New Vantage means new a new GT3 version for racing worldwide

Change Image   |   Delete Image

Aston Martin has announced the racing Vantage won’t die with the old body style. The new car means a new GT3 racer is on the way. Just like the new car, the new racing version will sport updated aesthetics and sleek lines, but this one will have a far less plush interior than the updated road car!

This new Vantage GT3 is the first project in collaboration with Aston Martin Racing and Aston Martin Performance Technologies. They put the new car through a 30-hour test to ensure it was ready for Pro and Amateur races. The aerodynamics was reworked, and the suspension was revised to maximize the performance of the updated chassis.

• 
• 
• 
• 

Change Gallery | Delete

The outgoing car set a high bar with 52 class wins, and 11 world titles between 2012 and 2023. Professional drivers were tasked with test-driving the new car and providing feedback on its competitiveness. They reported the car is “super-fast-yet-forgiving” with “no vices.” They were able to find a sweet spot with this new car that should prove to be ultra-competitive in all the racing series it will be seeing duty in.

The lead engineer on the program, Aston Martin Racing’s Head of Performance, Gustavo Betelli was quoted as saying:

“These new generation GT3 cars are more dependent than ever on aerodynamic downforce, so we wanted to make the car more stable under braking. The old car would dive a lot under braking, so we had to try and control the pitch with the rear suspension set-up. But this meant it was stiff, which made it quite snappy and, also over-worked the tyres. Working heavily on damper tuning, we have found a much better balance with the new car so we can generate the downforce without compromising the suspension set-up. The result is much-improved progression and greater stability in all conditions. It also works its tyres much more evenly, so teams have more options on strategy. The feedback from drivers who’ve tested it has been overwhelmingly positive. Especially the amateur racers, who have been able to achieve lap times that are much closer to the Pros. Now we need to go racing!”.

And go racing they shall! The car will be seen this year in the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona, Nürburgring 24 Hours, Spa-Francorchamps 24 Hour, and the 24 Hours of Le Mans as well as national series such as the Japanese Super GT Championship, British GT, and others. Several teams are already set to run the new car with upwards of 30 Vantage GT3s actively racing by the end of 2024 season. Look for the new Vantage GT3 at a track near you soon!

– M. T. Blake

(FB & IG @_mtblake)