Ferrari, Porsche, Maserati, Corvette, Ford, Nissan, Aston Martin and Saleen. All constructors with varied and rich sports car heritages, incidentally, all constructors in Europe’s premier GT series, the FIA GT. Silverstone opens the season and the championship visits various countries with the highlight of the season being the 24 hours of Spa, a gruelling test of speed, reliability, nerve and endurance at one of the world’s greatest race circuits.
The main attraction is the cars though, thoroughbred’s that we all dream of owning, only in raced up form. GT1 contains slick tyred, aerodynamically assisted 600bhp+ monsters, from the aggressive thunderous Corvette C6R, to the beautiful and lithe Maserati MC12 with its howling V12. But change is in the air, this year will be the last year to see the current crop of GT1 racers in action as new rules come in for 2010, so catch them while you can, new cars debut this weekend from Nissan in the form of the GTR (albeit with rear wheel drive and a 5.6 litre V8 engine) and, Matech built Ford GT’s, one in matte black, the other in silver and maroon livery... [read more]
The GT2 class contains some pretty tantalising machinery as well, not quite as loud, fast or spectacular as the GT1’s but mightily impressive none the less. In the red corner, Ferrari’s F430 GT2, an Italian stallion with a screaming V8 and a backfire that sounds like a Helicopter gunship attack on a fireworks factory, the Ferrari make for one awesome spectacle out on track.
In the other corner, Porsche’s 911 GT3 RSR, a stunningly aggressive looking car with the typical Flat 6 yowl, the 911 RSR’s have a huge fan following like the Ferrari GT2’s, making for a healthy bit of car and fan rivalry.
The interloper for the Silverstone only though, which was a last minute surprise, Hexis Racing’s Aston Martin V8 Vantage GT2, take a beautiful Aston Martin, add a wide body racing body kit, side exit exhausts and a whole lot of other goodies, and, VOILA!, you have the Baby GT Aston, a bellowing V8 exhaust note (think Panoz Esperante here) and stunning looks, no wonder this car has many fans already, problem being, the car has shown promise but hasn’t delivered, until it went second fastest in Qualifying on Saturday, only to be bumped to the back of the grid due to a technicality.
Sunday’s race was action packed, with a typically hard fought battle in GT2 between the AF Corse Ferrari and the Prospeed Porsche, eventually the Porsche came out on top, starting the season with a GT2 class win.
The main attraction, GT1, saw Karl Wendingler destroy everyone else in qualifying in the ex-Acemco Saleen S7R run by K plus K, Wendingler started the race and ran away from everyone else, pulling out a substantial lead, Wendingler and team mate Ryan Sharp would take the win, a sign of things to come for the rest of the season?
The only action wasn’t just in the FIA GT headliner though, the FIA GT3 support championship, with a massive entry of 44 cars and many different super cars, saw the Morgan Aeromax cars dominate both races, the green and gold British sportscar’s winning on home turf on their 100th anniversary.
The GT3 class is the SRO’s baby, the cars are performance balanced during the pre season at tests at Paul Ricard Circuit in France, some cars are light and have around 420-440bhp (Porsche 911 GT3S), other cars sit in the middle with around 480-500bhp (Ferrari F430 GT3, Lamborghini Gallardo GT3, Ford GT, Audi R8). While there are cars which are pretty darn heavy but have around 550bhp (BMW Alpina B6 GT3, Aston Martin DBRS9, Dodge Viper GT3). It makes for some great battles, some cars are much quicker through the bendy bits while some cars have devastating straight line speed, not far off a GT1 car on a long straight at a track like Silverstone or Monza.
This year though see’s two new cars in the GT3 championship, Alpina’s B6, effectively a BMW 6 Series with a supercharged V8 and a bellowing Germanic V8 soundtrack, Audi’s R8 LMS with a 5.2 litre V10 engine, marmite like looks (you either love it or hate it) and a surprisingly muted and shrill V10 exhaust note.
Coming from Jaguar is a revised XKR-S, similar In looks to the recently announced Rocket sports GT2 Jag XKR in the ALMS, only this car has a Supercharged V8, looks absolutely fabulous and has a truly incredible soundtrack, cue mental supercharger whine as it accelerates towards you, then a deafening snorting V8 exhaust note, its safe to say the car has the British crowd’s support.
Check out the gallery of the weekends events, and, get yourself along to an FIA GT race this year, mainly Spa 24 hours, its your last chance to see the magnificent Maserati MC12’s, Corvette C6R’s and the charming Saleen S7R’s, and, for Spa only, the only appearance in the championship of the Jet Alliance Aston Martin DBR9, the ear drum bursting V12 scream will make its last appearance before, and very sadly, being confined to the history books. This year marks the end of an era, make it to the swansong year of the GT1 class in FIA GT, you wont be disappointed.
Photo/Editorial: Stephen Hodges
A star in the making, amazing article, brilliant pictures well done to Stephen the new up and coming writer.
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