The Kuruma (Japanese: 車, くるま, lit. "Car") is a four-door compact sedan featured in Grand Theft Auto III, Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories and Grand Theft Auto Online, the latter as part of the Heists update. It is manufactured by Karin in the HD Universe.
Design[]
3D Universe[]
The Grand Theft Auto III rendition of the car is heavily based on a 2001-2006 Chrysler Sebring sedan with various elements from the second generation Dodge Intrepid and Chrysler 300M (both the design and the fact that the car has a longitudinally mounted engine in the Xbox version). The trunk sitting noticeably higher than the beltline was taken from the Sebring's predecessor, the Chrysler Cirrus. The beta version's more bulbous design seems to take more from the 300M whereas the final version leans more towards the Sebring. It comes with grey bumpers and trim, giving it the appearance of a base model. Despite the Japanese inspired name, the only similarity to a Japanese car is how the front end and hubcaps bear some resemblance to a fifth generation Honda Civic. Kurumas spawn in a variety of body colors with secondary-colored bumpers (always set to white).
For Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories, the Kuruma has slight cosmetic changes to make it look like a generic Japanese sedan during the late 1990s, the front appearing to resemble a 1992-1995 European Toyota Corona or a 1997-2000 Nissan Altima (styling cues from the 1995-2000 Hyundai Elantra). The bumpers and trim can be body-colored to give it a more upscale look, although there still are models with unpainted trims and bumpers, especially if the car is sprayed white or grey.
During the development of GTA III, the Kuruma was originally known as the "Sentinal", not to be confused with the Sentinel which is another sedan in the final version of the same game that was previously known as the "Beamer" during development. It's beta internal name was "Intrepid". Indeed, the beta version more closely resembled the Dodge Intrepid before the changes that made it appear closer to the Sebring.
Grand Theft Auto Online[]
The Kuruma returns in the Heists update for Grand Theft Auto Online, this time depicted as a sports sedan. The overall shape of the car seems to be a mix of the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X, as evidenced by the overall design and front fascia, and the 2015–2016 Subaru WRX STI, as seen in the rear wing, headlight layout, C-pillar, boot, and hood scoop. The side vent also seems to be a mix of both Evo and WRX side vents, with the shape of the vent following the body line of the WRX's vents, while having dimensions closer to the Evo's vents.
On the front, the central portion is predominated by a trapezium-shaped split mesh grille, featuring a chrome trim on the surrounding, a plastic wide separation acting as the bumper and a manufacturer emblem on the upper grille, as well as a plastic insert below the grille, having pointy ends aligned with the body-coloured sections beside it. Next to the lower grille there are two intakes with plastic trim, circular fog lamps on the lower outer corners and LED stripes above these, while the areas next to the upper grille have a set of dual headlamps, turn signal and light strips surrounded by chrome trimmings, denoting an aggressive aspect. The bonnet sports an intake/scoop on the middle.
The sides of the car have a slight concave design passing through the doors, with the front fenders having thin vertical exit vents with a chrome detail above. The greenhouse area features plastic trim around the windows and on the roof, black mirror shells and what look like vortex generators with additional brake lights.
On the rear, the car features a boot with a chrome detail over the license plate, a medium spoiler and the corresponding badges. The tail lamps follow a similar pattern to the headlamps, consisting of inner brake with reverse lamps on the boot, and marker with turning lamps on the edges. The bumper features red marker lights on the edges and a plastic section on the centre, with mouldings for the twin exit, twin exhaust tubes. The interior is shared with the Sultan.
The primary colour of the car is applied on the bodywork and the interior stitching, while the secondary colour seem to be applied on certain modifications. The Kuruma shares its stock rim design with the second generation Baller and the Surano.
Performance[]
3D Universe[]
In GTA III, the Kuruma has a five-cylinder engine with a turbocharged sound, a five-speed gearbox and a FWD powertrain. Whilst the engine is powerful enough to propel the light Kuruma to high straight line speeds, the front wheel drive layout causes understeer. Players may therefore favor using the handbrake to swing around turns at high speed.
In GTA Liberty City Stories, its engine is naturally-aspirated, coupled to a three-speed gearbox and emits the same engine sound as the Manana, Idaho and the Perennial.
The neutral handling of the Kuruma makes it a good choice as a "beginner's car", and it is the first car the player drives in both GTA III and GTA Liberty City Stories (in the missions "Give Me Liberty" and "Home Sweet Home", respectively).
The Kuruma possesses almost identical handling properties to the GTA III rendition of the Taxi.
3D Universe Overview[]
| Acceleration (0-60 mph in Seconds) |
Top Speed (mph / kmh) |
Gears | Engine | Drivetrain (FWD / RWD / AWD) |
Mass (kg / lbs) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N/A | 112 / 180 (GTA III)
99 / 160 (GTA Liberty City Stories) |
5 (GTA III)
3 (GTA Liberty City Stories) |
Petrol | FWD | 1500 / 3307 (GTA III)
1600 / 3527 (GTA Liberty City Stories) |
| N/A | N/A | 5 (GTA III)
3 (GTA Liberty City Stories) |
FF Inline-5 (In-game model) | FWD | Cannot be observed |
Grand Theft Auto Online[]
The Kuruma has a modeled twin-cam straight six engine, placed longitudinally in a front engine, all wheel drive layout (a rather unique distribution of 1/3 of the engine power to the front wheels and the rest to the rear wheels). According to Southern San Andreas Super Autos, the car has a 6-speed gearbox, a top speed of 147mph and weights 2,866lbs. The Kuruma features a turbo dump-valve sound effect by default, although the player can add another turbo for a significantly higher acceleration.
Due to the lightweight chassis and top-heaviness on the car, The Kuruma has a tendency to lift onto two wheels and even flip during sharp, high speed turns, or roll the car. It is slightly bested by the Sultan in terms of top speed. However, in terms of grip, the Sultan stands a heavy ground when attacking corners at high speed. The Kuruma tends to slide attempting to attack corners at similar speeds. Off-road, the Kuruma is one of the fastest cars in the game, with its high traction allowing for high speeds on off-road terrain which allows it to keep up to even some Super cars.
The Kuruma does not deform easily when crashed, as it can only be scratched or lose body parts (it still has bodywork deformation, albeit to a lesser extend). The same is true with the Panto and Coquette Classic.
GTA Online Overview[]
| Acceleration (0-60 mph in Seconds) |
Maximum Velocity (mph / kmh) |
Gears | Engine | Drivetrain (FWD / RWD / AWD) |
Mass (kg / lbs) |
Fuel Tank Size (litres) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N/A | 89 / 143 | 6 | N/A | AWD 33% FWD 67% RWD |
1500 / 3307 | 65 |
| N/A | 147 / 237 | 6 | N/A | AWD | 1300 / 2866 | N/A |
| N/A | 95 / 153 | 5 Manual (In-game model + Sound) |
F4 DOHC Inline-6 (In-game model) | AWD | Cannot be observed | Cannot be observed |
Rockstar Games Social Club[]
Grand Theft Auto Online[]
Modifications[]
Grand Theft Auto Online[]
| Category | Modification | Price | Image | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Armor | No Armor | $1,000 | ||
| Armor Upgrade 20% | $7,500 | |||
| Armor Upgrade 40% | $12,000 | |||
| Armor Upgrade 60% | $20,000 | |||
| Armor Upgrade 80% | $35,000 | |||
| Armor Upgrade 100% | $50,000 | |||
| Brakes | Stock Brakes | $1,000 | ||
| Street Brakes | $20,000 | |||
| Sport Brakes | $27,000 | |||
| Race Brakes | $35,000 | |||
| Bumpers | Stock Front Bumper | $2,200 | ||
| Body Color Front Splitter | $4,600 | |||
| Secondary Color Front Splitter | $7,400 | |||
| Carbon Front Splitter | $11,700 | |||
| Engine | EMS Upgrade, Level 1 | $9,000 | ||
| EMS Upgrade, Level 2 | $12,500 | |||
| EMS Upgrade, Level 3 | $18,000 | |||
| EMS Upgrade, Level 4 | $33,500 | |||
| Exhausts | Stock Exhaust | $260 | ||
| Oval Exhaust | $750 | |||
| Race Exhaust | $1,800 | |||
| Chrome Tip Exhaust | $3,000 | |||
| Explosives | Ignition Bomb | $5,000 | ||
| Remote Bomb | $7,500 | |||
| Horns | Main article: Los Santos Customs/Horns | - | ||
| Lights | Headlights | Stock Lights | $600 | |
| Xenon Lights | $7,500 | |||
| Neon Kits | Main article: Los Santos Customs/Lights | - | ||
| Livery | None | $ | ||
| Black Single Side Stripes | $18,240 | |||
| White Single Side Stripes | $19,380 | |||
| Classic Rally Side Stripes | $20,520 | |||
| Black Thick Race Stripes | $21,660 | |||
| White Thick Race Stripes | $22,800 | |||
| Black Double Race Stripes | $23,370 | |||
| White Double Race Stripes | $23,939 | |||
| Paint Drip | $24,510 | |||
| Disruption Logistics | $25,080 | |||
| Karin Race | $25,650 | |||
| Redwood Rally | Unreleased | |||
| Stance Andreas | FREE[1] | |||
| Junk | Unreleased | |||
| Solid Camo | Unreleased | |||
| Yogarishima Camo | FREE[2] | |||
| Loss/Theft Prevention | Tracker | Too Hot | ||
| Full Coverage | Too Hot | |||
| Plates | Blue on White 1 | $200 | ||
| Blue on White 2 | $200 | |||
| Blue on White 3 | $200 | |||
| Yellow on Blue | $300 | |||
| Yellow on Black | $600 | |||
| Respray | Main article: Vehicle Customization in GTA V/Respray Colors | - | ||
| Roll Cages | No Roll Cage | $700 | ||
| Roll Cage and Chassis Upgrade | $1,100 | |||
| Sell | Sell Vehicle | Too Hot | ||
| Skirts | Stock Skirts | $2,500 | ||
| Body Color Street Skirt | $5,500 | |||
| Secondary Color Street Skirt | $8,000 | |||
| Carbon Street Skirt | $10,500 | |||
| Body Color Slick Skirt | $14,000 | |||
| Secondary Color Slick Skirt | $14,500 | |||
| Carbon Slick Skirt | $15,000 | |||
| Spoilers | Stock Spoiler | $6,000 | ||
| Secondary Color Stock Spoiler | $7,050 | |||
| Carbon Wing | $10,000 | |||
| Color Coded Wing | $13,000 | |||
| Carbon Wing Type II | $14,000 | |||
| GT Wing | $16,000 | |||
| Suspension | Stock Suspension | $200 | ||
| Lowered Suspension | $1,000 | |||
| Street Suspension | $2,000 | |||
| Sport Suspension | $3,400 | |||
| Competition Suspension | $4,400 | |||
| Transmission | Stock Transmission | $1,000 | ||
| Street Transmission | $29,500 | |||
| Sports Transmission | $32,500 | |||
| Race Transmission | $40,000 | |||
| Turbo | None | $5,000 | ||
| Turbo Tuning | $50,000 | |||
| Wheels | Main article: Los Santos Customs/Wheels | - | ||
| Windows | None | $500 | ||
| Light Smoke | $1,500 | |||
| Dark Smoke | $3,500 | |||
| Limo | $5,000 | |||
Gallery[]
3D Universe[]
Grand Theft Auto Online[]
Design[]
Version History[]
Variants[]
FBI CarGrand Theft Auto III |
 (Rear quarter view) |
A law enforcement variant appears as the FBI Car, seen during a 5-star wanted level. |
Kuruma (Armored)Grand Theft Auto Online |
 (Rear quarter view) |
An Armored variant appears in Grand Theft Auto Online as part of the Heists update, the Kuruma (Armored). It holds armored plating similar to the Duke O'Death. |
Special Variants[]
- A unique teal Kuruma appears in the GTA III mission Give Me Liberty. The player can simply complete the next mission, Luigi's Girls, in this car to obtain it.
- A unique teal Kuruma appears in the GTA LCS mission Salvatore's Salvation. It can be obtained by parking it in the garage of the Portland Safehouse and shooting at the trunk.
Notable Owners[]
3D Universe[]
- Vincenzo Cilli owns a black Kuruma in Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories, which can be found parked outside his warehouse in Atlantic Quays. This car still appears after his death.
- Claude drives a unique teal Kuruma during the first mission of Grand Theft Auto III. This vehicle can be saved in the player's garage.
HD Universe[]
- Kkangpae gang members can be seen driving Kurumas in several missions in Grand Theft Auto Online.
Prominent Appearances in Gameplay[]
Grand Theft Auto III[]
- Give Me Liberty - Claude and 8-Ball leave the destroyed Callahan Bridge in the above-mentioned teal Kuruma.
- Import/Export - The Kuruma is one of the 16 vehicles wanted for the Shoreside Vale portion of the Import/Export side mission.
Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories[]
- Home Sweet Home - Vincenzo lets Toni drive this car to the safehouse then the warehouse in Atlantic Quays. It is fire-proof during the mission but loses this feature after the mission.
- Smash and Grab - A heavy black one featured during the mission. It was on fire during the shootout at the gas station.
- Frighteners - One of the bosses that need to be scared drives a Kuruma through parts of Saint Mark's and Portland View.
- Salvatore's Salvation - A unique light blue one is used by the Sindaccos to kidnap Salvatore. It can be obtained.
Grand Theft Auto Online[]
The Kuruma frequently appears as the vehicle of choice of the Kkangpae:
- Used by the enemy to drive to the location of Vehicle Cargo, to be tailed by the player. Will also be used to chase the player back to their Vehicle Warehouses if the tail was detected or be abandoned on the route if the player was undetected.
- Used by the agents in the mission Firewall Protection.
- Frequently used in bunker resupply missions.
- May be seen during the Casino Work missions "Lost in Transit" and "Safe Bet".
- Provided as the initial vehicle in the Casino Heist (if Eddie Toh is selected as the driver).
- Kkangpae variant appears during Last Play - Go Figure.
- Used by the Kkangpae in Planning Work: Elevator Key (The Union Depository Contract).
Locations[]
Grand Theft Auto III[]
- Despite being a common car and being parked in several locations in Portland, it doesn't spawn in traffic there. It is a common sight in traffic in Staunton Island and Shoreside Vale though.
- Parked outside Head Radio Studio, Hepburn Heights, Portland.
- Parked in the parking lot of Greasy Joe's Café, Callahan Point, Portland.
- Parked in the parking lot of Portland Harbor, Portland.
- Parked outside Momma's Restaurante, Saint Mark's, Portland.
- Outside Capital Autos, Harwood, Portland.
- In the Liberty Tree parking lot, Bedford Point, Staunton Island.
- In a car park, near the apartments, in Wichita Gardens, Shoreside Vale.
Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories[]
- Parked outside Vincenzo's warehouse in Atlantic Quays, Portland. The car has a unique black paintjob.
- In Saint Mark's, parked where Toni drops off the drugs for Salvatore from the Cartel in the mission Contra-Banned.
- Spawns regularly on all three islands.
- Capital Autos, Harwood, Portland Island (only before completing Car Salesman to level 4, when it will be replaced with a Sentinel).
Grand Theft Auto Online[]
- Can be purchased from Southern San Andreas Super Autos for $95,000 after completing The Fleeca Job.
- After the Cunning Stunts: Special Vehicle Circuit update, the vehicle is now available to players who have not completed the heist at the "full" cost of $126,350.
- From November 4th, 2021, the Kuruma’s full price was $758,100 exclusively on the PC version of the game. This was later reverted. [vague]
- After the Cunning Stunts: Special Vehicle Circuit update, the vehicle is now available to players who have not completed the heist at the "full" cost of $126,350.
- Often used by the enemy gang when buying Special Cargo or completing Vehicle Cargo missions. It can be stolen, but it cannot be stored in the player's garage.
Oversights[]
Grand Theft Auto Online[]
- After the Los Santos Tuners update, all the windows of the vehicle are unbreakable. Therefore, the vehicle's occupants are unable to get shot by normal bullets, just like the Kuruma (Armored). However, even with the doors open or off, the occupants cannot get shot.
- When using throwables, the player's hand phases through the windows.
- Gunshot holes do not show anywhere on the vehicle.
- These glitches were later fixed in The Contract update.
Radio Stations[]
- In Grand Theft Auto Online, the default radio stations are grouped by genre. The Kuruma uses the "Rap" group which can play:
- West Coast Classics
- Radio Los Santos
- The Lab
- Blonded Los Santos 97.8 FM (Enhanced Editions only. May not play due to a three station limit within the group)
- IFruit Radio (Enhanced Editions only. May not play due to a three station limit within the group)
Trivia[]
General[]
- Besides the meaning of "Car" in Japanese, "Kuruma" may also be a reference to the Toyota Camry, the bestselling midsize sedan in the United States, with "Camry" being an Anglicized phonetic transcription of the Japanese word kanmuri (冠, かんむり) for "crown". (Toyota has a naming tradition of using the word "crown" for primary models, starting with the Toyota Crown in 1955, continuing with the Toyota Corona and Toyota Corolla, the Latin words for "crown" and "small crown", respectively.)
- The Kuruma also exists as a car manufacturer in Midnight Club: Street Racing, another game published by Rockstar Games. It has one model called the Faasuto with 3 variants: The GR, GS, and GT.
- The Kuruma is referenced in an episode of crime drama NCIS where Agent Ziva David tells Agent Leroy Gibbs that a witness said the car was a "Kuruma". Agent Timothy McGee later explains to his confused superiors: "Kuruma is the name of a car in Grand Theft Auto III. It’s a Chrysler Sebring sedan." A video of the exchange can be found here.
3D Universe[]
The Kuruma featured in Manhunt 2. (Rear quarter view)
- The Kuruma also makes an appearance in Manhunt 2, another Rockstar North title set in the 3D Universe. This version is slightly different, featuring a narrow grille that runs underneath the front bonnet and a metal emblem that runs along the rear of the car on the boot.
- The Kuruma in GTA III has more spawn locations in Portland than anywhere else in the city, despite not appearing in traffic.
- The Kuruma in GTA III seems to lack any form of grille or other air intakes. Realistically, this car would constantly overheat (even if it has the hood scoop shown on the FBI Car in the mobile versions).
- In GTA Liberty City Stories, the Kuruma has the door sound of older cars, despite being a modern sedan. The same trait is also shared with the Yakuza Stinger and the Blista.
- The Kuruma was supposed to appear in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, but was cut during development. This is evidenced by an unused handling line found in the files, where it had the same performance traits as in GTA III.
Grand Theft Auto Online[]
- When opening the hood, the engine can be seen. However, when rolling the car over, there is no visible engine from the bottom, only an empty space and the "upper" side of the engine bay.
- The "Redwood Rally" livery is based on Tommi Mäkinen's Malboro Mitsubishi Lancer.
- The "Classic Rally Side Stripes" livery is based on the Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI Tommi Makinen edition.
- The "Disruption Logistics" livery is based on this Advan Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X rally car.
See Also[]
- FBI Car - FBI variant.
- Kuruma (Armored) - Armoured variant.