more modern, resembling an '80s muscle car, actually appearing like a "corporate cousin" of the Willard Faction. It resembles a 1983-1988 Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS (the other models have different front ends), the front end resembles a 1983-1985 Dodge 600 more so than the Monte Carlo SS but could be meant to emulate the front of the Monte Carlo SS. It features decals on the sides (somewhat like the Monte Carlo SS) reading: "Sabre 550SS".
The Sabre is one of a range of cars that can be found in total disrepair in GTA IV - rusted out versions of it that spew huge clouds of brown exhaust and backfires randomly, as well as featuring junky bodywork, rusting metallic parts, occasionally missing headlights and radiator grills, and jutting exhaust pipes. The beater Sabres also have vastly inferior performance, with a top speed of 168 mph (270 km/h).
There is also a Sabre GT in GTA IV, but is based on an older version of the car, and looks more like the previously featured Sabre, this is awkward since both Sabres emulate Chevrolet SS vehicles, yet only the older one bears the GT trim level.
GTA IV (Rear quarter view; engine).
A beater variant Sabre in GTA IV.
Another possible beater variant Sabre in GTA IV.
Performance
GTA Vice City — GTA Vice City Stories
Acceleration and speed are very impressive due to its V8 engine. The Sabre's handling is arguably among the best in GTA San Andreas, and the brakes are excellent. However, being the rear-drive muscle car it is, this vehicle's drivetrain is overpowered, leading to occasional burnout and fishtailing, and a general decline in performance in wet weather. Its frame is sturdy and can take a fair amount of damage, but its intense power and heavy construction result in the car's disablity to survive very few high-speed collisions.
GTA IV
The Declasse Sabre features a 9.0 L (550 in³) V8, coupled to a 5 speed gearbox in RWD configuration. Acceleration is good, although not impressive; and its top speed of 193 mph (310 km/h) is relatively the same as other vehicles in its class. Due to the heavy frame and very soft suspension, the Sabre has a tendency to flop about in turns, making oversteer common. The suspension is pillow-soft, and thanks to it, the Sabre practically lollops through turns, with a vague and numb sense of direction. Braking is fair, though without ABS front wheel lockup is common.
Crash deformation is very good, and the Sabre can still take many direct hits before failing or catching fire.
Overall, the Sabre matches top speed with the Ruiner and the Tampa. It is very similar in physical description to the Faction, yet it goes faster and has a little better acceleration. It can withstand a lot of hits and shots for its size before failing.
Variants
The Sabre Turbo is a derivative of the Sabre in GTA Vice City and GTA Vice City Stories which is distinguished by a white stripe and, in GTA Vice City, a red body color. A similarly designed variant, the Cholo Sabre, is a gang car in GTA Vice City Stories that is similar to the game's Sabre Turbo, but features a permanently body color.
While the Sabre in GTA IV assume a more modern appearance, a high performance variant of the Sabre similar in appearance to the classic Sabre, dubbed the Sabre GT, is available in GTA IV.
Customization in GTA San Andreas
The Sabre in GTA San Andreas can be modified at a TransFender, but is only offered a bare minimum of modification options:
Italicized pricing denotes prices at the Las Venturas TransFender, which charges 20% more except Colors.
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Trivia
- The Sabre name is implied to have been selected based on the Oldsmobile Cutlass name. In the field of swords, the cutlass is a type of sabre.
- In a GTA Vice City trailer, a Sabre Turbo was seen with a split grille; regular Sabres are also seen with split grilles in early screenshots - much like the car it is based on (a 1970 Cutlass). This feature was omitted in the final design of the car.
- A green Sabre was used by the Ballas to do a drive-by at the Johnson house, which killed Carl Johnson's and Sweet's mom, triggering the beginning of GTA San Andreas, in which the Grove Street Families seek revenge on the Ballas and their allies. The car is featured in The Introduction, referenced in dialog during "Drive-Thru", and depicted proper in the game during "The Green Sabre".
- Standard Sabres in GTA IV features their front license plate on the left side of the front bumper; beater variants sport their front license plates in the middle.
- In GTA IV, after collecting all thirty cars for Stevie he agrees to purchase cars from Niko Bellic, with the Sabre fetching $2,000.
- The Sabre plays the following radio stations by default when entered:
- Master Sounds 98.3 in GTA San Andreas.
- Integrity 2.0, WKTT, or PLR in GTA IV.
Locations
- GTA San Andreas
- Spawns regularly around Los Santos.
- Spawns around San Fierro Rifa gang turf.
- Found in the parking lot across Zero RC in Garcia, San Fierro (only when wanted for export).
- Available at Easter Basin, San Fierro every Monday after completing export lists. Import cost: $15,200
- GTA Vice City Stories
- Parked among decrepit houses in southern Little Haiti, Vice City.
- Parked across the Fire Station in Downtown.
- GTA IV
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- Standard Sabre
- Sometimes spawns parked on Flanger St. in Little Bay, Bohan, making it available in multiplayer, although it rarely spawns in multiplayer.
- Commonly spawn in Cerveza Heights, East Island City, Steinway, and Willis (Dukes).
- Sometimes spawn in City Hall (Algonquin) and Westdyke (Alderney).
- Occasionally spawn in Hove Beach, Firefly Island, Beachgate, Schottler (Broker), Boulevard, Fortside, South Bohan (Bohan), The Exchange, Chinatown, The Triangle, Star Junction, Purgatory, Westminster (Algonquin), Acter, and Tudor (Alderney).
- Rarely spawn in Firefly Projects and Beechwood City (Broker).
- Beater Sabre
- Commonly spawn in Beechwood City, BOABO, Downtown, East Hook, Firefly Projects, Outlook, Schottler (Broker), Boulevard, Chase Point, Fortside, Bohan Industrial, Northern Gardens, South Bohan (Bohan), East Holland, North Holland, Northwood, Easton, Lower Easton, (Algonquin), and in Charge Island, but only at night.
- Always spawns parked behind a abandoned factory on the south coast of Alderney in Acter Industrial Park. This is the only way to get a beater Sabre in free roam multiplayer.
