Aston Martin Racing reveals Vantage GTE racer

Aston Martin has pulled the drapes off its small Vantage GTE race car at a VIP event in London's trendy east end.

Revealed just days after the outgoing Vantage GTE clinched Aston Martin Racing (AMR) the GTE drivers' and teams' title in the final round of the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) in Bahrain, the all-new car will make its WEC debut at the first race in May 2018.

Created to go head-to-head against Ferrari's 488 GTE, the Ford GT GTE and the equally all-new BMW M8 GTE, the Aston will rock up to the first race with a new powertrain, chassis and aerodynamics.

Designed and engineered at Aston Martin Racing's Banbury UK base, the new car will arrive with a huge weight of expectation on its shoulders.

The last car helped the British race team win 36 of its total 50 international race victories, including two prestigious wins at the Le Mans 24 Hour.

Already subjected to 13,000km of testing, that included a 30-hour endurance run at the Spanish Navarra race circuit and tortuous development at Florida's famous car-wrecking Sebring circuit, AMR claim reliability has been "exceptional straight out the box".

According to the test drivers who developed the Vantage GTE, handling too, is a strongpoint with the small race car easier to control at the limit.

While others in the past have struggled with the switch to turbos, AMR claim the twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8 sourced from Mercedes-AMG offers plenty of performance without drivability issues.

Aston Martin hasn't revealed exactly how much power and torque its GTE racer will come with but it's likely to be less than the road car's 375kW/680Nm due to strict FIA technical regulations that are designed to level the playing field.

What is assured is the racer will weigh-in at least 400kg than the road car's 1530kg (dry) kerbweight that's to the addition of an even lighter carbon-fibre body panels and a completely stripped-out interior.

It's thought the latest racer will benefit from the road car's aerodynamically-honed body that, even in standard form generates real downforce with assistance from a complex front splitter and underbody airflow management produces real downforce.

The racer, meanwhile, benefits from a rear diffusor and spoiler of epic proportions thanks to a 2016 rule change that allows both to protrude 100mm beyond the rear of the car.

AMR, David King commenting on his team's new Vantage GTE said: “Motorsport is fundamental to the DNA of Aston Martin and our commitment to the FIA World Endurance Championship is stronger than ever.

"This is a golden era for GT racing and today’s launch of the new Vantage GTE will ensure that Aston Martin Racing remains at the forefront of the world’s greatest endurance series".