Lowriders is the GTA Online content update that introduced Benny's Original Motor Works, hydraulic suspension and a series of missions for Lamar Davis. Released on October 20, 2015, it put vehicle customization at the centre of an update: players could convert six eligible cars, change their interiors and sound systems, and show them off with new vehicle controls.1
The original release also added the Machine Pistol, Machete and three competitive modes. Its content should not be confused with Lowriders: Custom Classics, the separate 2016 follow-up that expanded Benny's selection.24
Benny's and the original six vehicles
Benny's opened in Strawberry, south of the Olympic Freeway. Its in-game website let players buy an eligible vehicle, then take it to the workshop for an upgrade that unlocked custom modifications. Hydraulics made cars bounce; interior options included trim, dials, steering wheels and shift levers. Plaques, liveries, wheels, engine detailing and sound systems let players personalize more than the paintwork.3
The launch selection comprised two new base vehicles and four cars already in the game—not six entirely new vehicles.2
Original Lowriders vehicles
Vehicle | At the Lowriders launch |
|---|---|
Willard Faction | New base vehicle |
Declasse Moonbeam | New base vehicle |
Albany Buccaneer | Existing vehicle given Benny's customization |
Declasse Voodoo | Existing vehicle given Benny's customization |
Existing vehicle given Benny's customization | |
Existing vehicle given Benny's customization |
Two new base vehicles and four existing cars gained Benny's customization at the October 2015 launch.
Buying the base vehicle and paying for its Benny's conversion are separate steps. The conversion is what unlocks the specialist modifications.3
Lamar's missions
Lamar's eight Contact Missions follow his attempt to take over Los Santos' lowrider scene. Players help him set the Ballas and Vagos against one another and carry out his plans through a mixture of deception and gunfights. The update notes list Rank 5 as the unlock requirement.12
Weapons, modes and other changes
The Machine Pistol and Machete arrived at Ammu-Nation alongside luxury finishes for selected existing weapons. Unlike Lamar's online missions, the two weapons were also added to Story Mode, where they unlocked through progression.2
The three launch Adversary Modes were:
- Offense Defense: paired runners and protectors race to a destination while disrupting rival teams.
- Keep the Pace: drivers must maintain a rising minimum speed or their vehicles explode.
- Relay: teammates take turns completing laps.1
The update also added clothing, hairstyles and tattoos, remote controls for personal-vehicle doors, engines and radios, and an Interaction Menu ammunition-restock option. It raised the property limit to four apartments or garages at the time; that historical change is not the current ownership limit.2
Release and Custom Classics
Rockstar Games released Lowriders as a free automatic update for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC. GTA BOOM's launch coverage records its arrival, while the update's original features remain distinct from later weekly bonuses and additions.1
Lowriders: Custom Classics followed on March 15, 2016. That release added Benny's conversions for the Slamvan and Virgo Classic, the Faction Custom Donk, the Compact Rifle, the Double Barrel Shotgun and Sumo. Those additions belong to the follow-up, not the October 2015 launch. The Custom Classics overview explains the expanded workshop and new mode.4