The racing arm of Aston Martin is set to embrace a return to international GT motorsports in the FIA World Endurance Championship. The factory team will enter a V8 Vantage in the GTE Pro category, with the addition of another works entry at this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Based on the Vantage GT2, the GTE is features all-round improvements, with key focuses on the engine, drivetrain and suspension. The engine, albeit carried from a standard V8 Vantage, sports competition components such as cylinder heads, connecting rods, valves and camshafts, with a racing exhaust system completing the package. Carrying the iconic Gulf colours, the car will make its world premiere at the 60th anniversary of the 12 hours of Sebring on March 17.

Aston Martin Lagonda Chairman David Richards, commented on the new project: “It’s great to be returning to our core motorsport activity; production-based GT racing. It formed the basis for Aston Martin’s return to competition when the DBR9 GT1-racer was launched in 2004, and it was in GT racing that we achieved our famous victories at Le Mans in 2007 and 2008.”

He added, “The GT category is also now the most competitive class in world sports car racing and with the new FIA World Endurance Championship the GTE class will, I believe, offer the closest fought and most exciting spectacle. We will see many premium sports car brands competing with great sounding racing cars based on their production models, which all the fans can relate to.”

Source: Aston Martin