The recent Gunrunning DLC for GTA Online introduced weaponized vehicles. Since then, drip-fed weekly vehicle updates have given us several retro classic supercars. Rockstar has now really pushed this theme to its limit with the newest DLC vehicle, a weaponized retro sportscar.
I'm half certain someone jokingly predicted this on Reddit in the past few weeks.
Welcome the Ocelot Ardent, a vehicle based on the 5th gen Lotus Esprit with dual front-facing machine guns added. Falling into the sports classic class, the Ardent isn't technically a "weaponized" vehicle in in-game terms, but those machine guns aren't just for show, either.
It's a rare car that allows you to be perfectly composed, effortlessly suave and extraordinarily violent all at the same time - and yet, somehow, the Ardent does all that and more. Behind the wheel of this masterpiece there's nothing you can't do: lose your pursuers, pop the dual machine guns, gun down the survivors, drop a pithy remark, open the champagne, have a quickie, drive into the sea, realize you've made a terrible mistake, and swiftly drown.
Many fans have voiced that they feel Rockstar dropped the ball with this one for missing the obvious opportunity to make this car submersible. The 5th gen Esprit was used in The Spy who Loved Me by 007, and the gadget-laden car had the neat bonus of turning into a submersible. After GTA Online added things like the lightcycle from Tron (Shotaro), K.I.T.T from Knight Rider (Ruiner 2000) and the Street Hawk from Street Hawk (Oppressor), a submersible car wouldn't have been pushing the limits of realism here.
Due to the weapons, you cannot race with the Ardent, which is a shame since it's a decently swift car. It has no armor and few upgrade options. It costs GTA $1,150,000, but many say they would have preferred either a cheaper version with no guns that can race, or a more expensive version that is actually a sub. Alas, in its current form, the Ardent is an unarmored Nightshark with a sleeker body.
At least it has some rad liveries.
Rockstar is going all-out this week with Double RP and cash promotions, slapping it on a bevy of Adversary Modes. There is a special playlist called the Bunker Series which includes maps set in Bunkers from various modes. Playing this, or any of the maps included on their own, will net you double rewards. Additionally, Vehicle Vendetta will be paying out double as well.
Plus, export missions from last year's Import/Export DLC are also paying double. Before Gunrunning came around, export missions were without a doubt one of the most lucrative activities in GTA Online, and even now it is disputed which of the two businesses gets you more cash. While this promo lasts, however, it is guaranteed that export missions will earn you massive amounts of money. Check out our guides on how to maximise your income.
To give players a head start who haven't dipped their feet into the warm, welcoming pool of illegal car salesmanship, Rockstar has slapped a 25% discount on all vehicle warehouses, which are required to run these missions.
If you haven't blown ridiculous amounts of money to fast-track all of your research yet, you'll benefit from a 25% increase on all research rates. When not fast-tracked, research can take excruciating amounts of time, so this will speed things up if only a tad.
Rockstar might be cycling through discounted bunkers each week now. Following last week's discount on Route 68, this week the Smoke Tree Road Bunker is 25% off. Additionally, all executive offices, which act as your gateway into the life of white-collar crime, are also 25% off.
A few vehicles have also been discounted by 25%, most notably the Rocket Voltic, which is a car with a jet engine strapped to its rear. In case you already own one of those, the Cognoscenti 55 and Schafter LWB are discounted by the same amounts.
Fans are eager to get some more substantial content in GTA Online as the vehicle-a-week schedule is wearing a tad thin on some. We cannot expect any major content on the scale of Gunrunning until late winter, aligning with last year's December release for Import/Export. However, something smaller, more akin to Cunning Stunts, could be on the verge of being released, and it would be about time, too.
