Bus

File:Bus1.jpg
Bus from GTA III

The Bus is a vehicle that has been featured in almost every game in the series since Grand Theft Auto 1, except Grand Theft Auto Advance and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories.

Overview

Considering Grand Theft Auto games are set in large, bustling urban environments with transport infrastructure, it often seems strange that the Bus is one of the series' rarest vehicles. The Bus rarely spawns on the street and is usually very difficult to find by other means too.

In GTA 1, the Bus is based on a typical school bus and has no special features. There are three versions; in Liberty City it is a school bus, in San Andreas it appears to be a church group bus, and in Vice City it appears to be either a high school bus or a bus for some kind of sports team.

In Grand Theft Auto 2, the Bus resembles a futuristic version of a typical municipal bus and can be found picking up/dropping off passengers at various bus stops within each of the three districts. The Bus only drives on the outer lane of the 'main' roads. Even if the player steals the bus, passengers will still enter/exit if the player stops at a bus stop.

In GTA III and GTA Vice City, the Bus retains the "school bus" design featured in GTA 1, and comes in several colours. The handling is slow and cumbersome, as one would expect, and the vehicle - though fairly tough - doesn't quite excel at knocking other vehicles out of the way either, not like the Firetruck or Barracks OL. It also is quicker to catch fire when attacked by armed enemies. Finally, despite its large size it can only carry a driver and one passenger. All of these factors combine to make the Bus a vehicle you only drive for the novelty of it or to deliver it to an export garage. The Bus can only carry two people including the driver.

In GTA: San Andreas the bus takes on a new appearance, resembling an older and cheaper Coach to an extent. It can carry up to eight people including the driver.

In GTA IV, the Bus is again, a rare sight in the city, with a newer model resembling a Orion V CNG (but the windshield is angled evenly). However, the side windows (and the way the back is angled) look more like the ones from an old GM New Look Bus (or a Flxible New Look bus), although they are more modern. In GTA IV the bus is manufactured by Brute.

Strangely, it is virtually impossible to find the Bus driving around anywhere in Liberty City - it can only be seen driving in Francis International Airport or on the ring-road that surrounds the airport's car park. The Bus can also be seen driving around elsewhere in the City although these occurrences are very rare. The Bus will sometimes spawn in during GTA IV's mission chase sequences, as set pieces, acting as an obstacle, to increase the difficulty of the mission. An example of this is in Brucie's Mission: Search and Delete. Any other time the Bus is encountered - e.g. at Star Junction - it will simply be parked.

The GTA IV Bus allows up to 15 passengers to travel in the vehicle in addition to the driver (this is only possible during Multiplayer).

Due to the fact that it has an engine in the rear, the Bus can survive seemingly infinite numbers of head-on crashes with cars, trucks, and buildings alike. This makes it the perfect vehicle for ramming cars out of its path. However, the GTA IV Bus is frail by comparison with most other large vehicles when it is in a hail of bullets.

Locations

GTA 1

  • Liberty City
  • Vice City
  • San Andreas

Anywhere City (GTA2)

  • Downtown District
  • Industrial District
  • Residential District

Liberty City
GTA III and LCS:

GTA IV:

Vice City

San Andreas

Appears In

See also

Gallery


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