How to Unlock HSW Upgrades in GTA Online

To get HSW upgrades in GTA Online, use a supported game edition and take an eligible personal vehicle to Hao’s Special Works inside the LS Car Meet. In the workshop, select the HSW conversion or any available HSW performance option and review its price before confirming. The old route through an LSIA garage is incorrect: the standard HSW workshop is inside the LS Car Meet in Cypress Flats.

You do not need to win a weekly HSW Time Trial just to install upgrades. Rockstar also removed Hao’s Intro Race as a requirement for accessing the HSW Upgrade Service on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. That race and the weekly HSW events are separate from the vehicle-modification process.

Check your platform and find Hao’s Special Works

HSW is available in GTA Online on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and the GTAV Enhanced edition for PC. It is not part of the PS4, Xbox One, or PC Legacy versions. On PC, check the game launcher or title screen to make sure you are starting Enhanced, not Legacy. Rockstar’s PC Enhanced announcement identifies Hao’s Special Works as one of the features added to the Enhanced release.

Open the map and travel to the LS Car Meet in Cypress Flats. If this is your first visit, follow the on-screen prompt to enter the meet and complete any membership step it presents. The HSW work area is inside the meet, not at Los Santos International Airport. Some GTA+ members can also use HSW options in a mansion Vehicle Workshop if they own a mansion and purchased that workshop upgrade; Rockstar lists that access in its Title Update 1.72 notes.

How to unlock and install HSW upgrades: four steps

1. Start the supported version. Load GTA Online on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, or PC Enhanced. If HSW is missing on PC, verify the edition first; updating PC Legacy will not add the Enhanced-only workshop.
2. Enter the LS Car Meet. Set a waypoint to the LS Car Meet map icon in Cypress Flats, drive there, and enter. This is the regular place to use Hao’s Special Works.
3. Bring an eligible personal vehicle. Drive a vehicle you own into the HSW modification area. The HSW conversion or service option appears only for compatible vehicles. A high top speed, vehicle class, or ordinary Los Santos Customs upgrades do not make a car HSW-eligible.
4. Choose the conversion and confirm the parts. Select the HSW conversion when it appears, then review the available performance and cosmetic options. Check each displayed price and confirm only the work you want. The price depends on the vehicle and selected work; there is no reliable flat GTA$50,000–$100,000 price for every HSW car.

Which cars can receive HSW upgrades?

Only selected vehicles can use Hao’s Special Works. Rockstar’s PC Enhanced launch announcement named an expanded eligible roster, and later updates have added more vehicles. Examples confirmed in Rockstar announcements and update notes include:

This is a set of examples, not a promise that every car in a class qualifies or a complete live roster. Eligibility expands with updates. Before buying a vehicle specifically for HSW, check the current Rockstar vehicle announcement and, most importantly, confirm that the HSW option appears for that exact vehicle in your workshop. Older lists can include non-compatible cars or omit later additions.

What HSW changes—and what it does not

An HSW conversion gives a compatible vehicle access to Hao-specific performance tuning and, where offered, HSW cosmetics. The exact options vary by model. The workshop menu is the dependable place to see the conversion cost, available parts, and any current discount. Rockstar’s launch material describes HSW as a high-performance upgrade service; it does not promise that every converted car will have the same top speed or handling.

Do not treat HSW and Imani Tech as interchangeable. Some vehicles can support both systems, but HSW is vehicle performance tuning, while Imani Tech options are separate upgrades with their own compatibility rules. Likewise, installing ordinary engine, brake, or transmission upgrades at another shop does not unlock HSW.

Do you need Hao’s Intro Race or an HSW Time Trial?

For the HSW Upgrade Service, Rockstar’s update notes say PS5 and Xbox Series X|S players no longer need to complete Hao’s Intro Race. If the workshop still blocks access on a supported edition, read the prompt shown in your game and confirm you have the current update. An HSW Time Trial is a separate timed activity, and HSW Race Series access can have its own requirements; neither should be confused with selecting an HSW conversion in the shop. See Rockstar’s Title Update 1.64 notes for the change to upgrade-service access.

Quick troubleshooting checklist

• No HSW option appears: confirm you are on a supported edition and that the exact personal vehicle is eligible.
• You are on PC: check that you launched GTAV Enhanced, not GTAV Legacy.
• You are looking at LSIA: go to the LS Car Meet in Cypress Flats; that is the standard HSW location.
• You want to race: complete any activity requirement shown for the HSW race or time trial, but do not mistake it for the normal upgrade-service path.
• The displayed price differs from an online guide: use the price shown in your current game, since vehicle-specific costs and active discounts can change.

Once the conversion is installed, compare the car’s handling in a safe test area before taking it into a crowded race. Start with the parts that suit how you drive, and keep the in-game price display open as you customize. That is the most dependable way to unlock HSW upgrades in GTA Online without buying the wrong car or following an outdated unlock route.