Benson

The Benson is a sports car which first appeared in Grand Theft Auto 2. The name was then applied to a cube van/truck in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City onwards.

In all, the Benson has appeared in the following games:

• Grand Theft Auto 2
• Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
• Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
• Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories
• Grand Theft Auto IV

Design

GTA 2

In Grand Theft Auto 2, the Benson is a sports car, featured only in the Residential district of Anywhere City. It is suggestively based on the Mercedes-Benz 300SL, evidenced by the Benson's similar body design, as well as gull-wing doors. The name of the Benson is also similar to the Mercedes-Benz car brand. The only difference is the 300SL doesn't feature split frontal and rear windscreens, as the Benson has. The Benson is only capable of seating two, but it's significantly fast and agile. Crushing the vehicle awards the player Electrofingers.

GTA Vice City — GTA Vice City Stories

In Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories, the Benson resembles a 1978 or 1979 Ford (E-Series) cube van with a "luton" cargo compartment.

The Benson in GTA San Andreas, however, has the wrong engine sound, as it has a heavy truck sound but should have the light/medium truck sound. In the PC version (v1.00) this can be changed by swapping it (the shape and texture files) with the Yankee in IMG Tool 2.0 [1], and changing the handling (in handling.cfg), colors (in carcols.dat) and names etc. around.

GTA IV

In GTA IV, the Benson is much larger and is the heaviest car in the game, according to the game files. The GTA IV Benson also has less tendency to roll over. It appears to be a bottler truck with Vapid badging, though certain versions (such as the mail truck) suggest otherwise. The cab resembles a '90s-era International 4700 truck chassis and the engine is an intercooled V8. Unlike previous versions, the GTA IV Benson has a massive grille guard. The companies featured on the Benson are Burger Shot, Cluckin' Bell, Sprunk, Mr. Wong's Laundrette, Post Op and Truck You!.

Performance

The Benson has a decent top speed, has room for 2 people including the driver and is the smallest cube van in the GTA III era games. It is not a very useful vehicle because it can flip on rough terrain and is only good for driving on roads. It has no special features.

For versions of the Benson prior to GTA IV, you can do doughnuts in it by steering it in the slightest possible angle (almost straight) and, naturally, putting the virtual foot to the floor. This can be done on the PC by using an analog controller (such as a PS2 controller through a USB converter), but not with the keyboard due to the digital button limitation of such devices.

Locations

GTA Vice City

• Parked next to the Pay n Spray in Viceport.

GTA San Andreas

• Commonly spawns in the industrial areas of Los Santos.

GTA Vice City Stories

• Parked next to the Pay 'n' Spray in Viceport.

GTA IV

• Found in the Acter Industrial Park and Tudor areas in Alderney.
• Sometimes seen in BOABO, Broker
• Can be spotted in the Industrial area in Bohan

Trivia

• In GTA IV, the two default radio stations in the Benson are The Beat 102.7 and The Classics 104.1.

Gallery

• A Benson in GTA 2.

  A Benson in GTA 2.

• A Benson in GTA Vice City.

  A Benson in GTA Vice City.

• A Benson in GTA San Andreas.

  A Benson in GTA San Andreas.

• A Benson in GTA IV.

  A Benson in GTA IV.

GTA San Andreas variations

• Discount Furniture

  Discount Furniture

• The Uphill Gardener Garden Center

  The Uphill Gardener Garden Center

• Shady Industries

  Shady Industries

• Los Santos Delivery (LSD)

  Los Santos Delivery (LSD)