We compare Aston Martin Racing's entry-level GT4 race car with the road car it's based on
Aston Martin knows how to win. Associated with top-flight motor racing since its founders first competed in hill climbs back in 1913, the brand has battled away doggedly in almost every series and category you care to mention – including F1, if you consider its current Red Bull sponsorship. But within the motorsport community it’s sports car racing that Aston has become truly synonymous with. Even after a 40-year hiatus, when it returned to international competition back in 2005 Aston soon returned to its winning ways, scoring a victory in its very first race before going on to nab class wins at Le Mans in 2007, 2008, 2014 and 2017.
When Aston Martin introduces a new racer, teams, drivers and fans sit up and take notice.
Especially after the legacy left from the incredibly successful V12 Vantage and V8 Vantage GT4s that continued to win races and lead championships 12 years after the very first customer car was delivered.
Over little more than a decade Aston Martin Racing (AMR), which operates in partnership with motorsport engineering firm Prodrive, has made only 42 V12 Vantage GT3s and 124 GT4s, which doesn’t sound like much.
But factor in the support needed for the private teams – and all the spares that entails for just one race season — and you begin to understand why the business remains profitable for the small British sports car-maker.
Starting from scratch, both the GT3 and GT4 racers were developed side-by-side with the road car over a period of 18 months.
This gave huge scope for AMR to help steer the design and engineering process, suggesting changes along the way to the bare bones to help create a faster racer.
It also meant the motorsport division had a far greater pool of resources and a crucial head start compared to a private engineering firm adapting a finished road car into a racer.
Standing side by side, at first glance it’s hard not to believe the white Aston Martin isn’t a full-fat GT3 racer – such are the comprehensive changes over the retina-melting orange road car.
In case you need reminding, the GT4 category was originally created to keep costs down for emerging young talent and amateur privateers to be capable of safely competing in a closely fought series.
Sitting low to the ground it’s the large prominent front splitter, dive planes and huge rear wing and diffuser that draw the eye, hinting at huge changes. Yes, the GT4 car does produce much more downforce compared to its road-going cousin but, under the bonnet, the same Mercedes-AMG twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8 lies.
Producing exactly the same 375kW and 685Nm as the standard car, the racer even keeps its eight-speed automatic transmission that only boasts different mapping for faster changes.
The only mechanical under-bonnet tinkering AMR undertook involves improving cooling. Having a pair of turbochargers placed deep within the hot-vee might be good for minimising turbo lag but flat-out racing in places like the Middle East requires extra vents for dissipating the temperatures.
Speaking of heat, the Vantage V8’s mighty carbon-ceramic brakes were not deemed up for the task of racing a 24-hour events like the Nurburgring N24, so the GT4 runs a set of motorsport-bred Alcon-sourced stoppers.
Once homologated, both the private teams and even Aston Martin itself are not allowed to continue evolving the car during the season, with only set-up changes using the two-way adjustable dampers permitted.
Inside, the interior has all been junked for a full FIA-approved roll-cage and fire suppression system that helps lower GT4 mass to around 1400kg – not bad, but the motorsport governing body carefully test drives all the GT4 racers to ensure no manufacturer has a performance advantage.
This ensures rivals like the dinky Mazda MX-5 GT4, in theory at least, can keep up with the Aston on any given track.
At $70,000 more that the road car, it seems a small price to pay for the wealth of experience and engineering excellence AMR has seemingly lavished on its cheapest racer and while others suffer at least a season of teething issues, shortly after we met the latest GT4 off the line a near identical racer won the prestigious Nurbrurging 24 Hours in its first outing there.
During the same weekend the bigger, faster Vantage GT3 scored a pole position, race win and nailed the fastest lap at the Donnington Round of the British GT Championship, cementing a vintage racing weekend for Aston Martin Racing and hinting that there’s an awful lot more to come from both Vantage-based racers.
How much does the 2019 Aston Martin Vantage cost? Price: $299,950 (plus on-road costs) Engine: 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 petrol Output: 375kW/685Nm Transmission: Eight-speed automatic Fuel: 10.3L/100km (ADR Combined) CO2: 236g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Not tested
How much does the 2019 Aston Martin Vantage GT4 cost? Price: $370,000 (plus taxes) Engine: 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 petrol Output: 375kW/685Nm Transmission: Eight-speed automatic Fuel: 10.3L/100km (estimated) CO2: 236g/km (estimated)
Safety rating: Not tested
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Keyword: BEST OF BRITISH: Aston Martin Vantage v Aston Martin Vantage GT4