Skip advert
Advertisement

New Aston Martin Racing Vantage GTE revealed

AMR’s new Vantage GTE, derived from the newly revealed Vantage road car, is set to compete in the 2018 WEC Championship.

Aston Martin Racing has revealed its 2018 WEC championship contender, the all-new Vantage GTE. Developed in parallel with the new road-going Vantage, it’s hoped the new racing car will be able emulate the record breaking success of its predecessor, the most successful Aston Martin racing car ever.

As with the road car, the new AMR Vantage GTE utilises a 4-litre turbocharged V8 engine from AMG that replaces the current car’s naturally aspirated V8. Built on a lightweight aluminium chassis, the new race car will probably weigh in at somewhere around 1200kg and produce upwards of 500bhp as per the current GTE class regulations.

Advertisement - Article continues below

> Click here for everything you need to know about the all-new Aston Martin Vantage

Designed under the stewardship of Chief Creative Officer Marek Reichman, the road-going Vantage’s aerodynamic features were easily modified to house the extreme appendages required in the design of a GTE Pro-class car. The track has been significantly widened compared to the road car’s and there is also a massive rear wing and rear diffuser combo at the rear.

Development of the new Vantage GTE is already well underway, with the engineering team based at AMR’s Banbury HQ already having completed 13,000 development miles, including a 30-hour stint at the Navarra circuit in Spain.

Aston Martin Racing has also worked with new technical partners such as Alcon and Öhlins in the development of new brakes and suspension for the race car. Michelin, meanwhile, has also been involved in the development of new tyres to maximise the Vantage GTE’s on-track performance, says Aston Martin.

> Click here for our story on the upcoming Aston Martin Vanquish

Satisfied with its progress so far, AMR Technical Director Dan Sayers said: “Attention to detail is infinitely better and we’ve moved forwards a long way in terms of mass versus stiffness and centre of gravity.”

Due to hit the track alongside established GTE Pro contenders from manufacturers like Porsche and Ferrari, the AMR Vantage GTE will also have to battle the all-new BMW M8 GTE, which, like the Aston, was developed alongside its production car relative. With the rivals due to hit the track for the first time at Spa in May next year, the 2018 GTE Pro Endurance championship should be an interesting one indeed. 

Skip advert
Advertisement

Recommended

Aston Martin V8 Vantage (2005 - 2017) – Aston’s long-serving foil for the 911
Aston Martin V8 Vantage front
Reviews

Aston Martin V8 Vantage (2005 - 2017) – Aston’s long-serving foil for the 911

The so-called ‘baby Aston’ was always punchy but got better and better over the years. It's now a sorely tempting used prospect
4 Feb 2025
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

VW Golf GTI Clubsport for £6k off – Akrapovic exhaust effectively thrown in free
Volkswagen Golf GTI Clubsport deal
News

VW Golf GTI Clubsport for £6k off – Akrapovic exhaust effectively thrown in free

The Volkswagen Golf GTI Clubsport in Mk8.5 guise makes for a tempting prospect at the right price
3 Jul 2025
New Alpine A290 Rallye is an electric car we actually want, but there's a catch
Alpine A290 Rallye
News

New Alpine A290 Rallye is an electric car we actually want, but there's a catch

The A290 has proven to be one of the best performance EVs yet, and now Alpine's taking it one step further with a rally variant
3 Jul 2025
Best used sports cars – proper performance cars for less than a new Golf GTI
Cheap sports cars
Best cars

Best used sports cars – proper performance cars for less than a new Golf GTI

With the sun shining and fuel prices palatable, now is the time to indulge your used sports car desires
1 Jul 2025