GTA 6: Rockstar and West Coast Customs Build Six Real-Life Cars From the Game in Miami

Rockstar Games has had six real, drivable GTA VI cars built by West Coast Customs, the famous Los Angeles custom shop. The Grotti Cheetah, Pegassi Tempesta, Progen Emerus, Invetero Coquette, Albany Buccaneer and Albany Manana are cruising Miami on Leonida plates, as reported this week by Hypebeast, Complex and Wallpaper magazine, complete with official photos, less than two weeks before the game launches on November 19.

Which GTA 6 cars were built in real life?

Six vehicles from the game made the jump to the real world. On the performance side, there's the Grotti Cheetah, the Progen Emerus, the Pegassi Tempesta and the Invetero Coquette. According to Notebookcheck, citing Hypebeast's report, the Tempesta even sports a police livery. Two Albanys bring some old-school flavor: the lowrider-style Buccaneer and the Manana, sitting on tall wheels.

Longtime fans will recognize all of these names, which Rockstar has carried across several entries in the series. Each one draws on well-known real-world models, but the studio hasn't said which production cars sit under these replicas, and the published photos don't settle it for sure.

How did West Coast Customs build the GTA 6 cars?

According to the press release quoted by Complex, the build "combines traditional metal fabrication with modern composite construction." The custom wheels and several structural parts were CNC-machined, and each car got its own custom paint job to match its in-game counterpart as closely as possible.

The attention to detail goes all the way down to the plates: they use the Leonida state format with Vice City on them, and the plate frames read "VI," West Coast Customs and the Rockstar logo.

Where were the GTA 6 cars spotted?

All six cars were filmed driving around Miami, the real-life city behind Vice City. The images, credited to Rockstar Games by Wallpaper, show them in front of the 1111 Lincoln Road parking garage designed by Herzog & de Meuron in Miami Beach and at the Miami Marine Stadium on Virginia Key. According to Notebookcheck, the convoy was first spotted in mid-October, the same week as the launch trailer, with no official word at the time.

No public showcase or sale has been announced so far.

Why is Rockstar building real cars for GTA 6?

It's not the first time. Back in 2013, Rockstar teamed up with West Coast Customs to build a full-size Bravado Banshee for the launch of GTA V. This time, the studio has gone up to six models and folded them into a campaign that turns Miami into a showcase for the game: real Burger Shot and Cluckin' Bell restaurants, plus the Miami Heat's "A Night in Vice City" game with special jerseys on November 18. Since cars are at the heart of the GTA experience, these replicas are also a way to show off the care that went into Leonida's vehicles.

Frequently asked questions