Maibatsu Corporation

For the crime syndicate with a similar name, see Zaibatsu Corporation.

Type	BUSINESS
Maibatsu Corporation
Appears in	Grand Theft Auto III Grand Theft Auto:Vice City Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas Grand Theft Auto:Liberty City Stories Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories Grand Theft Auto IV Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars Grand Theft Auto V
BAWSAQ	MAI
Type	Vehicle manufacturer

“

A Japanese multinational conglomerate that manufactures cars, electronics, cruise missiles and just about every other product on the face of the planet. The definition of over-diversified.

”

— Description at Bawsaq.com.

The Maibatsu Corporation (Japanese Katakana: マイバツ) (BAWSAQ: MAI) is a Japanese multinational conglomerate that has appeared in every Grand Theft Auto game since Grand Theft Auto III, except for Grand Theft Auto Advance.

Overview

The player can buy stocks from them at the Bawsaq.com website in GTA V. The name "Maibatsu" is a portmanteau of Mitsubishi and Daihatsu, and is also similar in name to "Zaibatsu" (財閥), a Japanese term for a large conglomerate.

Appearances in games

• Grand Theft Auto III: Maibatsu has radio and print advertisements for the Monstrosity, a very large SUV (RC truck in European version) with extremely bad fuel efficiency (as low as 3 MPG).
• Grand Theft Auto: Vice City:
  • Maibatsu runs a sexually provocative ad on the radio to promote the Thunder.
  • There is an ad run by the lobby group Buy American Coalition which encourages consumers to purchase domestic cars out of patriotism (a reference to the US auto industry being threatened by the growing popularity of cheaper and more fuel efficient Japanese imports), although it concedes that the Maibatsu Thunder is cheaper and better than its domestic contemporaries.
  • On the talk radio station VCPR, Jonathan Freeloader announces Enviromental Week which is sponsored by Maibatsu and the Vice City Power Corporation.
• Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas: Maibatsu runs an ad on the radio encouraging parents to buy their kids cars instead of bicycles.
• Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories: Maibatsu runs an ad for the Womb, a minivan designed for men. It features a cooler for beer and a television on the dashboard among its features. The ad states that men can watch football, masturbate and be away from their wives in the Womb.
• Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories: In the Vice City Inquirer, the Buy American Coalition asks readers to "take a mallet to a Maibatsu today".
• Grand Theft Auto IV: The corporation is more blatantly based on Mitsubishi. Maibatsu now produces the Mule truck, Sanchez dirtbike, and Vincent sedan. In the WKTT in-game radio, a quick reference to the Maibatsu Monstrosity can be heard.
• Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars: Maibatsu doesn't make any notable appearance in Chinatown Wars aside from the presence of the Sanchez dirtbike.
• Grand Theft Auto V: Maibatsu now produces the Penumbra coupé and the Frogger helicopter, while the Mule truck and the Sanchez dirtbike from GTA IV are also present. There is a Maibatsu Motors Inc. factory in Vespucci Boulevard and Supply Street in East Los Santos.

Products

Although the Maibatsu Corporation is most famous for the vehicles it manufactures, Maibatsu also manufactures, amongst many other things, electronics and cruise missiles.

Vehicles

Vehicles in 3D Universe

Vehicle	Style	Based On (3D Universe)	Notes
Monstrosity	Full-size SUV/truck	Landstalker (American Version) Ford F250 regular cab (European Version)
Thunder	Sport compact	Unknown	Only depicted in advertisements; Not seen on the road
Womb	Minivan	Unknown	Only depicted in advertisements; Not seen on the road

Vehicles in HD Universe

Vehicle	Style	Based On (HD Universe)	Notes
Frogger	Helicopter	Eurocopter EC130	Includes the Lifeguard Frogger and the FIB Frogger
Mule	Cabover Box Truck	1994-2004 Isuzu Elf
Penumbra	Sport compact	2012 Mitsubishi Eclipse SE	Featured in GTA V
Sanchez	Dirtbike	Yamaha YZ450F
Vincent	Mid-size sedan	1996-2003 Mitsubishi Galant	Featured only in GTA IV

Gallery

An ad for the Maibatsu Monstrosity, a rebadged Dundreary Landstalker.

Maibatsu Factory in East Los Santos, San Andreas.

Vehicles

Maibatsu Frogger in GTA V.

Maibatsu Mule in GTA V.

Maibatsu Mule (Armored) in GTA Online.

Penumbra-GTAV-front.png

Maibatsu Penumbra in GTA V.

Maibatsu Sanchez in GTA V.

Maibatsu Vincent in GTA IV.

Trivia

• The "Maibatsu Corporation" is likely a nod to the Zaibatsu Corporation, a massive corporation that plays a large role in Grand Theft Auto 2.
• Maibatsu's description as an "over-diversified" company reflects Mitsubishi Group's incredibly diverse products, from cars (Mitsubishi Motors Corporation/MMC), heavy equipment (Mitsubishi Heavy Industries), aircraft, and home appliances.
• If you go to the Maibatsu Building in East Los Santos, you'll find A logo that is similar to DSM: which was an automobile-manufacturing joint venture between the Chrysler Corporation and Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (MMC). The name came from the parent companies' respective logos: three diamonds (Mitsubishi) and a pentastar (Chrysler).