There are a ton of cars in Cyberpunk 2077‘s Night City, a lot of them made by the fictional manufacturers in the game. There’s one car that stands out, though, and that’s Johnny Silverhand’s Porsche 911. That’s right, a real-life car managed to make it into the game, as the former rock star’s beloved pride and joy. But that got us thinking just what other real-life cars would fit right into Night City’s aesthetic and style.
The list takes a number of things into account, but it’s primarily all about that retro-futuristic design, or the ability to finetune and modify the car with plenty of futuristic tech to keep it ticking in 2077. So, without further ado, let’s dive right on in.
Lamborghini Countach
A lot of the cars cruising around Night City are these amalgamations of 80s engineering and outlandish predictions of how the future would look. Even V’s own Hella is a clapped out piece of junk, kitted out with a ton of tech to keep it purring.
The Lamborghini Countach exemplifies 80s engineering design. Its hood slowly curving down to the miniature grills. The suicide doors give it that cutting-edge design, while the massive spoiler and protruding air intake scoops behind either door make sure you know it means business.
It’s the kind of car you’d see cruising around Night City’s Corpo Plaza, likely with some high-flying Arasaka Executive smugly smirking at gawking passers-by.
DMC DeLorean
The DMC DeLorean is the car of the 1980s, epitomizing that futuristic look and feel. Combined with its gullwing doors, the huge, flat hood just gives the car a clean, minimalistic look. Perfect for all those aftermarket modifications.
It only gets better around the back of the car, with the grilled rear window and array of brake lights and indicators making it look like a vehicle pulled out of some crude rendition of the 2100s.
Or… perhaps 2077… in Night City… driven by just about anyone who can get their hands on it. We’ve already seen thanks to Back to the Future just how malleable the DeLorean is when it comes to high-tech upgrades, so we have no concerns that it’d feel out of place in Night City.
Ferrari F40
I’m pretty confident every kid in the 80s and 90s had a poster of the Ferrari F40 hanging in their bedroom. It was the cool car that went really, really fast. Step aside Delorean, you may have been all futuristic-looking, but you’re not touching the F40 on the track.
That’s why we could see the F40 being one of the more popular picks among the street racers of Night City. Off the assembly line, the F40 clocked in at around 321 km/h, more than fast enough to leave the rest of the tech’d-up automotive relics in the dust.
It’s not just its impressive specs, but also the design. The flip-up lights, the air intake vents behind each door. Then you’ve got that enormous spoiler on the back, keeping the already low-riding F40 glued to the floor through turns and at high speeds.
This is an 80s icon, and deserves to be immortalized in Night City for eternity.
Pagani Zonda
Can you have a list of cars that look like they came from 2077 without including a Pagani Zonda? The answer is no, you absolutely cannot.
The Zonda C12 was somehow crafted back in 1999, with a 6-liter V12 producing 394 BHP. It could reach 297 km/h and go from 0-60 in about 4.2 seconds, but it wasn’t its technical specs that made the Zonda C12 a head-turner, but it’s outrageous design.
Pagani’s since gone on to iterate on the Zonda C12’s design, making them increasingly outlandish, while maintaining the DNA of the original.
Forget about techy upgrades, the Pagani Zonda could cruise into Night City right off the assembly line and fit right in.
Ford Sierra Cosworth RS500
With a top speed of 149 mph and capable of doing 0-60 in 6.5 seconds, the Ford Sierra Cosworth RS 500’s looks may be a little bit deceiving.
Sure it has the spoiler on the back, but other than that it looks very… ordinary. That being said, big shoutout to the weird, indented radiator grill. I don’t know why, but I love it.
What unsuspected passers-by might not know is that the Cosworth RS was packing a 16-valve twin-cam engine that could be supercharged to make one of the best touring cars of the decade.
Given its overwhelming popularity as a tourer, we can’t really think of many other cars that warrant an import to Night City more. It’s the kind of car ripe to be souped-up with various screens, switches and aftermarket upgrades that’d leave it looking like a futuristic Frankenstein.
Audi Quattro
The Audi Quattro made waves when it released back in 1980 at the Geneva Motor Show. While four-wheel-drive cars were nothing new, Audi was the first manufacturer to make a four-wheel-drive that was focused on offering drivers power with control on the road, rather than something fit for fields.
The end product was a 197hp, 2.1-litre inline 5-cylinder 10 valve, turbocharged engine capable of delivering exceptional performance regardless of the weather or road.
But it also harbored a very… DIY-feeling means of changing differential. There was literally a pair of pulleys between the passenger and driver that locked both the center and rear diffs.
In the 11 years that followed its release, it received a number of improvements in newer models with 20 engine valves (over the original’s 10), a digital dashboard, and a Torsen differential under that iconic shell, too.
All of that makes for yet another vehicle that really pushed the envelope when it came to what was possible with cars in the 1980s and it’s this that makes it another prime import for the Night City masses.
One of the best on and off-road vehicles, ample room for customization, all in a sleek, understated shell.
Buick Grand National GNX
The Buick Grand National GNX just screams American muscle. From its angry-looking front grill and headlights, through to the vintage wire spoked wheels and boxy exterior, there’s just so much to sit back and appreciate about the GNX before you even step inside.
Despite its bulky-looking exterior, the Grand National had enough grunt to deliver results. A test version of the vehicle with a bit of extra horsepower was able to do 0-60 in 4.9 seconds, outpacing the Corvette and even the aforementioned Lamborghini Countach.
Not everyone likes futuristic-stylings, and the Buick Grand National GNX is about as far from that as you can get. Still, its prominent design means it’ll still have more than enough to stand out on the eccentric streets of Cyberpunk 2077’s Night City.
Chevrolet Camaro IROC-Z
The Chevrolet Camaro IROC-Z was how the manufacturer decided to celebrate the return of International Race of Champions. It took the existing Camaro Z/28 and gave its specs an upgrade. It also came with chunkier tires, a special graphic/ paint job, a lowered body and halogen fog lights… fancy!
There’s so much to love about the IROC-Z. Its’ pointed nose, array of headlights, subtle IROC-Z graphic and sleek body already make it perfect for Night City. I mean, imagine that thing decked out with a red or blue neon underglow and some tuning under the hood. Beautiful stuff.
The IROC-Z is still a beloved car in the hearts of many Americans who were lucky enough to own one, and we can imagine many of those who made it to Night City would cough up all the eddies required in order to have one of their own… albeit with a typically 2077 upgrade package applied.
Datsun 280ZX 10th Anniversary Edition
Now look at this absolute beauty. The Datsun 280ZX 10th Anniversary Edition marked the 10th birthday of the first Z that Nissan released. A 2.8-liter inline-6 grumbled under the hood, outputting 132bhp and 144lb-ft of torque.
It wasn’t just the engine that pique interest, but the additional cosmetic improvements. The first 2,500 featured the above black and gold paint scheme, with the other 500 repping a red and black paint job instead.
Regardless of the color scheme, each 280ZX 10th Anniversary Edition had a plaque on the dashboarding marking the model number.
It even had black or tan leather seats, a style shift knob and a 40-watt, power-boosted four-speaker sound system. If that all doesn’t scream Cyberpunk at you, then we don’t know what will.
Mazda RX-7 Turbo II
The Mazda RX-7 Turbo II was yet another favorite of gearheads of the 1980s. It featured the sporty look that they were after, had a plethora of aftermarket parts and spares for when things went wrong, and could be tuned to suit your driving style, whatever that may be.
The RX-7 also earned a reputation for being an incredibly reliable car capable of running for hundreds of thousands of miles without issue if maintained correctly.
I mean, for a mercenary in Night City like V, it sounds like the perfect, reliable steed. Speed, style, and sound engineering all wrapped up in one neat package.
From the flip-up headlights, the hood scoop, and the long, low body made it an eye-catcher back in the day.
Alas, it may need some tuning and tweaking to have it fit for Night City, but it’s got that Tokyo Drift energy you know is gonna make it right at home in the Free State of Northern California’s capital.
Published: Dec 15, 2020 10:22 am