Charting the 26-year evolution of my favorite Grand Theft Auto car, while keeping my fingers (and legs and toes) crossed it returns in GTA 6

During its whirlwind 91-second runtime, the GTA 6 trailer shows off a wide variety of vehicles, all of which are presumably driveable/rideable/steerable and/or sailable at some stage in the game. On dry land, we're shown glimpses of station wagons, 4x4s, muscle cars; rides inspired by the real world's Chevrolet and Impala brands, with gold rims and gravity-defying hydraulics; and a fine lineup of sports cars, many of which are convertibles, lining up outside what looks like a prestigious and exclusive Vice City nightclub. 

Among those kerbside crawlers are flashy numbers that mirror the likes of Lamborghini and Porsche – aka Pegassi and Pfister as they appear in-game – but one car that's notably absent (or, at least, one I've as-yet been unable to spot) is the Banshee. And while there are definitely better cars across the grand pantheon of Grand Theft Auto games, the Banshee is my absolute favorite – and it's also the longest-serving sports car across the 26-year-old series as a whole. 

Okay, so it wasn't officially named the Banshee until Grand Theft Auto 3 in 2001, but as a model that's closely copied real-world manufacturer Dodge, the Banshee's lineage extends right back to the first top-down GTA game of 1997. I want nothing more for the Banshee to reappear in GTA 6 – but until we can prove that either way, let's revisit the Banshee's timeline from last millennium right through to today.

Grand Theft Auto – Beast GTS

For anyone who played the original top-down Grand Theft Auto in or around 1997, the Beast GTS stood out like a beautiful sore thumb. Modeled to look like the real-world's Dodge Viper GTS, its blue, green and red colourways were complimented by two iconic 'go-faster' white stripes that ran across the length of the car. 

Speed and style were clearly prioritized over durability, but this one was so sought after, you'd pause whatever you were doing to track down (and steal, obviously) a Beast GTS at every opportunity.

GTA 2 - the Rumbler 

By the time GTA 2 rolled around in 1999, the Beast GTS was out – but the Rumbler was in. Another belter, this one modeled on the real-world 1997 Dodge Copperhead, the Rumbler wasn't as fast as its OG Grand Theft Auto counterpart, but it was as stylish. With similar twin-stripes it was equally easy to spot, and in lieu of speed, it handled so much better than its predecessor.

Grand Theft Auto 3 – the Dodge Viper-style Banshee 

In 2001, the Banshee arrived in earnest, marking both an evolution and amalgamation of the Beast GTS and Rumbler that paved the way before it. Of course, this was the first 3D iteration of the sports car – that came in blue and red, this time with a single white speed stripe – and it was a belter. Borrowing from a number of real-world cars, this convertible slant on the Banshee most closely reflected the first generation Dodge Viper RT/10. First housed inside the glazed showroom of 8-Ball's Auto Yard, you could swipe the Banshee by driving it straight through the window pane, Ferris Bueler's Day off-style.

GTA: Vice City – the Corvette-style Banshee 

Different from its Dodge-leaning inspirations up to this point, Vice City's Banshee took its lead from the real-world Corvette C4. With a twin-exhaust and pillarbox red coat, VC's Banshee was a safe pair of hands that was more than capable of outrunning the boys in blue. No speed stripe this time, but a great '80s take on the sports car all the same.

GTA: San Andreas – a return to the Dodge Viper 

Fast forward into the next decade, and the Banshee returned to its Dodge Viper-inspired roots by the time San Andreas rolled around in 2004. Just like GTA 3's Viper RT/10 stylings, the Banshee here took on a similar guise, with the optional addition of nitrous oxide which sent it flying.  As noted by the GTA Wiki, the San Andreas Banshee is one of the few cars that lets CJ kick the driver (as opposed to punching) before stealing their car.

Grand Theft Auto 4 – the Viper SR-meets-ZB Banshee 

The first Banshee to enter Grand Theft Auto's HD universe, GTA 4's Banshee was a mix of the real-world's second generation Dodge Viper SR, and the manufacturer's fourth generation Dodge Viper ZB. As we'd (I'd) become intimately familiar with by the time GTA 5 rolled around, this slant on the Banshee was the first to use the in-game Bravado manufacturer brand name. GTA 4's Banshee came in hardtop and soft-top variations, and I was a total sucker for the latter.

GTA 5 and GTA Online – Dodge Viper, inside and out

With the introduction of first-person mode in GTA 5 and GTA Online, this iteration of the Bravado Banshee takes its Dodge likeness to a whole new level. Now similar to the North American manufacturer's esteemed Viper outside and inside, the most recent Banshee includes vertically-aligned speedometers – a signature feature of modern real-world Dodge Vipers. With GTA 5 and GTA Online's extensive garage options, Banshees today can be equipped with spoilers, sports brakes, fancy engines, custom tires and novelty horns.

GTA 6 – ???

From the admittedly very little we've seen of GTA 6 so far, everything looks bigger, better and bolder than anything that's come before it. Will the same apply to the Bravado Banshee? I blooming well hope so. Watch this (parking) space! 

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