Words by Shubham Choukse
Aston Martin has a long and glorious history in racing and taking that further will be the new 2018 Vantage GTE race car. Unveiled together with the 2018 Vantage road car, the new Vantage GTE gets extensive aero and performance upgrades which take the core design and dynamics of the road car to a whole new level.
Powering the GTE racer is the same AMG built 4-litre twin-turbo V8 motor as seen on the 2018 Vantage road car but to comply with FIA’s strict GTE regulations, it features a host of performance upgrades. The company hasn’t revealed any mechanical details but looking at the 503bhp and 685Nm, power and torque figures of the Vantage road car, expect the GTE race car to be even more powerful.
Though the GTE is designed and engineered in-house at Aston Martin Racing’s headquarters in Banbury, to maximise the performance, the company is working with new technical partners such as Alcon for brakes, Ohlins for suspension and Michelin for a bespoke tyre programme. The project is led by AMR’s Technical Director Dan Sayers, the man behind the design and development of the current V8 Vantage GTE – the car credited with 37 of the team’s 51 international race victories, including two Le Mans 24 Hour class wins. Winning its final WEC race in Bahrain recently, the current generation Vantage GTE race car bowed out in real style, it will be recognised as one of the greatest cars in GT racing.
Although unveiled recently together with the road car, the company claims that the 2018 Vantage GTE has already been tested extensively including a 30-hour run at the Spanish circuit of Navarra and the notorious Sebring circuit in Florida. All the AMR’s current drivers including Darren Turner, Jonny Adam, Nicki Thiim, Marco Sørensen and Alex Lynn have also contributed in the development of the new GTE.
The new Vantage GTE will be making its racing debut at Spa next year.