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."
