A Buffalo in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (Rear quarter view).
The Buffalo is a muscle car which appears in different forms in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, as well as Grand Theft Auto IV and The Ballad of Gay Tony.
Description
GTA San Andreas
The Buffalo in GTA San Andreas appears to based on the third-generation Chevrolet Camaro. Even though it is clearly based on a 1982-1992 Camaro, it has been changed quite a bit. The headlights are circular, coincidentally similar to a 1994-2001 Acura Integra; a C-pillar has been added, bearing somewhat of a resemblance to 1984–1993 Dodge Daytonas; and the shape taillights look closer to some third-generation Pontiac Firebird models. The Buffalo also has a ram air hood. Surprisingly, the Buffalo handles well off-road.
GTA IV — The Ballad of Gay Tony
In GTA IV and its DLCs, the Bravado Buffalo is a four-door sports sedan based on the 2006—present Dodge Charger with a front bearing subtle similarities to a 2005–2009 Ford Mustang. When GTA IV was originally released, the game's rendition of the Buffalo had not been made available as a civilian model, despite numerous billboards advertising the car in Liberty City (most prominently at the end of the Dukes Boulevard Station line in Steinway, Dukes). Rather, the vehicle is initially depicted as a law enforcement vehicle for the Federal Investigation Bureau, dubbed the FIB Buffalo. The civilian Buffalo is featured as an added vehicle in The Ballad of Gay Tony, the second downloadable episode for GTA IV.
The law enforcement model is taken from the base model of the Police Package Charger as it is powered by a V6 engine, similar to the Police Patrol. Both variants have a stock body kit and plain black wheels with chrome centercaps. The FIB variant features 2 sets of emergency lights mounted on its grill and rear windshield whereas the LCPD variant has a front pushbar and V-lightbar on its roof, similar to its Declasse and Vapid counterparts.
In The Ballad of Gay Tony, the civilian model of the Buffalo is based on the SRT-8 version of the Charger, and features a performance body kit that includes larger exhaust ports, sport rims, bumpers, and side skirts, however the Buffalo lacks the rear spoiler and hood scoop found on the SRT-8 model.
 While absent in GTA IV, a billboard advertises the civilian variant of the Buffalo. On closer inspection, the pictured Buffalo features grill-mounted lights from an FIB Buffalo.  A Buffalo in The Ballad of Gay Tony (Rear quarter view). |
Performance
GTA San Andreas
In GTA San Andreas, the car is front-engine, rear-drive, and sports a V8 engine that delivers great acceleration and speed, but comes at the cost of limited control at top speeds and unstable cornering. It is also a two-door vehicle, making it unsuitable for drive-bys as the player can only have one recruit to go along with him.
The Ballad of Gay Tony
The Buffalo's raw performance in TBOGT is considerably good for a four-door sedan, courtesy of its high displacement supercharged V8 engine, and may even be superior to its law enforcement variants. As expected, the car is capable of good acceleration and an excellent top speed of 160 km/h (100 mph), but is also lighter than the law enforcement Buffalo's, allowing the car to corner and brake better. While the car is still prone to burnouts after certain moments of cornering, the car grip on the road is equally excellent. Another minor quirk is its tendency to ignite unburnt fuel at the exhaust pipes during throttle liftoff after high revving, a common quirk with the Banshee and the Sultan RS. Due to it being a front-engined car, the Buffalo is highly vulnerable to frontal and engine damage.
Modifications (GTA San Andreas)
- Color
- Nitro (2X & 10X only)
- Wheels
- Hydraulics
Trivia
- The Buffalo plays the following radio stations by default when entered:
- Radio X in GTA San Andreas.
- San Juan Sounds in The Ballad of Gay Tony.
- In GTA IV, the Buffalo shown in billboards has a large Bravado logo within its grille, unlike the FIB Buffalo or the civilian Buffalo which have a small logo above the grille. Interestingly, the billboard Buffalo also retains the police lights found on the FIB variant.
- In The Ballad of Gay Tony, the most notable time you can find one is during the mission Bang Bang.
- In The Ballad of Gay Tony, Mori has a unique bright red Buffalo.
- It is Believed that Gay Tony's boyfriend, Evan, drives a Buffalo, as in the mission Bang Bang's opening cutscene Evan is at Tony's loft, and a the beginning of the mission, you can choose between driving the Buffalo or Tony's Schafter.
- If the player take a Buffalo to a Pay 'n' Spray too many times it will turn a unique, dark brown colour. This colour will then be permanent, and no amount of subsequent resprays will change it. This is most likely a glitch, as almost every other car in the game will continually cycle through its available colours each time you visit a Pay N' Spray. The exceptions are the Dukes, the Infernus and the PMP 600, which all suffer from similar glitches.
- In The Ballad of Gay Tony, the civilian Buffalo has a very similar horn to the Brickade.
- The Buffalo is one of the few vehicles that got lowered before coming toGrand Theft Auto IV.
- The Buffalo appears in the Drug Wars where it is used to escort drugs, These have special paintjobs at some times.
Locations
GTA San Andreas
- Beside Catalina's Hideout at Fern Ridge, Red County.
- During the mission Misappropriation
- Available to export the Import/Export dock in Easter Basin, San Fierro every Friday after completing export lists/ Cost: $28,000
- A unique white Buffalo with a license plate reading "PULASKI" is driven by Eddie Pulaski in the mission High Noon. If the player destroys it during the mission, it re-appears when they get the "mission passed" message.
- In traffic at Juniper Hill, San Fierro
The Ballad of Gay Tony
- If the player is hijacking a boat during the Drug Wars he will be required to bring it to the docks in the northernmost part of Algonquin (in Northwood). The Buffalo will be right in front of the player after he delivers the boat and he is at the top of the stairs. It is also found there when you have to steal a helicopter and bring it to the same location.
- It can mostly be found anywhere as it is a common car, but it is most common in Algonquin and Alderney.
- A phone call to Henrique.
See also
- Ruiner, a similar car that fills the 1980s muscle car slot of the GTA San Andreas Buffalo.