American Monstrosity.
European Monstrosity.
The Monstrosity, manufactured by Maibatsu Corporation (a parody of Mitsubishi, Daihatsu and Zaibatsu conglomerates in general), is a massive SUV (pickup in Europe) that is mentioned in Grand Theft Auto III and Grand Theft Auto IV.
Description
The Monstrosity is touted to be a monster truck sized SUV with an extraordinarily low MPG rating. (GTA III ads claim it only gets 3 miles to the gallon).
It remains to be seen whether the Monstrosity will make an appearance in future GTA games. The advertisement for the Monstrosity differed in the American and European handbooks; the American & Australian versions advertise a rebadged Landstalker, whereas the European advertisement depicts an RC monster truck based on a 1999-2004 Ford Super Duty F-250 regular cab with "Maibatsu Monstrosity" crudely photoshopped on the side. Either the RC Bandit in GTA Liberty City Stories or the Monster Truck From GTA San Andreas presumably is the closest in size and description to the European-depicted Monstrosity.
Interestingly, the SUV craze and the race to build the biggest vehicles was initiated by the Ford and General Motors, with the Ford Excursion and Chevrolet Suburban/GMC Yukon XL, respectively. However, Japanese automakers such as Toyota and Nissan have also produced full-sized SUVs. South Korean automaker SsangYong also makes a large, 11-passenger SUV, the Rodius. The popularity of the Maibatsu Monstrosity, could be more likely based on success of the Toyota Land Cruiser. The name "Monstrosity" could be a reference to the Mitsubishi Montero/Pajero.
Though it is not seen in any of the games, it is a focal point of radio ads, with many deriding it for its size, fuel consumption, the propensity for children to become lost in the back seat, and danger to pedestrians, as well as to the environment. For instance in Grand Theft Auto IV, a caller to the Conservative talk show The Richard Bastion Show on the radio station WKTT says that that America has a buffoon for a president, and that Americans drive incredibly large, polluting Maibatsu Monstrosities that destroy the environment, to which Bastion replies "I know! It's great!" The caller may be referring to the Landstalker.
A vehicle seen on GTA IV's in game TV is based on the Mitsubishi Montero. This may have been a beta Monstrosity that was cut.
Ads
The following is transcribed from a radio ad from Grand Theft Auto III.
Man: "I'm a marketing manager who lives in the suburbs and commutes to work on the highway. I live alone, so of course I needed a car that can seat 12 and is equipped to drive across arctic tundra...it just makes me feel better!"
Female announcer: "The new Maibatsu Monstrosity...mine's bigger!"
Woman: "Phil and I just had another kid. So of course we need a bigger SUV. Being a mom is hard, with soccer, football and lacrosse practice, so we bought the new Maibatsu Monstrosity. It's so big...we lost little Joey in the back and couldn't find him for and hour! When I'm rushing to the mall, or talking on my cell phone, I know me and my family are safe. The Maibatsu Monstrosity has 4- wheel drive, and in amphibious mode...it can cross rivers. So far I've only hit a few puddles, but it's good to know it's there. With the time I save taking shortcuts through the strip-mall parking lot I can focus on the important things. Like gazing longingly at the pool boy or...buying more exercise equipment off the TV. So what if it gets 3 miles to the gallon!? I'm a mom, not a conservationist!"
Female announcer: "The new Maibatsu Monstrosity...mine's bigger!!" [1]