The New Aston Martin Vantage GT4 Is a Race Car for the Young Pros of Driving

The unveiling of the new and improved Vantage was followed shortly after by the presentation of the Vantage GT3 challenger, a beast intended to be used in some of the most intense races in the world. And now comes something equally as exciting, but aimed more at the junior categories of GT racing: the Aston Martin Vantage GT4.

A European series by definition, GT4 had its inaugural seasons in 2007, and it is presently viewed as one of the few truly amateur championships in the world, and the "perfect stepping stone towards GT3 for young and talented drivers."

The series has a total of 11 carmakers lined up on the starting grid, and some of the most impressive vehicles in the world: the Audi R8 LMS, BMW M4, Ford Mustang S650, and Chevy Camaro, among others.

The Aston Martin Vantage nameplate has been a part of the GT4 series ever since 2009, when the car first appeared as an offshoot of the V8 Vantage. During all this time, it has been a regular winner of the top spot in races, and naturally Aston wants the trend to continue.

GT4 regulations call for the cars being raced to be very close to the production cars they are based on, so this incarnation of the racing Vantage shares about 80 percent of components with the road-going car.

That means a bonded aluminum chassis holding a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 engine capable of developing 656 horsepower and 800 Nm of torque. The engine's power is controlled by means of an eight-speed transmission.

There are, naturally, changes compared to the stock car, as required by the demands of racing. We have, for instance, a full custom roll cage protecting the occupants, and a Bosch display instead of the regular instruments to show data to the driver.

The engine, although the same in many respects as the one on the regular Vantage, comes with a few tweaks meant to make it more nimble on the tract. The car, for instance, is equipped with a purpose-built Bosch Motorsport ECU running software developed by Aston Martin Racing.

The transmission is a bit different, too, as it uses special software that turns it from an aight-speed auto into a six-speed paddle shift with no auto mode – it simply locks out the final two gears the road-going Vantage normally uses to save fuel while cruising.

Minor changes have been made to the chassis as well, in a bid to "provide the correct camber range for a racing application." The GT4 spins 18-inch wheels, a far cry from the 21-inch ones installed on the road car.

The wheels are backed by a suspension system that uses inboard mounting points, just like its sibling, but with changes to the linkages. Two-way adjustable KW dampers have also been installed under the body of the car.

There are a few visual differences between the two as well. Unlike the road Vantage, the GT4 comes with air outlets on the hood, meant to let more air into the engine bay. The hood itself is made of a flax fiber composite of the sustainable kind, stiffened with a cork core material.

Some aerodynamic changes have been made, and they are most visible in the form of a larger splitter at the front and a new wing at the rear. Both modifications are meant to increase downforce and decrease drag.

The first time the new Aston Martin Vantage GT4 met the track was during the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge which took place last month on the sidelines of the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona.

The British carmaker said today that the production of the Vantage GT4 is well underway, and the first few examples have already been delivered to partner teams taking part in GT4 races. We're told 40 more cars of this variety are to be built for 2024, meaning more or less one for every team Aston is partner with in the competition. Granted, some of them might end up not with teams, but with "serious circuit driving enthusiasts."

We're not told anything about the price for the new Aston Martin Vantage GT4, just like is the case for the road-going car. Word out there is that road Vantage will be priced somewhere around $190,000, meaning the GT4 could very well jump over the $200 threshold.

The 2024 GT4 racing calendar opens in April at Circuit Paul Ricard in France, and it will burn through another five races before coming to a close in November at the Jeddah circuit in Saudi Arabia.