Following the launch of both the 2024 Aston Martin Vantage road car and its GT3 derivative, the British brand has revealed its latest GT4-spec model.

The new car continues Aston Martin’s longstanding commitment to the GT4 ruleset which dates back to 2007 with the first Vantage GT4, which raced until the outgoing model was introduced in 2018.

Like the new GT3 Vantage, the GT4 model is being formally launched after its global race debut. The car competed for the first time back in January as part of the build-up to the Rolex 24 Hours in the four-hour Michelin Pilot Challenge season-opener. In the hands of customer team Rebel Rock Racing, it achieved a top 10 finish in the GS class.

Unlike the 2024 GT3 Vantage, which is an evolution of the previous-gen model – retaining the same power unit – the new GT4 is an all-new car from Aston Martin Racing (Prodrive). This means current Aston Martin GT4 customers can not upgrade their existing cars via an upgrade kit like GT3 Vantage customers can. 

The new car features what Aston Martin describes as “a host of chassis, aerodynamic, drivetrain and efficiency improvements” and is built around the road car’s new 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 engine and transmission.

“Closer synergies between Aston Martin’s road and race car programs have enabled AMR to capitalize upon improvements made to the new Vantage road car for increased speed and efficiency,” explains Aston Martin’s head of endurance motorsport, Adam Carter, “while retaining the core qualities that made the outgoing GT4 so popular with teams and drivers.”

As a whole, the car shares around 80 per cent of the road car’s structural and mechanical architecture. Central to this is its bonded aluminum chassis, fitted with a full custom roll cage to comply with stringent safety requirements before the bodywork is attached.

The new Vantage GT4 made its race debut several weeks before its official launch in the hands of Rebel Rock Racing at the Rolex 24 at Daytona. Jake Galstad/Motorsport Images

Compared to the road car the primary changes are to the electronic control systems of the engine and transmission; with the race car utilizing ZF/AMR Motorsport software to control the otherwise production standard automatic transmission.

Aston Martin says the changes to the electronic systems have been made primarily “to ensure precise control of the engine’s management and turbo control systems to meet strict Balance of Performance criteria defined by GT4 championship organizers” and “optimize gearshifts and run motorsport-specific traction control.”  

As part of its electronic and software overhaul, the road car’s instrument visuals have also been replaced by a Bosch BDU 11 display.

There are chassis modifications too, driven by regulations. These include changes to suspension linkages. This is to provide the correct camber range for a racing application and to suit the mandated 18” diameter wheel and tyre package, which is significantly smaller than the 21” wheels fitted to the new road car.

The majority of the Vantage GT4’s body panels are standard production items. The exception being the bonnet, which allows for the incorporation of air outlets and is made from a sustainable natural flax fibre composite, with stiffening via a cork core material. 

Minor aerodynamic changes to fit GT4 regulations include a larger front splitter and the addition of a new rear wing. The result, Aston Martin says, is an increase in downforce, a reduction in drag and a greater mass of air flowing through the engine’s cooling system through its (larger) radiator, compared to the previous Vantage GT4.

Production in the UK is now well underway, with a number of cars already in the hands of customer teams. AMR is currently fulfilling orders for more than 40 units for the 2024 season.

In the United States the new Vantage GT4 will be visible all season long in Pilot Challenge and VP Racing Sports Car Challenge with Rebel Rock Racing, ahead of a significant increase in planned customer deliveries for 2025.

“From a global Aston point of view, the USA is a really important market for the brand and the Vantage. The outgoing model is the most raced GT4 car in America, we’ve been number one or two each year for the last few years,” AMR’s commercial director Huw Tasker told RACER.

“Rebel Rock will run the new car all the way through the year. But what you will see is the reality of launching a GT4 car so close to a road car play out. You will see a lot more GT4s racing in Europe than in America this year. 

“I expect the vast majority of SRO US GT4 cars will be the previous-gen car, which remains super competitive, then 2025 will be the year in America where you will see much bigger take-up and adoption. 

“This is purely a function of what’s possible with a race car that shares so many components with a road car, that launches alongside it.”