Kuruma GTA Car History

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Syed Arham

A computer geek at heart, Arham spends his day losing games in Dota 2, switching things up to GTA Online, where he can take out his frustrations with fast cars and guns aplenty, and when he's not gaming, he's usually writing guides for fellow gaming enthusiasts.

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Rockstar Games does make sure to bring back some classic legends from the golden days of GTA. It didn’t matter if the cars were all beat up or janky; for me, they still had their unique charm. As such, the nostalgia surrounding those old-school cars made me appreciate the Kuruma all the more when Rockstar brought it back in GTA V.

Today’s guide is dedicated to Kuruma and the rich history behind it. So let’s get right into it!

Kuruma Overview

For starters, the Kuruma is your average four-door sedan that’s manufactured by a company that goes by the name Karin. You can easily get your hands on the four-door Kuruma from the Southern San Andreas Autos Store in GTA V. They’ve also got a little description for the car that goes:

“The perfect car to go with your flesh tunnel earrings, frosted spikes, and oversize jeans. Buy this, and you’ll never fail to be mistaken for a small-town drug dealer again.” – Southern San Andreas Auto Store

I can not be the only one who snickered at the sarcasm here, right?

Where to Get the Kuruma in GTA 3

It’s common to find the Kuruma in GTA 3 and shouldn’t be a problem, but we’ve still got you covered if you take the short bus to school. The car can be found in the following places:

1. A typical sight in the traffic in Shoreside Vale and Staunton Island.
2. Hepburn Heights, Portland Island, parking lot for Head Radio Studio.
3. Parked in Greasy Joe’s Café’s parking lot at Callahan Point, Portland Island.
4. Parked in the Portland Docks, Portland Harbor, and Portland Island parking lot.
5. Found at St. Mark’s, Portland Island, Momma’s Restaurant parking lot.
6. Portland Island, Harwood, and Capital Autos.
7. Found near Bedford Point’s Liberty Tree car lot near Staunton Island.
8. Found in a car park, in close proximity to the apartments, right next to Wichita Gardens, Shoreside Vale.

Where to Get the Kuruma in GTA LCS

If I recall correctly, the Kuruma, albeit not as prevalent in Liberty City Stories, normally spawns in all three islands. Other than that, it can be found in the following places:

1. You can easily find the Kuruma outside of Vincenzo’s warehouse near the Atlantic Quays in the vicinity of Portland Island.
2. You can also find a Kuruma over at Saint Mark’s, where Salvatore gets a shipment of drugs that you get to pick up from the Mafia.
3. You can also get the Kurma over at Capital Autos, Harwood, Portland Island, but you have to make sure to become a Car Salesman level 4.

Where to Get the Kuruma in GTA Online

Gone are the days when you had to track down and find some nice wheels. Now, you must purchase cars with money or real-life money via shark cards!

1. You can get your hands on the Kuruma over at the Southern San Andreas Super Autos for a measly 95,000 dollars after you’re done with the Fleeca Job.
2. If you haven’t completed the Fleeca Job and it’s past the Cunnings Stunts, Special Vehicle Circuit update, you can now purchase the vehicle for a full price of 126,000 dollars. I bet the extra price is for not doing the heist – it’s the only logical explanation, right?
3. You can get your hands on the Armored Kuruma for a total of around 698,000 dollars. Trust me, it’s the best deal you can get for a Kuruma, and the invulnerability is pretty much worth it.

GTA 3

Now, let’s take a look at the initial design aspects and language of the first iteration of the Kuruma.

Similarities to Real-Life Cars

The car has been greatly influenced by Chrysler somewhere in the mid of 2001-2006, specifically drawing inspiration from the Chrysal Sebring Sedan and the 300M.

I was a kid at the time, so learning of this later really blew my mind! Other than that, the trunk of the vehicle tends to rest a bit above as compared to the beltline, similar to the predecessor of the Sebring, the Chrysler Cirrus. 

Design

I’m no expert but even I can tell that, despite the Japanese name, the Kurma does not have any Japanese aesthetics or design elements to it at all except for a few features. For instance, the car’s front-end hubcaps bear a bit of resemblance to the fifth generation of the Honda Civic. It’s important to note that the car spawned in different colors in the game, so finding one that suited a player wasn’t difficult.

Liberty City Stories

Kuruma made sure to return to the spin-off series that I particularly love (perhaps more than the average fan), which goes by the name of Liberty City Stories. But this time, it had a few cosmetic changes made to it to amp it up a bit.

Similarities to Real-Life Cars

I was surprised to learn that the car looks somewhat like the Nissan Altima, back from my parent’s 1997-2000 era. It also features a heck ton of styling cues from other real-life cars such as the Hyundai Elantra that ran from 1995-2000. 

Design

Rockstar really went the extra mile to make this Kuruma look like a Japanese vehicle that popped up sometime in the 90s. While the car is mediocre at best, I don’t deny that the developers nailed the design to make it look like A Japanese Poor Man’s car – I don’t know about you but that’s quite classical in my books!

If you’re not satisfied with its native design, remember that you can spray paint the bumpers as well as the trim of the body to give it a better and cleaner upscale look. Apart from that, you can also find models with uncolored bumpers and trims, especially if the car features stock silver or monotone colors.

Grand Theft Auto Online

After a decade or so, the Kuruma makes a return to the big screen once again in GTA Online, and this time, it looks like a real JDM Sports Car with a lot of oomph to it. Of course, you can tell how ecstatic I am to see it again – it’s better than ever and I take pride in being a huge fan from the get-go!

Similarities to Real-Life Cars

Let me tell you this isn’t your average poor man’s car anymore, as the Kuruma has gotten an entire revamp to the point of presenting itself as a sports car for the first time. It looks similar to one of the hottest legendary sports cars that ranks in my top five, the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X. 

But the design inspirations don’t stop there, as the car also hones in inspiration from the 2015-2016 Subaru WRX STi for the car’s hood scoop. Rockstar definitely mashed together one of the most iconic sports cars ever built to recreate the Kuruma, and I’m not even mad about it!

Design

Front-View

Moving towards the front of the car, you see a trapezium-shaped grille with chrome trim towards the outer edges. The car also features wide plastic separations towards the undersides of the grille. Let’s not forget those sharp pointy ends which align with the body-colored portions next to it that genuinely give the Kuruma that aggressive look.

Furthermore, we’ve got the intakes, and just right next to them, there are plastic trims along with circular fog lamps and a few LED Strips just right above these portions of the vehicle. If you look above the upper grille, you’ll witness a pair of headlamps with some turn signal strips surrounding the chrome trimmings. 

Side-View

The car’s sides feature a small concave shape that continues through the doors, and the front fenders have narrow exit vents with chrome accents above them. The greenhouse portion has black mirror shells, plastic window and roof trim, what appears to be vortex generators, and extra brake lights.

The automobile has a chrome-detailed boot above the plate number, a modest spoiler, and the corresponding emblems on the back. Similar to the headlights, the taillamps include an inner brake with a reverse lamp on the boot and a marking with a turning lamp on the borders.

The bumper has moldings for the double exit, twin exhaust tubes, red marker lights around the borders, and a plastic portion in the middle. 

Colors

The exterior and interior stitching of the automobile is painted in its primary color, while other modifications appear to be painted in its secondary color. The Surano and the second-generation Baller both have the same stock rim design as the Kuruma.

Performance Over the Generations

Now, Let’s move on to the performance aspects of the two generations of vehicles and how Rockstar has changed things up for the legendary Kuruma.

Liberty City and Liberty City Stories

Engine and Gearbox

The car has got a bit of respectable power under its hood with a five-cylinder engine and a sound that makes it appear as if it’s turbocharged, for me at least. The Kuruma is fitted with a five-speed gearbox which is capable of propelling the Kuruma to a decent top speed when you drive in a straight line.

On the other hand, in Liberty City Stories, the engine of the car is aspirated and comes equipped with an underwhelming three-speed gearbox. I’m pretty sure the car gives off identical engine sounds as the Perennial, Manana, and Idaho, possibly due to the limited audio choices they had back then with all the technology at their disposal.

Drivetrain and Handling

A point of concern for me in GTA 3’s Kuruma is the FWD powertrain that tends to cause a lot of understeers. However, it didn’t take long for me to realize that the handbrake is useful for making quick turns when driving around at really high speeds. What’s underwhelming about the Kuruma, though, is that it has the same level of handling as a Taxi.

Kuruma in GTA Online

Engine and Gearbox

The Kurma got tons of cosmetic and hardware upgrades, such as my personal favorite, the twin-cam straight-six engine placed lengthwise within the engine bay. Furthermore, the car features an awesome all-wheel-drive system that’s split to send more power to the rear wheels and a little less to the wheels over at the front.

Besides that, with a 6-speed gearbox, the Kuruma achieves an effective top speed of 147 miles per hour which is incredibly fast compared to most cars. I’ve particularly noticed that, as far as its turbo-tuning goes, you can normally hear a turbo sound effect for the Kuruma.

However, still, you have the option of actual turbo tuning the vehicle and gaining significant amounts of acceleration – you can bet your money I maxed out that option!

Handling and Weight Distribution

Handling and Weight Distribution are a mystery when it comes to the Kuruma. For example, the Kuruma is top-heavy but still features a light chassis. I strongly believe such a weight distribution explains why the car tends to lift up on both wheels or even flip out while taking some sharp turns – talk about absurd handling, right?

However, despite everything, there’s one thing I can never bring myself to deny, even jokingly: the Kuruma is by far the fastest off-road car in the game. Not only is it resistant to deformation, but it also offers a ton of traction at incredible speeds, especially on rough terrain, and can manage to keep up with or even beat other supercars.

Modifications

You can get tons of modifications for the Kuruma at the Los Santos Customs.

Armor

Armor Upgrades can improve the invulnerability of the vehicle, a characteristic that is especially important for making get-aways and escaping police pursuits. Apart from that, griefer projectiles and bullets can also be a big problem, but don’t worry too much. That’s because you’ll be practically invincible after you get all the necessary armor upgrades for your Kuruma.

Braking

The Kuruma is a bit heavy with uneven weight distribution, something that can become problematic at high speeds. As such, it is imperative to have a decent pair of brakes to stop your car in its tracks whenever needed, or you’ll end up crashing into oncoming traffic, a wall, or an innocent bystander minding his own business. So, remember to invest in a good pair of brakes!

Bumpers

The Kuruma has a limited number of front bumpers to choose from, but all of them do look pretty slick and sexy. Just don’t take your Kuruma off-road with those low-end bumpers, or you’ll tear it right off like in those ricer compilations, and we know how those turn out. Instead, make sure to keep your lowered Kuruma on some clean, smooth asphalt.

Engine

The Kuruma is already a pretty fast car with a top speed of nearly 150 miles per hour on its stock engine. Do you really want to push it to the next level? If so, ensure you get the best grip tires available and max out your EMS Level while at it. We’re not going to recommend you do this. Do everything at your own risk up from this point, buddy!

Exhausts

While Exhausts don’t do anything in terms of performance enhancements, they do look nice and make your car sound a whole lot beefier and in accordance with your sound needs. You can choose from a wide variety of exhausts such as stock, oval, race, and chrome tip exhausts. I’d go with the stock exhausts because they look a lot cleaner.

Explosives

Do you like to blow up towns just for fun, or are you on the run from your life from those oppressor griefers? Heck, it is a nut job on your tail for no reason in what you assumed to be a peaceful GTA Online Lobby. Well, don’t worry. Now, you can switch roles by becoming the nutjob yourself. Lost Santos Customs is happy to provide you with ignition bombs and remote bombs for your vehicles. Just don’t tell the feds!

Lights

Do you feel that your lights are a bit too dim, or are you one of those drivers that turns their high beams on full blast so no one can see anything on the freeway. If so, Los Santos Customs got everything you need to switch from Stock to High Beam Xenons to tick off the Residents of Los Santos

Liveries

You’d be surprised to know that the Kuruma has one of the best Liveries available, my personal favorite being the paint drip because it has got the “drip.” Regardless, with a total of 10 different liveries available, you are sure to find one that appeals to you.

Roll Cages

Roll Cages can be pretty useful for cars like the Kuruma. You might get into police chases, pursuits, or get into a crash that might cause your car to roll over, but guess what? With a roll cage equipped, deformation and vulnerability will go down the drain so invest those 11,000 dollars without a second thought – trust me!

Side Skirts

Cosmetically wise, side skirts look awesome, and I recommend you pair your Kuruma with a nice set of these to complement the car’s overall look. 

A stock Kuruma looks nice, but after a while, I get bored, so it wouldn’t hurt to upgrade the Kuruma and make it look like an absolute JDM Beast, right? What’s more, is that side skirts aren’t all that expensive and add a bit of flair to your car.

Spoilers

The supreme Ricer Ruler of GTA Online wouldn’t be crowned without a crazy spoiler on its rear. Fortunately, Lost Santos Customs has a few exceptional Spoiler Kits available for the Kuruma, which I would recommend.

In my experience, the Stock Spoiler on the Kuruma is decent and goes well with an overall Stock Kuruma build. But if you want my personal recommendation, I’d say the Carbon Wing Type 2 is sleek as well and complements the Kuruma in a rather unconventional way.

Suspension

Softer and higher suspensions make cars perfect for driving off-road or on dirt trails and make them easier to drive uphill or down unpaved paths. Conversely, stiffer and lower suspensions are more rigid and more expensive, but they keep your car stable and rigid at fast speeds, thus increasing stability across the board.

So whether you wanna race or go off the rails, I leave that up to you!

Transmission

A fine-tuned transmission makes sure that your gears shift faster as you accelerate and attain top speed within seconds. This indeed increases the overall acceleration of the car and makes it go away faster than it usually would.

Nonetheless, handling and stability become a cause of concern, so choose wisely! I would recommend going for the Street Transmission if you’re a beginner, or the Race Transmission if you’re a pro on that steering wheel!

Turbo Tuning

If you want your car to go faster beyond imagination, then go for some turbo tuning. Do you know what turbo tuning does to your car? It puts your car on steroids – that’s the best, most concise way I can describe it. The Kuruma is already jacked up on gear, so turbo tune carefully or it’ll become too fast to reasonably handle.

Window Tints

Window Tints were popular in Japan during the big JDM scene, probably to stop cops from Identifying drivers that were a part of the Tokyo Night Scene. As such, it’s said that you’re not driving a JDM Ricer if your car’s windows aren’t tinted full black, so I’d certainly go with the Limo Option!

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