Automobiles Review

Tag: Aston Martin GT3

  • Aston Martin – Nurburgring 24 hour

    Aston Martin will compete in the ADAC Zurich Nurburgring 24 Hours on 19th and 20th May. Eight cars will take place in the epic battle at the world’s most famous and tough race track. The brand will field its most ambitious entry to date with four official Aston Martins – including a pair of V12-powered Vantage GT3s – supported by a further four customer cars.

    More than 170 cars will start at the 24 hour race on the daunting 25km circuit that combines the legendary Nordschleife with the modern Grand Prix track.

    Having focused its efforts in previous years on near production-specification cars since its 2006 Nürburgring24 Hour debut, Aston Martin will, for the first time, be represented in the senior SP9 category for FIA-homologated GT3 cars. The pair of V12 Vantage GT3s will be run in association with long-standing official partner team, Young Driver AMR.

    The lead Vantage GT3, carrying the iconic #007 designation, will be driven by Johannes and Ferdinand Stuck (A) – sons of triple Nürburgring 24 Hour winner Hans-Joachim Stuck – alongside Dennis Rostek (D) and Aston Martin Racing factory driver Darren Turner (GB). Turner’s regular works team-mate, Stefan Mücke, will drive the #006 car with Tomas Enge (CZ), Fredy Barth (CH) and Oliver Mathai (D).

    Aston Martin - Nurburgring 24 hour
    Aston Martin – Nurburgring 24 hour

    In addition, Aston Martin’s engineering department will return with the spectacular V12 Zagato concept car that made its Nürburgring24 Hour debut in 2011. Targeting another successful race finish will be Aston Martin Chief Executive Dr Ulrich Bez (D), Chief Engineer Chris Porritt (GB), Aston Martin Nürburgring Test Centre Director Wolfgang Schuhbauer (D) and renowned motoring journalist and racer Richard Meaden (GB).

    “Our 100 per cent finishing record in thirteen starts in one of the world’s toughest endurance races is remarkable; truly a testament to the reliability of our cars and the efforts of our people. In the past six years we have deliberately focused on racing close-to-production cars, achieving seven class podiums and three class wins. For 2012, I am delighted to be returning again to drive our V12 Zagato with my engineering team, but also to have such an exciting step up with the V12 Vantage GT3s.”, commented Ahead of the race, Dr Bez.

    The fourth official entry will be a V8-powered Vantage run by Aston Martin’s Nürburgring Test Centre team and driven by Jurgen Stumpf (D), Australians Mal Rose and Rob Thomson, and Peter Cate (GB). Aston Martin will be represented by four further customer outfits, including Team Mathol Racing, winners of the SP10 class for GT4 cars in 2010.

    The 40th ADAC Zurich Nürburgring 24 Hours starts at 16:00 CET on Saturday, 19 May.

    Aston Martin - Nurburgring 24 hour
    Aston Martin - Nurburgring 24 hour

    Source: Aston Martin

  • Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3

    What happens, when you put 600BHP V12 engine in 1250kg car? The answer is very simple – it happens something really good and nice to drive and in this case to watch.

    Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3 is not only extremely fast race car, but it is incredibly beautiful, too. The tests of the vehicle has just began and the racing team has already covered almost 1000 kilometres in just two days. The majority of the mileage was conducted by factory driver Darren Turner.

    “The car ran like clockwork throughout and we’ve managed really good mileage already. The feeling of the V12 Vantage GT3 is a massive step forward from the DBRS9. Being based on the smaller Vantage it is more responsive and feels more nimble, giving the driver plenty of confidence to extract all the performance from the V12 engine while also being light on its tyres. It isn’t too physical to drive and I didn’t even break into a sweat during the test!”, said mr. Turner, after two days behind the wheel.

    “With the clean styling and the amazing sounding V12, it’s closer to the core values of Aston Martin’s road cars than any of the racing cars we’ve ever built. I’m certain it’ll become a favourite among motorsport fans in no time at all.”, he added.

    The V12 Vantage GT3 is a direct replacement for the Aston Martin DBRS9, which first competed in 2006 and went on to score many race and championship wins including the 2007 British GT Championship and the 2009 FIA GT3 Teams’ Championship.

    The engine is the most staggering element in the V12 Vantage GT3. It is 6.0 liter twelve-cylinder naturally aspirated monster with 600BHP (445 kW) and 700Nm (517 lb-ft) of torque. All that power is sent to the limited slip differential at the rear wheels through Xtrac 6-speed sequential transmission.

    Aston Martin Racing will continue with the V12 Vantage GT3’s comprehensive testing programme into the New Year and beyond.

    You can check the full specs, below!

    Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3
    Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3
    Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3
    Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3

    Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3 Specs:

    • Engine

      Lightweight V12
      Dry sump oil system
      Power >600bhp
      Torque >700Nm

    • Transmission

      Xtrac 6 speed sequential transmission with semi-auto gear change
      Limited slip ramp/plate differential
      Carbon fibre propshaft

    • Chassis

      Lightweight aluminium chassis
      Steel roll cage to FIA safety standards
      High speed pneumatic jack system

    • Suspension

      Double wishbone with uniball bearings
      2-way adjustable dampers front and rear
      Optimised geometry for lower race ride height

    • Steering

      Hydraulic power assisted steering

    • Fuel system

      110-litre fuel cell to FIA safety standards
      Twin quick release couplings

    • Brakes

      6 pot front & 4 pot rear calipers with ventilated steel discs
      Manually adjustable front/rear brake bias
      Adjustable motorsport ABS and traction control

    • Wheels & Tyres

      Front 12.5” x 18”        30/68-18
      Rear  13” x 18”            31/71-18

    • Cockpit

      Six-point safety harness
      Adjustable seat & pedal box position
      Lightweight battery
      Carbon fibre dash
      Fire extinguisher system
      Driver display and shift lights

    • Body & Aero

      Removable carbon-fibre body panels & aluminium roof
      Front splitter
      Adjustable full width carbon fibre rear wing
      Aerodynamically optimised bumpers, side sills and rear fenders

    • Weight

      Dry weight 1250kg

    Source: Aston Martin

  • Aston Martin Vantage GT3

    Aston Martin has announced Vantage GT3, which is based on the V12 engined road car. The race car will be ready to hit the race tracks in 2012.

    The Vantage GT3 will take the place of the DBRS9, launched in 2006 at Le Mans. The new Vantage GT3 joins the Vantage GT2, GT4, DBR9 GT1 and the AMR-One LMP1. The line-up is really astonishing.

    The race car meets all FIA regulations and is powered by a lightweight dry-sumped 6.0 litre V12 engine mated to a race semi-automatic paddle shift Xtrac gearbox and the latest race-developed ABS and traction control systems

    “The DBRS9 has been a very successful GT3 racing car and, despite being more than six years old, is still competitive today.”, commented John Gaw, Aston Martin Racing Managing Director.

    “However, the competition has moved on and we needed to create a new car that combines our six years’ experience in this category with the latest race technology to continue Aston Martin’s success in GT3 for many years to come.”, he added.

    Aston Marting Vantage GT3 will have a curb weight of 1250 kg and the power will be in excess of 600BHP and 700Nm. The first car will be completed in July 2011 and it will be put in serious testing. 10 units will then be built ready for delivery for the start of the 2012 season.

    Aston Martin Vantage GT3

    Aston Martin Vantage GT3

    Source: Aston Martin