Aston Martin has revealed a race-prepared GT3 version of its new road-going Vantage coupe. The GT3 car is set to compete in global race series, including the FIA World Endurance Championship. Based on the underpinnings of the recently revamped roadgoing sports car, the new racer is designed to prove Aston's commitment to working more closely with its race teams to develop sports cars.
Road car derived
Under the skin, the Vantage GT3 is based around the same bonded aluminium chassis structure as the new Vantage coupe, and it gets much the same 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 petrol engine. But Aston Martin Racing has made its own adjustments to ensure the car meets the demands of racers and the requirements of motorsport's governing body, the FIA.
The British brand says it has designed the car to address some of the old car's "more challenging characteristics," with the aim of making the car easier to drive for both professional and amateur drivers.
Over the course of an extensive test process, including a 30-hour endurance test, Aston Martin says its professional drivers and selected amateur racers have deemed the car "super-fast, yet forgiving." The company also claims to have given the car a "usefully wide" operating window designed to suit any circuit, any car and any driver.
Carbon-fibre body
Although the GT3 racer is based on the road car, it has its own bespoke body, complete with a one-piece clamshell nose made of carbon fibre. That incorporates a quick-release system for rapid removal in the event of mid-race damage. The nose features a full-width laser light and a shorter splitter, which moves the centre of aerodynamic pressure back for better stability.
What's more, there are louvres in the wheel arches to reduce lift, while the grille has been adapted to increase the volume of air flowing to the brakes for extra cooling.
All of which, Aston says, makes the Vantage GT3 a "truly global competitor," set to compete in "the world's most competitive GT series," including the FIA World Endurance Championship, the Fanatec GT World Challenge and the European Le Mans Series.
Endurance racing and road driving
"Simultaneously revealing the new Vantage and Vantage GT3 race car underlines Aston Martin's commitment to building the world's finest sports car, and then proving its capabilities on-track," said Aston Martin's global chief brand and commercial officer, Marco Mattiacci. "It also signals a closer relationship between our road and race programmes, with Aston Martin Racing benefitting from the exceptional pool of talent, experience and knowledge forged in Formula 1. The result is a truly state-of-the-art GT racer; one that clearly shares its DNA with the latest Vantage road car, yet is perfectly evolved to suit the latest GT3 regulations."
The new Vantage GT3 will be available to amateur drivers, as well as being used by the works team. The car goes on sale alongside the new Vantage road car, the first examples of which will be delivered to customers in the second quarter of 2024.