You can always rent a car for free at a Parking Terminal, but rentals can’t be modded. Owning a car needs a house: research it in Lenny’s Tree, buy the key on the Trade Laptop, put the key in your key locker. Seven cars run from the $180,000 Longhorn Van to the $10,000,000 Buletti Soltempra, and an owned car survives your death with its mods.
Free rentals
- If you have no active vehicle, any Parking Terminal (the parking meter) gives you one for free.
- Rentals can’t take mods.
- When you get your own car, the rental is recalled and its trunk contents drop to the ground. Empty it first.
- Changing a car’s skin also resets its trunk contents.
Owning a car
- Get a plot and a house (or a garage). Without one you are limited to rentals.
- Research the car in Lenny’s Tree under Vehicles.
- Buy its key on the Trade Laptop. Expensive cars need a higher vendor tier, which means a higher-level district.
- Put the key in the key locker. The car appears in your garage.
Car keys also drop as loot, and a key sells to a Fence for about 40% of the car’s price.
Cars
| Car | Class | Speed | Accel. | Handling | Trunk rows (+slots) | Cargo (+slots) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fukurou Tensa | Compact | 30 | 40 | 30 | 2 (+1) | 1 (+1) |
| Longhorn Van | Van | 30 | 20 | 30 | 8 (+2) | 6 (+3) |
| Royal E | Sedan | 62 | 70 | 50 | 3 (+1) | 2 (+1) |
| Longhorn Titan | SUV | 55 | 45 | 60 | 6 (+2) | 6 (+1) |
| Royal J | Crossover | 65 | 85 | 60 | 6 (+3) | 4 (+2) |
| Longhorn Wild | Muscle | 75 | 90 | 20 | 3 (+1) | 1 (+1) |
| Buletti Soltempra | Supercar | 90 | 95 | 40 | 2 (+1) | 0 (+0) |
The number in brackets is how many upgrade slots the car has for trunk or cargo mods.
| Car | Rarity | Research | Key price | Tier | Unlocks after |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fukurou Tensa | Uncommon | $50,000 | $200,000 | I | — |
| Longhorn Van | Uncommon | $50,000 | $180,000 | I | — |
| Royal E | Epic | $200,000 | $1,000,000 | II | Fukurou Tensa |
| Longhorn Titan | Epic | $200,000 | $900,000 | II | Longhorn Van |
| Royal J | Legendary | $500,000 | $4,000,000 | III | Longhorn Titan |
| Longhorn Wild | Legendary | $500,000 | $4,500,000 | III | Royal E |
| Buletti Soltempra | Exotic | $2,000,000 | $10,000,000 | III | Longhorn Wild |
The Buletti can’t carry cargo at all, even with upgrades (4 Nov patch). An exhibition Buletti also sits in the Grand Hotel; stealing it needs a Jammer, which isn’t obtainable yet.
Unlock chains
| Branch start | Cars | Mods unlocked along the way |
|---|---|---|
| Fukurou Tensa | → Royal E → Longhorn Wild → Buletti Soltempra | ECU line, Steering Rack line, Intercooler line; Turbo Kit after Royal E |
| Longhorn Van | → Longhorn Titan → Royal J | Trunk Bags line; Cargo Rack and car Police Radio after Titan |
| Romanov R8 | No prerequisite | Needs a Highlands base and a Helipad |
Mods
Open the hood (or trunk, or underbody), drag the part into a matching slot, and check the key card for the new stats. You swap mods at a city auto repair shop, or at home with a Car Lift. Each part unlocks in the tree after its car.
| Stat | Part | Research | Price | Tier |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Top speed | ECU | $30,000 | $14,000 | I |
| Top speed | Improved ECU | $160,000 | $75,000 | II |
| Top speed | High-performance ECU | $260,000 | $330,000 | III |
| Acceleration | Turbo Kit | $110,000 | $79,500 | II |
| Acceleration | Improved Turbo Kit | $210,000 | $238,000 | III |
| Acceleration | Intercooler | $120,000 | $72,000 | II |
| Acceleration | Improved Intercooler | $200,000 | $270,000 | III |
| Handling | Steering Rack | $100,000 | $68,000 | II |
| Handling | Reinforced Steering Rack | $220,000 | $270,000 | III |
| Handling | Racing Rotor | $100,000 (75-year sentence) | $61,500 | II |
| Trunk +1 row | Trunk Bags | $20,000 | $1,200 | I |
| Trunk +2 rows | Large Trunk Bags | $130,000 | $70,500 | II |
| Trunk +3 rows | Spacious Trunk Bags | $220,000 | $270,000 | III |
| Cargo +1 slot | Cargo Rack | $150,000 | $86,500 | II |
| Cargo +2 slots | Reinforced Cargo Rack | $250,000 | $350,000 | III |
| Utility | Police Radio (car) | $200,000 (275-year sentence) | $300,000 | III |
The car Police Radio tracks nearby patrol cars and the collision feed, and it is not lost on death. A Brake Rotor exists as loot. There is no nitro item, and painting is done with skins only.
Cargo math
Cargo slots matter more than speed if you haul. The best hauler is a Longhorn Van with three Reinforced Cargo Racks: 6 + 3 × 2 = 12 cargo.
| Car | Base cargo | Max with Reinforced Cargo Racks |
|---|---|---|
| Longhorn Van | 6 | 12 |
| Royal J | 4 | 8 |
| Longhorn Titan | 6 | 8 |
| Royal E | 2 | 4 |
| Fukurou Tensa | 1 | 3 |
| Longhorn Wild | 1 | 3 |
| Buletti Soltempra | 0 | 0 |
The helicopter
| Stat | Romanov R8 |
|---|---|
| Top speed | 75 |
| Handling | 30 |
| Climb / descent | 35 / 15 |
| Ceiling (soft / hard) | 175 / 210 |
| Research | $2,000,000 |
| Price | $10,000,000 (tier III) |
You can only buy the Romanov R8 with a base in the central Highlands district, though it also turns up as loot. It needs a Helipad (research $200,000, price $500,000, tier II) and it can fly over the city and over base fences.
Losing a car
| Situation | What happens |
|---|---|
| You die | Owned car stays, with its mods |
| Someone lockpicks the trunk | They can take the trunk contents. Works on any car, including cop cars. |
| Your base is evicted | Parked cars go to the raider. This is the only way to lose an owned car to a player. |
| Federal Raid | All cars are confiscated |
Related
Longhorn VanRoyal JBuletti SoltempraRomanov R8Reinforced Cargo RackHigh-performance ECUCar LiftLockpick
From the FAQ
- How do I buy a car?
- I bought a car but it doesn't appear. Why?
- What cars are there and how much do they cost?
- Which car is best for hauling cargo?
- What's the fastest car?
- Do I lose my car when I die?
- What happens to my rental when I get my own car?
- How do I get a helicopter?
- Can my car be stolen?