Minivan

File:Minivan (GTA4) (front).jpg
A Minivan in GTA IV (Rear quarter view).

The Vapid Minivan is a four-door minivan in Grand Theft Auto IV. It replaces its previous counterpart, the Blista, featured in Grand Theft Auto III and Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories. After collecting all thirty cars for Stevie he agrees to purchase cars from Niko Bellic, with the Minivan fetching at $2,000.

Design

The Minivan resembles a fourth generation (2001-2007) Dodge Caravan or Chrysler Voyager, albeit somewhat wider; it also resembles the Ford Windstar, appropriate considering that Vapid is the GTA IV analogue of Ford. It can be found with a roof spoiler or luggage rails (although both cases feature a "Minivan Sport" badge on the rear liftgate). The Minivan is the basis for the GTA IV Cabby, which has its own "Minivan Cabby" liftgate badge. The van may come with a roof-mounted luggage rack or a rear spoiler.

The Minivan is badged as both a Vapid vehicle and, in the case of the Cabby, a Schyster one, which may be an allusion to the Dodge Caravan being sold under different names (Chrysler Town and Country and Plymouth Grand Voyager); it may also suggest a partnership between Vapid and Schyster, or it may suggest a larger mother company like General Motors which produces the same vehicles under different brands. Alternatively, the Cabby's "Limited Vapid Design" badging suggests that the Cabby could be manufactured under licence by Schyster, or could be a rebadge of the Vapid Minivan. Also, the Cabby counterpart has a higher suspention than the Minivan's.

Performance

The Minivan is powered by a 24V engine, presumably a V6 with 4 valves per cylinder, paired to a 4 speed gearbox in a RWD configuration. Acceleration is very poor, taking upwards of 10 seconds to reach 60mph (100 km/h). The top speed of the Minivan is also very poor, putting it on par with the Willard as the slowest passenger vehicle. The suspension is moderately firm, giving the Minivan ample support in the curves, albeit with drastic understeer. Braking is good, and ABS is standard across the line. Accident deformation is acceptable, although three to four direct frontal hits can render it undrivable. Engine build quality is also acceptable, though again, after only a few hits, it may stall/catch fire.

Trivia

  • The Minivan's generic name is probably a parody of the Dodge Caravan's.
  • The default radio station of the Minivan is The Vibe 98.8.