Introduction
Borderlands 3 took the vehicular mayhem of Pandora to a whole new level, and a significant part of that is the deep vehicle customization system. Forget just grabbing any old ride; in Borderlands 3, you can hijack enemy vehicles, strip them for parts, and build your ultimate custom machine. This feature, a significant upgrade from previous Borderlands titles, allows players to express their style and tactical preferences through their personal vehicles.
The shift to Unreal Engine 4 for Borderlands 3 provided Gearbox Software with the opportunity to revamp vehicle combat entirely. Recognizing that driving mechanics weren’t a highlight of earlier games, they wisely collaborated with their Quebec studio, known for their expertise in racing games, including the Need for Speed franchise. This collaboration resulted in a driving experience that feels significantly more refined and enjoyable.
During hands-on previews and gameplay events, players immediately noticed the improved vehicle handling. The controls are intuitive, and navigating the diverse environments of Borderlands 3, from open landscapes to tight city streets, is a much smoother experience. Catch-A-Ride stations are also more prevalent, making accessing and customizing your vehicles more convenient than ever. Fast travel directly to your vehicle further streamlines gameplay, ensuring you’re always ready to hit the road in your personalized ride.
But the real game-changer is the vehicle customization. Borderlands 3 lets you truly make your vehicles your own by swapping out various components. Let’s dive into the exciting world of All Car Parts Borderlands 3 offers and how you can create the perfect vehicle for your Vault Hunter.
Vehicle Customization: Building Your Dream Ride
The core of vehicle customization in Borderlands 3 revolves around hijacking enemy vehicles and utilizing the Catch-a-Ride stations. When you commandeer an enemy vehicle and come across a new part, you can bring your vehicle to a Catch-a-Ride station. Parking on the designated spot and exiting your vehicle initiates a scan. This process deconstructs the vehicle, adding any new parts you’ve acquired to your personal collection. Once scanned, these parts become available for you to Digi-Struct onto any vehicle you spawn in the future.
Ellie’s Catch-a-Ride stations offer three distinct vehicle types as a base: the Outrunner, the Technical, and the Cyclone. Each of these vehicles boasts a wide array of customizable components, allowing for deep personalization. The customization options include:
- Body Type (Vehicle Type): Choose between the Outrunner, Technical, and Cyclone as your base vehicle.
- Driver Weapon: Equip primary weapons for offensive driving.
- Turret Weapon: Add a turret for a passenger or yourself to control for extra firepower.
- Mods: Enhance vehicle performance with boosts, defensive measures, or special abilities.
- Wheels: Select wheels that affect speed, handling, and terrain adaptability.
- Armor: Customize armor plating for increased durability.
- Material (Skin Theme): Apply visual themes to personalize the vehicle’s appearance.
- Color Pallet: Further refine the vehicle’s look by adjusting the color scheme.
Let’s explore each vehicle type and the car parts Borderlands 3 provides for customization.
Outrunner: Speed and Agility
The Outrunner is advertised as the fastest land vehicle in Borderlands 3, built for speed and outmaneuvering opponents. While it may not outrun another Outrunner, its agility and speed make it an excellent choice for fast traversal and hit-and-run tactics.
Outrunner Statistics:
- Speed: 14
- Armor: 4
Outrunner Driver Weapons:
- Machine Gun: A standard, rapid-fire machine gun, available by default.
- Tesla Coil: A Maliwan weapon that emits a beam of shock damage, chaining to multiple targets.
- Found on: Maliwan Outrunners
- Location: Promethea (Meridian Metroplex), Pandora (Ascension Bluff)
- Flame Thrower: An incendiary weapon perfect for quickly eliminating vehicle occupants.
- Found on: Outrunners
- Location: Pandora (Ascension Bluff)
Outrunner Turret Weapons:
- Heavy Missile: A default weapon dealing significant damage, with a zoom feature for precision.
- Shotgun Missile: Fires a spread of missiles, with adjustable firing patterns.
- Found on: COV Outrunners
- Location: Pandora (Devil’s Razor)
- Swarmer Missile: Launches a volley of missiles that can be laser-guided.
- Found on: Outrunner, Maliwan Outrunners
- Location: Pandora (Ascension Bluff), Nekrotafeyo (Desolation’s Edge)
Outrunner Wheels:
- Dune Buggy Wheels: Balanced wheels providing a mix of speed and handling, available by default.
- Zip Wheels: Using the e-brake charges energy for a flaming boost.
- Found on: Hijack Target Zippy Outrunner
- Location: Pandora (Devil’s Razor)
- Omni Wheels: Replaces the e-brake with a hovering mode.
- Found on: Maliwan Hover Outrunners
- Location: Promethea (Meridian Metroplex), Nekrotafeyo (Desolation’s Edge)
- Twitchy Wheels: Steerable rear wheels for enhanced maneuverability.
- Found on: Twitchy Outrunner
- Location: Promethea (Meridian Metroplex/Outskirts), Pandora (Droughts/Ascension Bluff/Devil’s Razor)
Outrunner Armor:
- Stripped Armor: Lightweight armor with no durability benefits, available by default.
- Heavy Armor: Plated armor offering increased durability at the cost of speed.
- Found on: Hijack Target Heavy Outrunner
- Location: Pandora (Ascension Bluff)
Outrunner Mods:
- Booster Canisters: Balanced boost, optimized for speed and duration, available by default.
- Energy Cells: Provides three charges of a small boost with a shock damage pulse.
- Found on: Pulsing Outrunner
- Location: Nekrotafeyo (Desolation’s Edge)
- Blaze Booster: A fast-burning booster with a strong initial kick, best used in short bursts.
- Found on: COV Outrunners
- Location: Promethea (Meridian Metroplex), Pandora (Ascension Bluff)
- Laser Wings: Converts boost energy into laser blades around the vehicle.
- Found on: Hijack Target Razor Outrunner
- Location: Eden-6 (Floodmoor Basin)
Technical: Sturdy and Explosive
The Technical is the vehicle of choice for the Children of the Vault (COV), known for its robust build and explosive weaponry. It prioritizes durability and firepower over speed, making it a solid choice for direct combat and taking damage.
Technical Statistics:
- Speed: 12
- Armor: 7
Technical Driver Weapons:
- Machine Gun: A reliable classic machine gun, available by default.
- Flak Cannon: A powerful shotgun that fires scrap projectiles, devastating at close range.
- Found on: COV Technical
- Location: Promethea (Neon Arterial), Pandora (Splinterlands)
Technical Turret Weapons:
- Barrel Launcher: Launches explosive barrels that can be detonated mid-air for cluster bombs, available by default.
- Sticky Bombs: Fires bombs that adhere to surfaces and detonate after a timer or manual trigger.
- Found on: Hijack Target
- Location: Promethea (Meridian Outskirt)
- Tire Bombs: Launches steerable tire-shaped bombs.
- Found on: Hijack Target Spare Tire Technical
- Location: Pandora (Splinterlands)
Technical Wheels:
- All-Terrain Wheels: The Technical’s fastest wheel option, available by default.
- Monster Wheels: Large wheels that improve handling and durability.
- Found on: Angels and Speed Demons quest
- Location: Pandora
- Barbed Wheels: Wheels that ignore terrain and inflict significant ramming damage against flesh.
- Found on: Hijack Target Spiked Technical
- Location: Pandora (Devil’s Razor)
- Hover Wheels: Replaces the e-brake with a hovering mode.
- Found on: Hover Technical
- Location: Promethea (Meridian Outskirt)
Technical Armor:
- Stripped Armor: Lightweight armor with no durability benefits, available by default.
- Heavy Armor: Plated armor increasing durability at the expense of speed.
- Found on: COV Technical
- Location: Promethea (Meridian Outskirts), Eden-6 (Floodmoor Basin). Guaranteed spawn during “Beneath the Meridian” mission.
- Meat Grinder: Armor that massively increases ramming damage, especially against flesh.
Technical Mods:
- Passenger Seats: Equipped with passenger seats and a boost module, available by default.
- Fuel Barrels: Provides unlimited boost, sacrificing power for duration.
- Found on: COV Technical
- Location: Eden-6 (Floodmoor Basin)
- Toxic Booster: A weaker boost that leaves behind corrosive clouds.
- Found on: COV Technical
- Location: Promethea (Neon Arterial), Eden-6 (Floodmoor Basin)
- Jet Booster: A powerful, charged boost from a jet engine.
- Found on: Carnivora Technicals
- Location: Pandora (Carnivora). Found during the Carnivora chase sequence.
The Technical is the go-to COV vehicle in Borderlands 3
Cyclone: Nimble and Versatile
The Cyclone is the fastest and most maneuverable vehicle, sacrificing armor for agility and versatile weaponry. Its ability to quickly change direction and fire in 360 degrees makes it ideal for players who favor speed and evasion.
Cyclone Statistics:
- Speed: 17
- Armor: 2
Cyclone Driver Weapons:
- Machine Gun: A standard, reliable machine gun, available by default.
- Explosive Needle Launcher: Fires explosive needles that detonate after a short delay.
- Found on: Maliwan Cyclones
- Location: Nekrotafeyo (Desolation’s Edge), Promethea (Meridian Metroplex in True Vault Hunter Mode)
- Sawblade Launcher: Launches powerful, explosive sawblades.
- Found on: COV Cyclones
- Location: Eden-6 (Floodmoor Basin), Pandora (Devil’s Razor)
Cyclone Wheels:
- Monowheel: The Cyclone’s fastest wheel option, available by default.
- Blade Wheel: Offers increased traction and significant ramming damage against flesh.
- Found on: Blade Cyclone
- Location: Promethea (Neon Arterial), Eden-6 (Floodmoor Basin), Pandora (Devil’s Razor)
- Wide Wheel: Improves handling and durability.
- Found on: Hijack Target Fat Cyclone
- Location: Eden-6 (Floodmoor Basin)
- Hover Wheel: Enables hover mode when activating the e-brake.
- Found on: Maliwan Hover Cyclone
- Location: Promethea (Meridian Metroplex)
Cyclone Armor:
- Stripped Armor: Lightweight armor with no durability benefits, available by default.
- Heavy Armor: Plated armor improving durability at the cost of speed.
- Found on: Heavy Cyclone
- Location: Promethea (Meridian Metroplex), Eden-6 (Floodmoor Basin)
Cyclone Mods:
- Heavy Booster: An extremely powerful boost for maximum speed, available by default.
Skin Customization: Personalize Your Look
Beyond all car parts Borderlands 3 offers for performance, you can also customize the visual appearance of your vehicles with various paint themes and color palettes.
Throughout the game, you’ll find different skin themes as loot drops, similar to weapons and other gear. These themes allow you to drastically change the look of your ride. After selecting a theme, you can further personalize it by adjusting the three base colors to create a truly unique vehicle.
Borderlands 3 Vehicle Themes:
| Skin Name | Skin Description |
|---|---|
| Default | Classic Look |
| Atlas | You are now sponsored by the Atlas Corporation! |
| Magic Number | “Illusion, Michael” |
| Blue Angels | Who’s the star? You’re the star! |
| Bubblegum | Let’s face it, this paint job would exist even if we didn’t put it here. Chew on this! |
| Children of the Vault | The Calypsos probably wouldn’t like us rocking their color, but who cares? |
| Dahl | You are now sponsored by the Dahl Corporation! |
| Ellie | Ain’t that a beauty? Feel free to change it even though it would break my heart. |
| Follow-Me | Fancy a game of checkers? |
| Forest Camo | Forest Camo? Anyone happen to remember we’re invading a desert planet? |
| Golden Ticket | Big Donny gave his life so you could have this … well you took it from him. |
| Gearbox | Now where have I seen this before …? |
| Halftone | Want this one? Sign here on the dotted line. |
| Hyperion | You are now sponsored by the Hyperion Corporation! |
| Jakobs | You are now sponsored by the Jakobs Corporation! |
| I like dinosaurs | Life huh … finds a way. |
| Leather | A tough leather finish. |
| Maliwan | You are now sponsored by the Maliwan Corporation … wait what? |
| Plaid | So warm and fuzzy |
| Roadkill | Look at this beauty, just like new! Wait, is that blood? |
| Skag | We love Skags. Don’t you? |
| Stealth | For stealthy night operations. Not sure how it works with all these explosives. |
| Thunderbird | Instead of soaring through the sky, you will ram through skags. |
| Torgue | You are now sponsored by the Torgue Corporation! |
| Vaughn’s | Vaughn is serious with this Sunsmasher business. |
| Vladof | You are now sponsored by the Vladof Corporation! |
| Woodland Camo | Ideal for chasing those pesky CoVs on Pandora. |
Scanning Vehicle Parts: Expanding Your Arsenal
To acquire new car parts in Borderlands 3, you need to scan hijacked vehicles at a Catch-a-Ride station. Simply drive the vehicle onto the highlighted Digi-Struct spot within the station. Exit the vehicle, and the scanning process will automatically begin. The vehicle will be deconstructed, and any new components will be added to your inventory of available parts. You can then use these newly acquired parts to customize any of your future vehicle spawns at Catch-a-Ride stations.
Conclusion
Vehicle customization in Borderlands 3 is a robust and engaging system that adds a significant layer of depth to the gameplay. From choosing the base vehicle type to fine-tuning individual components and applying personalized skins, the possibilities for creating your perfect ride are extensive. By understanding all car parts Borderlands 3 offers and how to acquire them, you can build a vehicle that perfectly suits your playstyle and dominate the chaotic landscapes of the Borderlands. So get out there, hijack some rides, and start building your ultimate machine!
