Aston Martin Debuts Vantage GT3 And GT4 Race Cars At Le Mans

Aston Martin Racing has revealed the new Vantage GT3 and GT4 race cars at Le Mans, with the Vantage GT3 to make its racing debut this weekend at the Aston Martin Racing Le Mans Festival.

The British marque’s new customer racing cars are derived from the Vantage GTE, which will also participate at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. All three racing versions of the new Aston Martin Vantage are powered by the turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 unit found in the road car and optimised by Aston Martin Racing.

The Vantage GT3 racing car tips the scales at 1245kg (2,744lbs) dry and produces around 535hp and 700Nm (516lb-ft) of torque, depending on boost pressure. The race car features a steel roll cage, an Xtrac six-speed sequential gearbox, an Alcon multiplate clutch, Öhlins four-way adjustable dampers and Alcon brakes.

The new Aston Martin Vantage GT3 will continue its development until its homologation on March 1, 2019, when it will replace the company’s most successful customer racing car to date, the V12 Vantage GT3. The latter is still winning races seven years after it was first introduced to the market.

The new Vantage GT4 may not compete this weekend but it will remain on display throughout the weekend, offering potential customers and race fans a first glimpse. Development for the new GT4 racer will continue throughout 2018, while the homologation date is the same with its GT3 sibling.

“Driveability and a wide operating window remain key targets for us as we develop the new Vantage GT3 and GT4 racing cars,” said Aston Martin Racing Managing Director John Gaw. “The fact that our customers can still purchase the V12 Vantage GT3 and be competitive seven years after it was introduced is a fantastic legacy to build on, and the new cars will take this concept on in leaps and bounds.”