K&N Partner Aston Martin Racing Seeks To Defend Le Mans Title With New Vantage GTE

Dec 1, 2017

The car with which the team won Le Mans in 2017 dated back to 2005, easily the oldest in the field

Based on the 2018 Vantage, the new Vantage GTE racer will benefit from a more modern chassis

You may recall that Aston Martin Racing pulled off a surprise win at the 2017 24 Hours of Le Mans, passing the leading Corvette on the second to last lap. What you might not know that unlike its other competitors, including the Corvette C7.R, Ford GT, Porsche 911 RSR, and Ferrari 488 GTE, that the design of the race-winning Vantage GTE dates back to 2005, making it the oldest platform in the field.

In fact, unlike some of its competitors, the 2005-2017 Vantage was never intended to be raced at an international level, so it’s a testament to the dedication and efforts of the engineers, drivers, and technicians at Aston Martin Racing (AMR) that the Vantage GTE was competitive as it was, winning the GTE AM championship in its final year of competition. K&N is proud to be a technical partner, supplier, and sponsor of the Aston Martin Racing team.

An All-New Vantage Chassis For 2018

Now imagine the same team with a 2018 Vantage, designed with both road use and motorsports in mind and consider what the team could be capable of in 2018.

Constructed in compliance with the strict GTE class regulations, the new Vantage GTE is an extensive optimization of the powertrain, chassis, and aerodynamics of the 2018 Vantage road car. Designed and engineered in-house at Aston Martin Racing, the project is led by Technical Director Dan Sayers, who also led the design and development of the prior V8 Vantage GTE - the car credited with 36 of AMR’s 50 international race victories, including two Le Mans 24 Hour class wins.

The 2018 Vantage GTE could give Ferrari a run for the money as the best-looking car on the track

Stunning without all its decals, Aston Martin's styling department helped with the race car design

Sayers said of the 2018 Vantage GTE, “we’ve collaborated closely with the Aston Martin headquarters to develop the road and race cars in parallel. Attention to detail has been a priority at every step of this process and we’ve made big improvements in each area of the car, which has paid dividends during our current testing schedule”.

Though the new Vantage road car has just been launched, development of the new Vantage GTE race car began while the road car was still under development, with more than 8,000 miles of testing completed, with all current AMR drivers participating. The car has also been through a rigorous durability program at the notoriously rough Sebring circuit, in central Florida.

AMG-Mercedes Provides 4.0L Turbo V8 Under Technical Partnership

AMR reports that reliability has been exceptional right out of the box, while the drivers have reported the car is easier to control at the limit than its predecessor. Together with Aston Martin Racing’s engineers, the factory drivers have worked hard to optimize the drivability and performance of the base Mercedes-AMG 4.0L turbocharged V8 engine, which has been developed for use in the Vantage GTE application by Aston Martin Racing. Daimler AG (Mercedes parent company) is a minority owner and technical partner of Aston Martin.

Aston Martin Racing is working with new technical partners for 2018: Alcon for the braking system, Öhlins for the suspension, and Michelin with a dedicated program to maximize the performance of the Vantage GTE. K&N Filters returns as a valued technical partner and product supplier.

With this new car to develop, Aston Martin Racing has retained its highly-experienced and successful driver line-up. This year’s Le Mans 24 Hours GTE Pro class winners Darren Turner and Jonny Adam have been retained, as have the Danish duo and 2016 FIA WEC GTE Pro world champions, Nicki Thiim and Marco Sørensen. In addition, AMR has recruited ex-GP2 race winner and now Formula E racer Alex Lynn. In addition, a few more professional road racers will be added to the program, which would perhaps indicate a large presence by AMR at the 2018 Le Mans 24 Hours.

Over the years K&N has moved from supplier to technical parner, as well as sponsor, to AMR

Plenty for the driver to monitor and control over a 24 hour race. Air filters are never a worry

Whether you’re looking for an air filter that will deliver peak performance for 24 hours of flat-out racing or you’re looking for an air filter that will last for the life of your car, K&N has both – in a single filter. Developed in 1969 and never superseded, the K&N air filter design with oiled high-flow cotton air filter has won countless races and earned the enthusiastic praise from millions of drivers.

Coupled with a Million Mile Warranty, the vehicle owner will never again have to purchase another filter for their car, truck, or SUV, at about the cost of only two inferior, easily clogged paper replacement filters. That’s why K&N remains the number one choice for racers and consumers alike for high performance intake air filtration.

K&N PRODUCT SEARCH

WHERE TO BUY K&N