The new Vantage GT3 is launched at the same time as the international debut of the new Vantage road car. It boasts enhanced performance, improved dynamics, and striking style, and represents the next chapter in Aston Martin’s prestigious motorsport history.
Marco Mattiacci, Global Chief Brand and Commercial Officer of Aston Martin, shared his thoughts on the new GT racer: “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. It also signals a closer relationship between our road and race programs, with Aston Martin Racing benefitting from the exceptional pool of talent, experience, and knowledge forged in Formula 1® and found throughout Aston Martin Performance Technologies.”
“The result is a truly state-of-the-art GT racer; one that shares its DNA with the latest Vantage road car, yet is perfectly evolved to suit the latest GT3 regulations. Descended from a successionThe new Vantage GT3 has attracted the attention of top GT racing teams worldwide, following in the footsteps of its successful predecessors. With a hunger for victory and a desire to continue Aston Martin’s impressive track record, the Vantage GT3 is aiming for success in the world’s greatest endurance races.
The Vantage GT3 is an evolution of the Vantage GTE and GT3 cars, which first appeared in 2018. It shares its mechanical architecture with the Vantage road car and is built around Aston Martin’s proven bonded aluminum chassis structure, powered by a powerful twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8 engine. The car features a new aerodynamic package, revised suspension, and advanced electronics, giving it the potential to dominate the world of GT racing.
Built to meet all FIA GT3 class regulations, including the new-for-2024 LMGT3 category, the new Vantage GT3 is globally competitive and will participate in various GT series including the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC), IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship (IMSA), Fanatec GT World Challenge, European Le Mans Series (ELMS), and the Nürburgring Langstrecken Serie (NLS).
The Vantage GT3 is the result of collaboration between Aston Martin Racing (AMR) and Aston Martin Performance Technologies (AMPT). Aston Martin’s Head of Endurance Motorsport, Adam Carter, explained, “The new GT3 is our first opportunity to use AMPT to leverage the capabilities, attitude, and methodologies of all of Aston Martin’s various nerve centers, which we’ve combined with the GT program management expertise of AMR. The GT racing program will serve as a development lab that will increase knowledge transfer and approach into future Aston Martin road cars.
Developed to meet objectives set by AMPT and implemented by AMR, the new Vantage GT3 has upgrades focused on improving handling characteristics to make it as drivable as possible for both professional and amateur drivers. An extensive development program was completed last year with the participation of Aston Martin’s contracted professional drivers and selected amateur racers. They reported the new Vantage GT3 to be a super-fast-yet-forgiving machine with no vices and a usefully wide set-up window that’s perfectly suited to the unique demands of top-level GT racing.
This is an image of the Aston Martin Vantage GT3. The lead engineer, Gustavo Betelli, was responsible for ensuring that the car achieved the desired balance of speed and drivability while adhering to the strict regulations of the FIA’s Balance of Performance (BoP). The focus was to maximize the car’s performance across different circuits, tire types, and drivers, while also meeting new regulations.
“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 tires much more evenly, so teams have more strategy options. 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!”.
Visually, the Vantage GT3 combines the striking design of the new Vantage road car with the extreme downforce-generating aerodynamics that make GT3 racing popular with racers and fans. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) was used extensively to achieve the desired targets for aerodynamic performance and efficiency, while staying within the FIA’s downforce limits. Input from Aston Martin’s Design department ensured that both function and form were well-matched.
The result is a truly stunning machine; it blends the muscular and unmistakable design language of the Vantage road car with the aggressive and poised nature of a purebred racer. One of the most notable features of the Vantage GT3 is the new nose. The widened grille aperture not only enhances the car’s appearance but also allows AMR to increase the volume of ducted cooling air to the brakes, resulting in more consistent performance for drivers.
The nose itself is a large one-piece clamshell made from carbon fiber. It has a quick-release design for rapid removal and replacement in the event of mid-race accident damage. The nose houses a full-width laser light and a shorter splitter, which moves the center of pressure rearwards to reduce pitch sensitivity and aid stability. Large louvers in the top of the front wheel arches evacuate high-pressure air to reduce lift, with an even larger stack of louvers in the rear arches allowing high pressure to escape from the rear to reduce drag.
Thanks to its widespread eligibility, the new Vantage GT3 is the weapon of choice for an impressive and ever-growing worldwide roster of Aston Martin Racing partner teams. This includes long-standing AMR partners Heart of Racing and D’station Racing, along with newcomers such as Germany’s Walkenhorst Motorsport and Belgian team ComToYou Racing. Additionally, Flying Lizard Motorsports, already a Vantage GT4 partner team, will now step up to the Vantage GT3 in the US. It is projected that as many as 30 Vantage GT3s will be actively racing by the end of the 2024 season.
This immediate popularity is the best possible endorsement for the AMR-built machine, which has already been seen in action at the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona and will be fighting for victory at the Nürburgring 24 Hours, Spa-Francorchamps 24 Hours and – most iconic of all – the 24 Hours of Le Mans later this year. The Vantage GT3 will also see action in a host of national GT championships around the globe – including the Japanese Super GT Championship and British GT Championship – underlining Aston Martin’s leading role in world motorsport.
Through its various generations since arriving on the world stage in 2012, the Aston Martin Vantage has consistently been a force to be reckoned with at the very highest levels of GT racing. With an incredible 52 class wins – the first of those scored on its WEC debut – and 11 world championship titles, plus a plethora of victories in a host of other national and international series, the Vantage name is synonymous with GT racing success. A tradition the new Vantage GT3 is set to continue.
Image Source: Zavatskiy Aleksandr / Shutterstock
