The Vapid Police Cruiser is a four-door police sedan appearing in Grand Theft Auto IV, Grand Theft Auto V and Grand Theft Auto Online.
Description
The Police Cruiser is one of the two main police cars used by the Liberty City Police Department in Grand Theft Auto IV and by the Los Santos Police Department in Grand Theft Auto V. The Police Cruiser is based on the Vapid Stanier, the first and second-generations in GTA IV and GTA V, respectively.
Design
Grand Theft Auto IV
The first generation Police Cruiser is heavily based on the 1992-1997 Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor, though some aspects such as the grille more closely resemble the 1998-2011 model. Much of the design is also inspired by the seventh generation Chevrolet Impala SS, particularly in the headlight design, grille structure and some of the side profile. The dashboard instrument cluster consists of a tachometer, speedometer, fuel gauge and temperature gauge. The front and back seat are separated by a plexiglass partition, similar to taxi cabs.
It shares its livery design with that used on the Police Patrol (based on that of the NYPD with its decals almost identical to those of the New York Police Department's vehicle). The Police Cruiser's chassis is also shared with Vapid's NOOSE Cruiser and Taxi.
The Police Cruiser does not appear as an obtainable nor controllable car in Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars (as the Police Patrol is the only police car in the game), but does occasionally surface as an aesthetic element of "busted" sequences, when a pre-rendered depiction of a modified Police Cruiser may be seen. The sequences only appears in the Nintendo DS version of the game, as in other versions, the busted cutscenes are different.
The vehicle also has a slick-top counterpart. While the version is only accessible with the use of mods or through the result of a spawning glitch, the model removes the external light-bar on the roof. This version lacks the lighting effects, yet still retains the siren in its usual form. The lack of its light bar makes it resemble real-life 1992 - 1997 NYPD Ford Crown Victoria slick-tops.
Grand Theft Auto V and Online
In Grand Theft Auto V and Grand Theft Auto Online, the Police Cruiser returns with a modernized and lighter appearance than the GTA IV rendition, based on a 1998-2011 Crown Victoria Police Interceptor. Although the second generation is only available for police use, the first version still remains in the game as a civilian car (namely the Stanier).
The Police Cruiser boasts a black and white livery with LSPD markings, and is available with either a LED emergency light bar similar to what is seen on the Interceptor and a rotating halogen incandescent one. The skin is modeled on the LAPD's iconic livery (obviously based on the Los Angeles Police Department's vehicles). The interior contains a police laptop “MDT”, shotgun/rifle mounts on the console, a radio, and a steel mesh partition that separates the front and back seats.
The vehicle may spawn with different registration and aerial identification numbers, shared with the other LSPD vehicles.
The second generation did not have a confirmed base name until the addition of the Stanier LE Cruiser in GTA Online, confirming this line of second generation sedans are named "Stanier LE". This is similar to the first generation model, which did not have a base name until the addition of the Stanier in GTA V.
Performance
Grand Theft Auto IV
The Police Cruiser's high-performance engine produces an impressive amount of torque off the line, and accelerates well. It has restricted amounts of RPM, however, the RPM is still rather high for the vehicle type, considering its weight. Also, the engine feels as if it runs out of steam before the transmission switches gear. It has a higher top speed than its Declasse-branded competitor, but will not get there faster than the latest Bravado offering.
The car's weakness lies in its poor suspension, as the car experiences incredible amounts of body roll and has a tendency to over steer off throttle. Stability is average at high speeds, but due to its very soft suspension the car does wallow and float about quite a bit. The car does appear to have some decent tires on it, however, which does help with improving the handling quality, if only just a bit.
Crash deformation is also average, and the suspension does not take very long to start meandering one way or the other. The engine is not fragile, but is certainly not the toughest to destroy in the game.
Grand Theft Auto V and Online
The GTA V and GTA Online Police Cruiser, now based on the 2nd-generation Stanier chassis, handles differently than its 1st-generation Stanier predecessor in GTA IV (the 1st-gen Stanier appears in GTA V as a civilian car). Its suspension has been heavily stiffened, making rollovers less likely on flat terrain compared to the previous generation vehicle, at the cost of some turning ability. It also seems to have slightly better acceleration than the old vehicle, but it is still nowhere near the capabilities of the new Police Interceptor (which also goes by the in-game name "Police Cruiser").
However, the Stanier-based Police Cruiser appears to be more strongly-built than the Police Interceptor, thanks to its body-on-frame construction affording more durability than the Interceptor's unibody monocoque. The Interceptor will take only a relative few high-speed impacts before then engine starts to smoke, and also suffers from wheel locking after a decent quarter impact. The Stanier's engine is more durable, plus it takes a much harder crash to bend the front axle to the point that the wheel locks.
Overall, the Police Cruiser is a decent choice for a pursuit car as it is sturdy and stable enough to withstand multiple impacts while remaining controllable, and possesses good traction.
Variants
| Image | Vehicle | Description | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Special variants | |||
 The wrecked Police Cruiser in The Ballad of Gay Tony |
Police Cruiser (wreck) | Wrecked prop variant of the Police Cruiser appearing during I Luv LC in The Ballad of Gay Tony. | |
Gallery
Design
Grand Theft Auto IV
Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars
Grand Theft Auto V
Official Screenshots
Grand Theft Auto Online
Locations
Grand Theft Auto IV
- Found at any police station across all four boroughs. Either the Police Cruiser or Police Patrol may spawn.
- Can be found commonly driving through streets, often in Algonquin.
- Can be obtained by calling 911, then selecting "Police" in the Mobile Phone, one will arrive shortly after calling.
- Can be found forming road-blocks when each borough is locked to the player, however, a 6-Star wanted level will be gained upon entry.
- Pursuing the protagonists at wanted levels, from one star and above (although the higher its presence will be decreased in favour of other high-level police vehicles).
- A significant amount of Police Cruisers may spawn in the rear parking lot of the Francis International Airport Police Station, more so than any other police station in the game.
- Rarely parked outside the Schottler Medical Center.
Grand Theft Auto Chinatown Wars
- Found at most police stations throughout Liberty City, but not every station has them.
- Can be found patrolling the streets throughout the city.
- Can occasionally be found pursuing an NPC through the city. Once the NPC vehicle is disabled, a police officer will exit the cruiser and kill the NPC.
- Found whenever the player has a wanted rating.
- Appears in multiple missions, including Yu Jian, Pursuit Farce, and Tricks of the Triad.
Grand Theft Auto V
- Found at most police stations across Los Santos.
- One is parked at the NOOSE Branch in Los Santos International Airport.
- Seen responding in the mission The Long Stretch.
- Seen in an Amanda side mission, where Amanda has been arrested, and is put in the back of one.
- Seen responding to the tragedy in the mission The Bureau Raid.
- One can sometimes be found parked at the Paleto Bay Sheriff's Office.
- Almost always spawns in La Mesa Police Station parking lot.
- Occasionally seen patrolling around Mission Row or Legion Square, not so far from the Mission Row Police Station.
Grand Theft Auto Online
NOTE: Due to an insignificant amount of available research, the accuracy of the following locations is limited.
- Rarely spawns at the Mission Row Police Station in free roam.
- Rarely spawns at the Los Santos International Airport NOOSE station, though the ambient settings must meet two requirements:
- The weather must be raining or clearing.
- The time must be between 10 pm and 2 am.
- Also, the player must have a 2 star wanted level, and preferably should enter the airport via Davis Avenue whilst losing the 2 star wanted level. The player should also be in a land vehicle for it to spawn successfully.
- Rarely spawns on the Del Perro Pier, where it will be parked under an awning outside a police station. The time must be around 8 pm.
- After finishing the Pacific Standard - Vans Heist Setup, immediately heading to the La Mesa Police Station may result in Police Cruisers spawning in both parking lots.
- Note that once a Police Cruiser is obtained in GTA Online, it can be used as a seed to spawn more Police Cruisers at any police station in Los Santos.
- Spawns during the Motorcycle Club challenge "Criminal Mischief" that can be initiated by the President. The cruiser will appear marked with a red shield icon on the mini-map, which gives more points for melee hitting it during the challenge. It can be jacked.
Prominent Appearances in Gameplay
Grand Theft Auto IV
Main article: Most Wanted
In GTA IV, the majority of police vehicles are fitted with Police Computers, which can be accessed by pressing the L1 button (PlayStation 3), the LB button (Xbox 360), or the E key (PC), which lets Niko perform the vigilante side-mission, hence search for the most wanted criminals, monitor recent crimes in the area, search the police records and call for backup. Note that the latter feature is exclusive to GTA IV, and as such, mini-games cannot be played in The Lost and Damned nor The Ballad of Gay Tony.
Grand Theft Auto Chinatown Wars
Main article: Vigilante
In GTA Chinatown Wars, all police vehicles are equipped with police computers, which allow the player to access vigilante missions.
Rewards
Grand Theft Auto IV
- The Police Cruiser gives the player a Combat Shotgun upon entry.
Grand Theft Auto V and Online
- The Police Cruiser gives the player a Pump Shotgun upon entry.
Rockstar Games Social Club
Grand Theft Auto V and Online
Oversights
Grand Theft Auto IV
- From a distance, the Police Cruiser's wheels will not be correctly mirrored on the right-hand side of the vehicle, causing the inside of the wheel to be shown, even on the vehicle's highest level of detail model.
- A bug exists in GTA IV where a fixed police car can be driven with a distorted siren, requiring the "repair car cheat," or, in multiplayer, a health kit. However, if the player turns off the siren while it is like this, then turns it back on, it will return to normal. It will also return to normal if the player attempts to use a secondary siren.
Grand Theft Auto V
- The bonnet's plastic trim leading off the grille is slightly asymmetrical, where the passenger side of the trim leads further back compared to the driver side. This also applies to all other uses of the second generation Stanier; the Sheriff's Cruiser, Unmarked Cruiser and Taxi.
- The "Obey & Survive" decal on the driver-side of the car is slightly misplaced, where the second " is cut off and the second letter "e" is slightly cut off as well. The vehicle also lacks the word "Police" anywhere on the vehicle.
- During The Good Husband, Amanda is arrested by the police and placed inside a Police Cruiser, and Michael has the option to help her. The Police Cruiser will spawn with the colored light filters flipped upward, giving the lightbar an odd appearance.
- In the enhanced version, the vehicle spawns with no lightbar, making it a slicktop unit.
Specifications
Model
| Model name | Texture name | Handling name | Text label name | In-game name | Swankness | Flags | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GTA IV | police
|
police
|
POLICE
|
POLICE
|
Police Cruiser | 2
|
|
| GTA V and Online | police
|
police
|
POLICE
|
POLICE
|
Police Cruiser | 1
|
|
Population
| Groups | Scenario sets | Frequency (%) | Driver model | License plates | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GTA IV | Cops |
N/A | 100 | N/A | |
| GTA V and Online | Cop Car |
|
100 | S_M_Y_Cop_01 | Police/Government Plate - 100% |
Handling
| Max velocity (kmh / mph) | Gears | Engine type | Drivetrain | Mass (kg / lbs) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GTA IV | 150 / 93 | 5 | N/A | RWD | 1700 / 3740 |
| GTA V and Online | 145 / 89.9 | 5 | N/A | RWD | 1400 / 3080 |
Audio
| Horns | Engine | Exhaust | Police scanner | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Model | Category | Color | ||||
| GTA IV | |
|
|
N/A | |||
| GTA V and Online | horn_list_saloon
|
saloon_7_us_v8_engine_accel
|
saloon_7_us_v8_exhaust_accel
|
Vapid | Police car | Police car | None |
Language
| English | Chinese (Traditional) | Chinese (Simplified) | French | German | Italian | Japanese | Korean | Mexican | Polish | Portuguese | Russian | Spanish | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GTA V and Online | Police Cruiser | 警用巡邏車 | 警用巡逻车 | Police Cruiser | Streifenwagen | Cruiser polizia | ポリス・クルーザー | 경찰 크루저 | Patrulla de la policía | Policyjny Cruiser | Cruiser policial | Полицейский Cruiser | Patrulla de la policía |
Cut Content
Grand Theft Auto IV
- In the GTA IV Beta, the Police Cruiser had a registration number on the trunk, instead of LCPD lettering.
Grand Theft Auto V and Online
- The Police Cruiser in the first GTA V trailer is the GTA IV model, bearing the LSPD livery.
- The same model with LED lights can be seen in the TV show Jack Howitzer, in the scene where Jack is arrested by the police.
- The beta version of the Police Cruiser has the style of an actual LAPD cruiser with the word "police" being present on the car.
- In the beta version of the game, the Police Cruiser most likely used the GTA IV police siren. This siren sound remains unused in the game.
- Similar to the Sheriff Cruiser and the Sheriff SUV, various pre-release screenshots depict the Police Cruiser with its blue lights on the left and red lights on the right.
- Similarly, the Social Club job image of the mission Pack Man depicts the Police Cruiser with the inverted pattern (even though the vehicle itself does not make an appearance in the final release).
Trivia
- Like other emergency vehicles with roof-mounted strobe lights, the Police Cruiser's siren will malfunction by wailing in random, distorted pitches if the strobe light housing is significantly damaged by gunfire, falling objects, or rolling of the vehicle. The second and third sirens noises are also disabled, leaving the car with only the malfunctioning siren noise.
- On the GTA IV DVD case, a Police Cruiser can be seen. However, the Police Cruiser on the case has the headlights and front bumper of a 1998–2011 Crown Victoria, when compared to the in-game model. The same applies to the GTA V DVD case.
- The fact that the Police Cruiser and the civilian version are not used very often in GTA V could be explained by the fact that real-life Crown Victorias have not been produced since 2011, with retail sales being discontinued in 2008. However, the Sheriff Cruiser remains the most used car by the LSSD in-game, much like how the Crown Victoria is a very common staple in the real life LASD fleet, and the Crown Victoria was still the most widely used vehicle by the real-life LAPD at the launch of the game. The car has mostly been replaced after a few years, but not by the Ford Police Interceptor Sedan, but rather by the Ford Police Interceptor Utility, based on the Ford Explorer, although many Ford Crown Victorias remain in service and are a more common sight than Taurus-based vehicles in reality. However, outside of scripted appearances, the Police Crusier will rarely respond to crimes committed by the player.
See Also
- Stanier - Civilian and base counterpart.
- NOOSE Cruiser, Sheriff Cruiser, Stanier LE Cruiser and Unmarked Cruiser - Other emergency service counterparts.
- Taxi - A Stanier-based vehicle sharing the same design.
- Police Patrol - Declasse counterpart in Grand Theft Auto IV and Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars.