Vantage GTE (United Kingdom, 2012)

Aston Martin has developed the Vantage GT2 into the Vantage GTE and will field a factory-backed team at all eight rounds of the World Endurance Championship this season. It will also have a second factory car at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. 

The car will make its competition debut at the 12 Hours of Sebring on March 17 with drivers Darren Turner, Stefan Muecke and Adrian Fernandez. The team will also take part in the American Le Mans Series races at Leguna Seca and Long Beach. It will use the races to get more comfortable with the car before the next rounds of the WEC. 

While based on the Vantage GT2, the GTE has had nearly every piece of the car further developed. Like the GT2, it uses a modified Aston Martin 4.5 liter V8 with aluminum cylinder block and head. The engine uses a dry sump oil system as well. The transmission is a semi-automatic, rear-mounted six speed. It uses the same aluminum chassis as the road-legal Vantage, but the body panels are ...