Drive fast and shoot straight in GTA Online's new Target Assault Races

A new race mode is coming to GTA Online that combines the two best things about life in Los Santos—dangerous driving and guns—into one super-sport. Target Assault Races puts one player on the wheel and another on the trigger in a race where accuracy is even more important than speed. 

Passing checkpoints and finishing in the top three will earn bonus points, but hitting the targets is what really counts: Smaller targets are worth more, and hitting the bullseye will earn more points too. That puts a lot of responsibility on the driver, who will have to keep the vehicles slow and steady (relatively speaking, anyway) rather than fast and furious.

"If your Gunner's on a streak, ease up on the throttle and let them rip through a few more targets before rushing to the next Checkpoint," Rockstar said. 

And we're not talking about leaning out of the passenger window with a .38, by the way: The guns in these races are basically anti-aircraft artillery, which is why most of the vehicles in the trailer are trucks of various sorts. (Yes, there are a few cars in there too, but let's be honest, a minigun mounted on the roof of a Lexus is neither practical nor a particularly good look.)   

Target Assault Races are live now, with seven new tracks and "an assortment of assault-minded vehicles," including the brand-new Vapid Caracara, a big, bruising bad-boy with a mud-camo paint scheme. Players can also score discounts on a number of other vehicles and upgrades, including the Mammoth Avenger, a "soaring tower of doom" that will serve as your very own airborne base of operations.   

The Premium Race this week is Liftoff, locked to the Super class, with GTA$ and triple RP up for grabs, and more of both on the table for anyone who can beat the par time in the "Observatory" Time Trial. Full details are on the Rockstar Newswire.