Template:Infobox vehicles
The Esperanto is a two-door coupe available in Grand Theft Auto III, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, Grand Theft Auto Advance, Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories. In Grand Theft Auto IV, however, it is a four-door sedan. It is one of the most common cars in most of the games in which it appears.
Overview
The Esperanto made its first appearance in Grand Theft Auto III, and its design has remained almost exactly the same in the following games, with only minor styling changes (mostly to the taillights and rear bumper).
A modified variant (with official taxi ID plaques) is driven by Niko Bellic's cousin, Roman and is simply called Roman's Taxi when getting into that particular Esperanto. When free cab rides from Roman's garage are unlocked, an Esperanto will be sent to pick Niko up. It changes to a Cavalcade after Roman purchases a penthouse in Algonquin, fetching around $20,000+ at Stevie's. It can be obtained in Roman's missions after you complete them, you can steal the ones that Roman sends to you to pick you up however the doors are locked at first so either shoot the driver or get in as a passenger, go to a safehouse, then when Niko gets out, quickly get in front and aim a gun at Mohammed, he will freak out and leave the car, leaving you to kill him for his money (he usually carries some extra cash) or just let him run, and now that the door is open you can just jack it.
The Esperanto was one of the first cars to appear in any media in the run-up to GTA IV's release. It has often been mistakenly referred to as an "Albany" due to the fact that the word is conspicuously emblazoned on the grille. In actuality, Albany is the "make" of the car (other vehicles are seen with the Albany nameplate on their decklids and logos, such as the Primo), while Esperanto is the model. In GTA IV, after collecting all thirty cars for Stevie he agrees to purchase cars from Niko Bellic, with the Esperanto fetching $1,800.
Design
GTA IIIāGTA Vice City Stories
The GTA III era Esperanto is based on a 1975-1978 Cadillac Eldorado, more specifically the 1975 and 1976 models judging by the taillights. However, the vehicle has received significant changes throughout its appearances in these games.
When introduced in GTA III (and, later, in GTA Liberty City Stories), the Esperanto features a slightly curvy profile and flatter details. The GTA Vice City rendition (as well as the GTA Vice City Stories rendition) received a major retouch with the vehicle featuring a more angular body design, detailed fascia and rear fin that slant forward. GTA San Andreas' Esperanto is essentially similar in design as that of GTA Vice City, but noticeably sports differences in the rear, with its tailfin-based taillights reduced in height (implying they are now part of the rear bumper) and its rear license plate relocated from the trunk lid to the bumper. Similarly, the GTA Advance rendition maintains much of the physical traits of previous Esperanto's as seen from the top down.
One of the earliest known name of the car is the "Esparanto", revealed during development of GTA III and depicted in the Capital Autos website. The beta Esperanto was also intended to feature hydraulics, but the feature was dropped in the final release. This feature was passed to the Yardie Lobo however.
 The "Esparanto", a beta version of the Esperanto in GTA III.  GTA III (Rear quarter view).  GTA Vice City (Rear quarter view).  GTA San Andreas (Rear quarter view).  GTA Advance.  GTA Liberty City Stories (Rear quarter view).  GTA Vice City Stories (Rear quarter view). |
GTA IV
An Esperanto in GTA IV (Rear quarter view).
In Grand Theft Auto IV, the Albany Esperanto is very different to the earlier renditions. Rather than being a large two-door coupe, the new car is a mid-sized four-door sedan. Its styling inspiration appears to be a pastiche of common late-70s/early-80s American car styling. The bumpers, sides and bustle-back styling (a majority of the chassis) is based on the Lincoln Continental Mark VII, however, converted into a four door sedan. The grille and headlights are similar to a 1982/1983 Chevrolet Malibu (the shorter width of the
grille makes it look like a 1984-'85 Chevrolet Celebrity, but the Albany signature on the grille and flatter headlights are more like the Malibu); and the taillights seem based on a '80-'81 Pontiac Bonneville/'85-'86 Pontiac Parisienne, the reverse lights could also suggest some other luxury cars. The combined look seems to emulate an early Cadillac Seville as it is commonly mistaken for one.
Roman's Taxi is based on GTA IV's Esperanto.
Performance
GTA IIIāGTA Vice City Stories
Although performance aspects vary slightly between games for this vehicle, acceleration and speed are generally quite satisfying with the rear-drive V8 powertrain. The one common problem with the Esperanto, however, is its notoriously bad brakes - a problem that is only exacerbated by the vehicle's weight. Traveling at high speed it takes some time to bring the vehicle to a stop which, besides often causing minor accidents, becomes a potentially fatal problem in GTA III, where Claude is unable to jump from a moving vehicle, exposing him to serious danger in a fast-moving Esperanto about to explode. The car's handling is highly responsive, but again, the vehicle's size and weight cause problems, predisposing it to two-wheeling and loss of control when overcompensating for a swerve at high speeds. However, its huge mass absorbs damage quite well, making it a good vehicle for ramming smaller ones (and even comparably sized ones) off the road.
GTA IV
The Albany Esperanto is powered by a high-torque V8, paired with a 5 speed gearbox in RWD configuration. The low displacement and hefty weight of the vehicle make acceleration below average, but give the latest Esperanto an very slow top speed of 135 mph making it even slower than the Willard. Handling is also acceptable, though some oversteer can be felt. The suspension can be described as moderately firm, yet soft enough to cope with the rough streets of Liberty City. Braking has improved significantly over the GTA III-era Esperanto, though ABS is still not available. Crash deformation is very good, with the vehicle retaining much of its original shape after accidents; though build quality is rather poor, leaving the Esperanto disabled after a few accidents.
Trivia
- Esperant is French for Hoping and Catalan for Waiting.
- In Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories, no matter how many times you respray the Esperanto, there will always be a lining of brown dirt at the bottom of the vehicle.
- The Esperanto is one of the few cars that the Police will say the name over the radio when chasing you.
- The Esperanto's engine sound, along with any other vehicle that emits the same noise, bears similarity to the sound produced by the Jersey XS, a car based on the Dodge Viper found only in Midnight Club II
Modifications (GTA San Andreas)
- Color
- Wheels (ten types)
- Nitro (All)
- Bass Boost
- Hydraulics
Notable owners
- Ray Bulgarin owned a white Esperanto.
- Roman Bellic owned a fleet of black Esperanto's.
Locations
GTA III
- Parked by the Old School Hall in Chinatown, Portland.
- In the parking space by the Carson General Hospital in Rockford, Staunton Island.
GTA Vice City
- In the parking lot near the Moist Palms Hotel in Downtown.
- Ocassionally spawn in districts Little Haiti, Little Havana and Downtown.
GTA San Andreas
- There are no specific spawn locations but it can be seen driven around Easter Basin in San Fierro sometimes.
- Can also be found driving around Ganton, Idlewood and in Willowfield, Los Santos.
- Very common around Garcia, San Fierro when driving a Sabre, Clover or a Stallion.
- Can be found in Rockshore West.
GTA Liberty City Stories
- Can be found in an alley in front of the Sweeney General Hospital, near an Angel.
- Parked by the Old School Hall in Chinatown, Portland.
- Can be found on the parking lot of Marco's Bistro in Saint Mark's, Portland.
- Parked by the AMCo. gas station in Harwood, Portland.
GTA Vice City Stories
- Parked next to the derelict building across the northernmost empire building in Little Haiti.
GTA IV
- A black one is always available at Roman's Taxi Garage up until Roman's Sorrow has been completed.
- Most of the time there is one or more parked at The Triangle Club in Northern Gardens, Bohan.
- Can be found in pretty much anywhere in Broker in traffic.
- One can be found on Wenrohronon Ave. in Broker with a Marbelle, parked on the side of the road near a small construction site before the road ends. It also can be found there in multiplayer modes.
See also
- Roman's Taxi, a variant of the Esperanto in GTA IV.