Schafter V12 Guide: All About This Sports Class Sedan

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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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If you want a luxury car in GTA Online that can carry four people, drive as fast as an exotic car and give you decent durability and handling, then you should definitely go for the Schafter V12. The Schafter V12 was featured in GTA Online as a part of the Executives and Other Criminals Update and has stayed relevant to this day, known for its high-revving engine that roars like a beast.

Schafter V12 Overview

The Schafter V12 is one of the best luxury sedans you can buy in GTA Online, which uniquely has an Armored variant, too, if you’re into that kind of action. I should probably clarify that although the Schafter V12 is indisputably a sedan, it is classified as a sports car, proving that it can be ridden in sports class races.

The Schafter V12 comes at a steep price of 116,000 dollars, with its Armored counterpart almost doubling the price at 325,000 dollars, both retailed over at the Legendary Motorsports website. Apart from that, an interesting thing to note is that the V12 actually makes an appearance as Tony Prince’s car in the After Hours Update – it even has its own custom license plate that reads “PR1NCE”.

With that said, if you want to take the Schafter V12 on a test run before considering a proper purchase, just remember that Tony lets you drive his in the Resident DJ and Nightclub Management missions.

Comparison with the Regular Schafter

Design

In simple terms, the Schafter V12 is community-wide and considered to be the high-performance edition of the Schafter, which takes inspiration from the real-life 2010 Brabus EV12 Sedan. As such, it is no surprise to see that, design-wise, the Schafter V12 is nearly identical to the original except for a few elements here and there. 

The most striking similarity is that as far as the Schafter V12’s color distributions go, Rockstar chose to preserve the original algorithm, where the primary color is reflected on the body and interior stitching. In contrast, the secondary color goes on the roof, boot, and bonnet. The only innovation is that the Schafter V12 offers an additional trim color that is specifically applied to the dashboard, door panels, and seats.

All in all, the exterior similarity, as I said before, is not really surprising, as Rockstar intended to overhaul not the Schafter’s appearance but its performance with the V12’s release. So, how much better is the V12 when compared with the Regular Schafter?

Performance

The Schafter V12 takes the original’s performance to a whole new level despite having a nearly identical model. Sporting a higher revving and louder engine, the V12 is much more menacing, mainly due to the big-bore upgrade to its exhausts as well as the camshafts that the developers finally decided to tune for achieving more optimized valve timings. 

The aforementioned upgrades have resulted in much better acceleration and top speed, exhibiting numbers that are comparable to the upper echelons of the Sports class. Even more surprising is that this was achieved while maintaining a consistent level of traction across the board, facilitating lower brake times. 

The one area of performance where I predicted the V12 would struggle is handling. While the Schafter V12 doesn’t disappoint, much like other mainstream Sedans, when nailing those tight corners, the car tends to oversteer at higher velocities. This, of course, does put you at a disadvantage when racing against Sports cars that boast top-class handling.

Schafter V12 Armored: Should You Go For It?

Design

If you’re interested in the Armored variant of the V12, hoping for a design revamp, then you’ll be a little disappointed because, in a nutshell, the Armored edition is nearly identical to the V12 in terms of design but with a reinforced cage and body. These reinforcements can be seen in the form of armor padding on the sides and window armoring to the pillars of the vehicle.

The color distribution is also congruent, down to even the optional trim color. As such, the only design difference I’ve noticed is regarding the wheel. While the V12’s wheel constitutes of Los Santos Customs’ Diamond Cut sports rim wrapped in low-profile tires, the Armored counterpart has Drag SPL rims wrapped in noticeably higher-profile tires.

Performance

If you’re a sucker for better top speed at the cost of some acceleration, then the Armored V12 will be a pleasant surprise for you because the developers did exactly that with it. However, of course, as the name implies, the main highlight of this variant is its robustness stemming from that extra layer of reinforcement.

For what was previously considered to be a luxury vehicle, the Armored V12 has an unparalleled level of durability that allows it to soak up bullets and tank up to a certain amount of explosives. While the exact number is subject to variation, I’ll put things into perspective by saying that it can soak up a direct hit from a tank shell, which is nothing short of stunning!

Another aspect of the car’s performance that undoubtedly gets compromised (which the game doesn’t tell you) is its steering, which experiences a little input delay due to the armor’s weight. Ultimately, though, I would recommend getting the Armored variant if you’re going to be using it for missions as, although the upgrade is twice as expensive as the normal V12, the robustness is absolutely worth it!

Modifications for the Schafter V12

Armor

Despite being fearsome on the road, the Benefactor Schafter V12 isn’t a tough cookie and won’t stand a chance against a Valkyrie or an Oppressor Mk II in a lobby full of griefers. Apart from that, if you like to step on the gas with the cars you drive, then you should expect to crash the V12 onto oncoming traffic or obstacles multiple times. So, what can you do in this scenario? The answer is pretty simple. Get some well-needed armor upgrades for the Schafter V12!

The V12 can’t be driven out without some well-deserved armor upgrades; otherwise, you’re literally asking the public lobby to blow it up on sight. Going no armor is fine for story mode gameplay, but in GTA online, you should ideally max the armor upgrades at 50,000 dollars.

Brakes

The Schafter V12 does come with some decent brakes, but that’s just compared to the base Schafter. Given that the V12’s engine is powerful, offering immense acceleration and even better top speed, its handling begins to fall apart at those atrocious speeds.

The only way to mitigate this problem is to get brake upgrades that will allow you to gain better control over your beefed-up V12. Stock brakes cost around 1000 dollars but to get the best of the best, you’ll have to fork over around 35,000 dollars!

Bumpers

Not a fan of the stock Schafter V12 and its looks? You’re lucky because you can pimp out your V12 with some awesome bumper kits. The stock bumper is fine and looks decent for a luxury vehicle, but you want a well-deserved sporty look for your sports class sedan, don’t you? 

Fortunately, Los Santos Customs has got you covered with a collection of bumpers to choose from. You can choose to keep the stock bumper, but that’s a bit too boring for my tastes.

• The Euro Bumper doesn’t look all that different from the Stock Bumper. You’d be paying more for practically the same bumper with an added lip for 4,600 dollars. It’s a hard pass in my books.
• My favorite, the Carbon Front Splitter, does change up the looks a bit by lowering the bumper and adding a double lip. This makes the V12 look all the tougher and more powerful, and it’s worth it for the 7,400 dollar price tag.
• The Extreme Aero Front Bumper gives the Schafter V12 a JDM look and if you have a thing for JDM vehicles, go for it because the bumper is just 11,700 dollars.

While there is diversity as far as front bumpers go, there’s only one rear bumper to choose from, which is a shame. You can only choose to add a Carbon Rear Diffuser for the V12, and that’s pretty much it – other than that, you’re stuck with the Stock Rear Bumper.

Engine

Now, the Schafter V12 is already an excellent vehicle with incredible top speed, good acceleration, and decent handling. But truth be told, there are faster luxury sedans out there, and you’ll need to upgrade if you’re in the Sports class or Sedan drag racing business – otherwise, you’ll end up losing to the competition.

On the other hand, if you just want to roam the streets of Los Santos or use the Schafter V12 as a getaway vehicle for missions, you’ll need EMS upgrades to make it out of those chase sequences. Apart from that, if you end up oversteering, you’ll experience intense collisions with obstacles that could end.

So, depending upon your use case scenario, pick your poison carefully. You can choose the base EMS upgrade for around 9000 dollars, but Level 4 will set you back by 33,500 dollars. That’s not bad for a couple of extra horsepowers.

Exhausts

I’ll be honest – exhausts offer no performance benefits whatsoever, but they can make your V12 look cool. Cosmetic upgrades have been pretty popular since the JDM update for GTA Online, and everyone has been conscious about their vehicles ever since, myself included. 

Considering that you don’t have many options for the rear end of the vehicle, I would recommend getting some solid-looking exhausts for your V12. After all, it’s the little bits that make the biggest difference!

• The Dual Exit Exhaust adds a layer of quality to the vehicle that people normally don’t expect to see in a luxury sedan.
• The symmetrical design of the Dual Titanium Exhaust makes it an excellent option for the V12 out of all the options available, being my personal favorite.
• The Oval Exhaust takes up a lot of space on the rear end of the Schafter, but it presents a clean look and fits well with the luxury sedan appeal of the Scahfter V12.
• The race exhaust looks identical to the Dual Titanium Exhaust. Instead of paying the extra 9,550 dollars, I’d choose to go with the Dual Titanium Exhaust for 1,800 dollars if I were you.

Explosives

You should always be on the lookout for a griefer or enemy whenever you’re exploring GTA Online – anybody can attack you on sight. All you can do is hope for the best and be prepared for the worst. 

Therefore, I recommend installing some ignition or remote bombs for your vehicle to ensure you’re not a walking (or driving?) target.

Hoods

Similar to exhausts, hood upgrades add no real value to performance and durability, serving only as eye candy in GTA Online. You can choose from a select option of hoods for your vehicle, although I weirdly like the stock hood a lot – I think it makes my V12 look quite sleek.

• You could opt for the Vented Hood, which has some symmetrical indentations on both sides of the hood, but it’ll set you back by 3,000 Dollars.
• You can go for the Carbon Hood, which offers a matte look to your vehicle. If you’re a carbon fiber fan and love your car in matte, this is the best option! You can purchase the Carbon Hood for around 5,000 Dollars.
• The Carbon Vented Hood is simply just the Carbon Hood with some more design and indentation, costing 8,000 Dollars in total.

Lights

Lights in GTA Online don’t offer all that much functionality as the game is adequately lit at night time and visibility isn’t a major problem. Hence, lights can be upgraded for cosmetic reasons if you have the extra cash to fork out – in my experience, they can make for some awesome in-game screenshots and pictures to post on your Rockstar Social Club Account.

License Plates

I want to take this moment to say that the best thing about Los Santos Customs is the incredible customization options you get to choose from. You can customize your license plate to say anything you want or choose whatever color you want it to be from some select colors. 

Roofs

The Schafter V12 not only offers players normal cosmetic upgrades but also provides them with custom roofs, albeit the selection is pretty limited.

Skirts

You can also get some optional side skirts to pretty up your car for the occasional JDM meet-ups that happen outside of Los Santos Customs. These skirts aren’t all fancy, but they do get the job done if you’re genuinely interested in one – they’re not my cup of tea, though. 

Suspension

You can tune up the suspension of your Schafter V12 to achieve different kinds of optimizations. My rule of thumb is to choose your suspension wisely and adapt to the situations you intend to drive your Schafter V12 on.

• You can opt for the stock suspension, which will help work on asphalt and uneven roads, although giving rise to instability at high speeds
• A Lowered Suspension facilitates better handling, particularly when taking tight corners. It works best on smooth asphalt roads and struggles to perform as well on rough roads.
• The Street Suspension ensures that your driving experience is a safe and smooth one, regardless of how rough the terrain may be. I reckon this is most likely achieved by incorporating shock absorbers into the suspension’s build.
• The Sports Suspension is best suited for competitive drag racing. However, remember that if you choose to drive your Sports suspension car on uneven terrain or mountains, expect to have an awful experience.

Spoilers

If you want to get out of the luxury sedan feel and spice up your Schafter V12 with a spoiler kit and give it the old JDM feel, then you can choose from a plethora of options over at Los Santos Customs. 

• You’ll have to pay up to 6000 dollars to remove the spoiler.
• You can go for the discreet low profile lip spoiler that will cost upwards of 7,050 dollars.
• If you want the look and feel of a true sports car, prepare to pay 10,500 dollars for the Carbon Wing.
• Last but not least, you can go for the High-Level Spoiler if you’re into it, but it’ll set you back by 13,000 dollars.

Transmission

Transmission works wonders by allowing for faster gear changes, which translates to better acceleration all across the board. Your V12 will be faster than ever before, but don’t forget the bit about oversteering around tight corners at high speeds.

Turbo

This is my opinion, but getting Turbo on the Schafter V12 seems overkill. The V12 is already pretty fast with decent acceleration, and while a turbo upgrade will boost those stats even further, the handling of the car will suffer significantly. So, if you’re like me and are into competitive drag races, I would recommend abstaining from this upgrade.

Windows

Window tints do nothing except add cosmetic changes to the vehicle, so you shouldn’t expect any performance or durability improvements. I would caution you with this upgrade as window tints decrease the visibility of the interior of the vehicle from the 3rd person’s perspective. However, they do tend to look nicer and a bit more prominent in first-person mode. 

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