The Bravado Banshee is a two-door sports car with one of the longest runs in the series, appearing in Grand Theft Auto IV, V, and Online after originating in the 3D Universe, and it is due to appear in Grand Theft Auto VI. In its HD-era form the car is styled to resemble the Dodge Viper, and it shares longevity honors with the Infernus among the franchise's sports cars.
Vice City Trailer Sightings
The Banshee appears at a Vice City intersection at 1:07 in the first Grand Theft Auto VI trailer. Its exterior there looks largely carried over from Grand Theft Auto V and Online.
It appears again in the second trailer. That showing adds front indicator lamps and gives the cabin a redesigned look based more closely on the real vehicle behind the model. These trailer appearances place the Bravado sports car in the Vice City region.
Dodge Viper Design Roots
The HD-era Banshee draws chiefly from the Dodge Viper SR II, but uses a V8 rather than the Viper’s V10. Its short roof and side-exit exhaust treatment also reflect the Dodge Viper ZB I.
Other details come from several cars. The headlamp treatment resembles modified third-generation Mazda RX-7 lamps, while the front bumper has cues from the Honda S2000 AP2. The rear lamps echo the Aston Martin DB9, though the Banshee substitutes an integrated reversing light for the DB9-style painted divider. Its earlier interior took inspiration from the Mk IV Toyota Supra; the GTA V enhanced edition used a cabin close to the Viper’s, including vertically arranged gauges.
Changes Between Game Appearances
The Banshee’s Grand Theft Auto IV form retained the broad outline of its Grand Theft Auto III predecessor but added more realistic detailing. It has a front-hinged hood with side clamps, a deep front intake and splitter, hood-mounted mirrors, curved side pipes, a small rear lip, and a rear diffuser.
Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars used two markedly different versions: the DS release depicted it closer to the Phoenix or the Vice City-era Banshee, while the PSP and iOS release followed the GTA IV design and always wore two white stripes. GTA V and Online retained the GTA IV body, but GTA V examples consistently used the vented hood; the enhanced edition also restored a more detailed interior.
Handling, Rivals and Classification
In GTA IV, the rear-wheel-drive Banshee used a twin-turbo 4.9-litre V8 and five-speed transmission. Its listed top speed was 99 mph, while its acceleration placed it alongside cars such as the Super GT, Turismo and Comet. Strong brakes and standard ABS helped it stop quickly, but firm, low suspension could strike curbs and its rear tires could break loose during fast turns.
GTA V gave it stronger acceleration and a higher claimed top speed, while retaining a back-heavy balance and poor grip in quick corners. Legendary Motorsport described an 8.4-litre carbureted V8, and Southern San Andreas Super Autos listed 3.7 seconds from 0–60 mph and 140 mph; an enhanced-edition speedometer indicated an unmodified example reached about 110 mph. Despite its performance, it was not treated as a supercar in online race categories. In GTA V and Online it belongs to the Sports class.
Roofs, Stripes and Upgrades
Earlier Banshees could appear with a hard roof, chrome roll hoops, or a vented hood, and could use either one paint colour or a secondary-colour stripe. Hard-roof examples lacked windows, making entry easier, although opening the door triggered an alarm. Ten-spoke split wheels and low-profile tires were standard visual features.
The GTA V and Online Banshee sold through Legendary Motorsport for $105,000, and it could also be bought from Benny’s Original Motor Works at that price. The Criminal Enterprise Starter Pack made it free through Legendary Motorsport. Benny’s conversion options were limited to enhanced versions, while Hao’s Special Works offered a $1,840,000 conversion at the LS Car Meet on Expanded and Enhanced editions. Selecting the No Roof modification removed window availability.
Vehicle data via GTA Wiki (Fandom), CC BY-SA 3.0.
