GTA 5's cars and motorcycles feature more than 1,000 mods

Players will be able to customize their vehicles at a one-stop shop in Grand Theft Auto 5, a system Rockstar Games wanted to deeply integrate with other features, according to an interview with the game's producer and lead mission designer Imran Sarwar on Game Informer.

Sarwar said the addition of in-depth car customization is not just a nod to the similar system in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, but something the development team wanted intimately connected with the game's other features.

"Rather than it simply being an additional option for players to experiment with, we wanted to expand it and integrate it more deeply into the game so that it would seamlessly slot in with everything else that the player can do in the world," Sarwar said. "Some missions ask you to customize vehicles in certain ways, and we have taken vehicle customization in general a lot further than we did in San Andreas."

Sarwar said the new in-game auto body shop, LS Customs, will be a one-stop place for players to bring their car or bike for customization. LS Customs shops will be scattered throughout the world so players have multiple, convenient locations to choose from.

Customization options include new body kits, wheels, exhaust tips, tinted windows, paint jobs and paint finishes, extra lights and even the color of smoke off a vehicle's tires. Players will be able to make changes that will affect gameplay and vehicle performance, with more than 1,000 modifications to choose from — suspension, different horns, bulletproof tires, panel armor and tweaks to the engine are all on the table. Customized cars can also be photographed using players' in-game cell phone and uploaded to Grand Theft Auto 5's Social Club feature.

Players will also have more weapons customization options, with access to more clips, grips, flashlights, suppressors and cosmetic changes designed to let players create a weapon that fits their own style and gives them more attack options.

"Attachments such as suppressors allow the player to adapt their approach to some missions and take a stealth option," Sarwar said. "It's all part of broadening the range of tactical options for the player."

Grand Theft Auto 5 will launch on Sept. 17 for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Check out the latest gameplay trailer here.