The Real-Life Grand Theft Auto Cars

Grand Theft Auto is one of the most popular games of all time, and as the name suggests... cars play a vital role in the virtual world.

Just like the cities in the games – Los Santos, Liberty City and Vice City – are based on Los Angeles, New York and Miami. many of the fictional cars also have real-life counterparts.

We look at the most popular cars in the GTA games and the real-life vehicles they're inspired by. 

Dewbauchee Rapid GT/Aston Martin Vantage

Get yourself a Dewbauchee Rapid GT in GTA, and you're essentially driving an Aston Martin.

It's one of the longest-running cars in the series and often becomes available once you've climbed the ranks to start earning some serious cash.

Its design is clearly borrowed from the Aston Martin Vantage, and it costs about $132,000 (£97k) in the game, which is similar to the real-life Aston's price.

Invetero Coquette/Chevrolet Corvette C7

The Coquette first made an appearance in GTA IV back in 2008.

It was quite clearly modelled on the Corvette C5 at the time, going on to receive an upgrade to represent the Corvette C7 in GTA V.

The Coquette is one of the fastest sports cars in the game, an accurate representation of the Corvette C7, which can hit a top speed of 215 mph. 

Ubermacht Sentinel/BMW 3-Series

With a name like Ubermacht, it won't come as a surprise to learn that it's based on a German car – a BMW, to be exact.

The Ubermacht Sentinel is actually modelled after the BMW 3 Series, a distinction that's pretty easy to make when you're driving around the streets of Los Santos or Liberty City in one.

Like the real 3 Series, there are several variants of the Sentinel, with coupe and convertible options available.

Grotti Turismo Classic/Ferrari F40

Get behind the wheel of the Grotti Turismo Classic, and you'll experience tricky handling in a super-fast car.

That won't come as a surprise to anyone who has noticed that the Grotti Turismo Classic has a striking resemblance to the Ferrari F40.

In fact, the only real difference is the engine – the Turismo Classic has a V12, while the F40 features a V8.

Other than that, it's a direct replica of the F40 and costs about the same – $700,000 (£520k) – as its real-life counterpart. 

Pfister Comet S2 / Porsche 911 (992)

The Pfister brand in GTA is heavily influenced by Porsche, with the badge even featuring a similar shield design.

When it comes to the Comet S2 model, it's hard to look any further than the Porsche 911 with its iconic circular headlights, wide rear and shallow lights.

At a price of $1.8m (£1.3), however, the Comet 2 is much more expensive than a real-life 911. 

Pegassi Tempesta/Lamborghini Huracán

The word Tempesta means storm in Italian, which isn't far off Huracan.

And just like the Huracan, the Tempesta is a mid-engine AWD supercar with excellent handling and stylish looks.

So if you find yourself driving around a Pegassi Tempesta when you're playing GTA, then you're that little bit closer to being behind the wheel of a Lamborghini Huracan. 

Coil Raiden/Tesla Model S

GTA games have always been excellent at judging the cultural zeitgeist, gently poking fun at today's big topics.

So there was never any doubt that an electric vehicle would make its way into the game at some point, and it was always going to be a Tesla.

The Coil Raiden represents the Model S, although the gear shift paddles behind the steering, which it shouldn't really do considering it's electric. 

GTA cars and their real-life counterparts

The next time you're playing a GTA game, keep an eye for the cars. Each one is based on a real-life model. So if you can't get the keys to an Aston Martin in the real world, at least you can enjoy getting behind the wheel in one of the most successful video games of all time. Just try and focus more on the "grand" and "auto" parts rather than the "theft".