Aston Martin Racing hones and improves the Vantage GT4

With the latest Aston Martin Vantage road car set to debut at next week’s Geneva Motor Show, a revised version of its closest circuit-racing sibling made a debut appearance of its own at Silverstone on Friday (2 March). The 2012 Aston Martin Vantage GT4 features an all-new aerodynamic package plus further improvements to the rollcage and fuel tank.

For the first time, the Vantage GT4 gets a carbon fibre rear wing, working in conjunction with a larger front splitter to increase downforce for greater dynamic performance, while also adding visual tension to the muscular Vantage bodywork. The re-designed rollcage conforms to the latest FIA regulations and improves access and legroom, while the mid-mounted, 115-litre fuel tank lowers the centre of gravity for better weight distribution. The fuel tank’s twin quick-fill entries in the rear quarter-lights are directly carried over from the recently launched Vantage GT3.

John Gaw, Managing Director of Aston Martin Racing said: “We have taken the opportunity to make some quite dramatic aerodynamic enhancements to the Vantage GT4, which will close the performance gap between this entry level GT car and the GT3.  We have also fitted the car with the same roll cage and fuel tank configuration that’s found in the Vantage GT3 and GTE. We are about to sell our 100th Vantage GT4 and since its launch it has been one of the most successful cars in its class; the Vantage GT4 and its predecessor, the Vantage N24, scored many 24 Hour race class victories, the 2010 European GT4 Cup title and also back-to-back championship victories in the Nürburgring VLN series in 2010 and 2011.

“The revised version has very large boots to fill, but given the effort we’ve put into developing the upgrades and following a successful first outing, we’re very confident that the 2012 Vantage GT4 will pick up where its predecessor left off.”

David King, Head of Motorsport at Aston Martin Lagonda, added: “The launch of the 2012 Vantage GT4 completes the comprehensive overhaul of Aston Martin’s race car line up. Late last year we revealed the V12-powered Vantage GT3 and last month our new Vantage GTE – which Aston Martin Racing will run in the FIA World Endurance Championship and at the 24 Hours of Le Mans – made its debut in London.

“All three models benefit from Aston Martin Racing’s seven years of experience in international motorsport, during which time we scored back-to-back GT1 victories at Le Mans. Not only have all of our racing cars been revised or completely overhauled for the 2012 season, they are all now based on Aston Martin’s sportiest road car, the Vantage.”

The road-going Vantage will show off its most comprehensive raft of improvements since 2008 at the Geneva Motor Show, including aerodynamic enhancements that draw inspiration from Aston Martin Racing’s GT motorsport programmes. The Vantage GT4 benefits from the road car’s exceptionally rigid bonded aluminium chassis, basic suspension design and 4.7-litre V8 engine while the compact dimensions lend themselves perfectly to circuit racing.

Costing from £119,500, the 2012 Vantage GT4 will be officially presented at the GT4 balancing test at Zandvoort, the Netherlands, on 6-7 March and will be eligible to race in all GT4 series including the European GT4 Championship, Blancpain Endurance Championship, the VLN series, British GT, Britcar, Brazilian GT, Belgian Endurance Championship, Dutch GT Championship, GT Asia series and most national series with a GT4 category.