Calling Grand Theft Auto VI a highly anticipated video game hardly captures the scale of excitement around its upcoming launch. After a large batch of early gameplay footage leaked online earlier this month and drew mixed reactions, developer Rockstar Games has now unveiled its own official first look at the title with a 27-minute trailer on Netflix, and it certainly looks like GTA 6 could live up to the hype.
At Road & Track, however, cars matter more to us than simulated crime, so here is what stood out from an automotive enthusiast’s point of view.
It is hardly surprising that cars remain central to GTA gameplay, considering the very name of the franchise. But the developers do not seem to be treating transportation as a simple checklist item. Instead, the team appears to understand the many sub-cultures that shape automotive enthusiasm. Earlier GTA games tried to cover everything from vintage muscle cars and hot rods to ultra-exclusive hypercars. Even so, those vehicles traditionally made a very obvious effort to avoid copyright trouble by being what many would describe as “legally non-descript”. That trait became so associated with the series that saying “it looks like a car from GTA” eventually turned into an insult aimed at real-world automotive design.
At first glance, GTA 6 seems to be taking a somewhat different route.
Not only do the cars appear more detailed than ever before, they also look far more faithful to the real vehicles that inspired them. The early footage includes machines clearly modelled on cars such as the BMW E30, Honda CRX, Dodge Charger, Mercedes-AMG E63, Ram 1500, and several fast BMW and Audi models. For players with a taste for classics, there also appears to be a collection of look-alike G-Bodies, Ford Rancheros, vintage Mustangs and first-generation Broncos. And these cars are not merely there to get you from one heist to another. The footage also shows what looks like Fast and Furious-inspired street racing events, complete with that early-2000s blue-flame-and-NOS visual style.
For those who prefer a more organised setting, the footage also includes proper wheel-to-wheel racing on a circuit. Rumours had suggested that the game would feature its own version of Sebring for such events, and it now seems that at least part of that speculation may have been accurate. There are also LED-heavy side-by-sides and sharply styled Donks in the mix, suggesting Rockstar is trying to cover every corner of car culture. The result feels much closer to the many different forms automotive passion can take within a city.
Naturally, in a game called Grand Theft Auto, there must be ways to steal cars. This first look indicates that the latest instalment will introduce a new mechanic to that process, allowing players to either “slim jim” a lock or simply smash a window while carrying out the theft. “Customs” garages are still present to help players secure newly acquired vehicles, and they will almost certainly support far deeper customisation. And if stealing cars is not really your thing, Rockstar seems perfectly willing to sell a few downloadable content packs packed with desirable machinery. These include offerings such as the Vintage Vice City Pack, along with the Grotti Cheetah in the Ultimate Edition of the game. For anyone unfamiliar with the franchise, that is GTA’s version of the Ferrari Testarossa—and with the game leaning so heavily into Miami-inspired vibes, that is a car plenty of players are likely to want.
Grand Theft Auto VI is currently set to arrive on November 19, 2026. The game will launch exclusively on Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5, although a PC version is expected to be added later. Considering fans have already spent 13 years waiting for this instalment, it would be hard to blame anyone for buying a console just for the occasion.
