A week after the Vantage GTE dominated at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Aston Martin has confirmed its customer racing-spec GT8R is ready to race at N24. The just-finished SP8T class Vantage - which slots into the racing range below the GTE and GT3, but above the GT4 - will be run by the Garage 59 team with the all-star driver line-up of Darren Turner, Jonny Adam (who won the GTE Am class last weekend) and Aston chief test driver, Chris Goodwin, as well as GT World Challenge class race winner Alexander West. No excuses, then.
While the weekend's daylong race will be the GT8R's official debut, a prototype for the car did actually win its class at last year's race. So it's not exactly a standing start, although the specification has been evolved since then, with the car building on the Vantage GT4 base as per SP8T regulations. The rules demand a target of 549hp from its AMG 4.0-litre V8 and a 1,450kg weight, while allowing for a larger rear wing, new dive planes and a bigger splitter, thereby building on the underlying performance of a GT4-spec car.
Aston Martin Racing president David King said: "This car was borne out of a desire from our existing customers who wanted to step up to a faster machine than the Vantage GT4, and from our desire to have a truly competitive car in the increasingly important SP8T class at the Nu?rburgring. The GT8R exploits a gap in the market that allows drivers to experience the user- friendly accessibility of the entry-level Vantage, while delivering a significant step-up in performance."
For those not familiar with the differences in performance between classes from first-hand experience, Turner explained the boost in pace this slick-shod racer offers. "The GT8R is such a fun car to race - it's really easy to drive and gives the driver so much confidence. You can really feel the step up in performance, but it remains a far less demanding car to race than a high downforce GT3 or GTE. I've loved driving it around the Nordschleife and I can't wait to return there this weekend."
While the Garage 59's driver line-up are all pros, the GT8R is designed to be approachable for amateurs, as well. Last weekend's result will no doubt have upped the appeal of the new machine, which is on sale now from £225,000, or can be created using an existing GT4 as a base for those wanting to make the step up in class. Its specification means it can be entered into the likes of Britain's GT Cup, Japan's Super Taikyu and America's Transam Series, along with the New Zealand Endurance Championship and NLS Series at the Nurburgring. There's also nothing stopping track day enthusiasts wanting something mad from bagging one for maximum pitlane legend status.
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