GT3 Race car VS Road car

GT3 Race car VS Road car

  14:29    Jimboyrulez

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Have you ever wondered what is so special about a GT3 car vs a production model road car?

In order to understand the difference we need to first understand what GT3 is. Cup Grand Touring Cars is commonly known as GT3. These are basically a set of regulations set and maintained by the FIA for the grand tourer racing cars, racing around the world. GT3 class was initially created in 2005 as a 3rd rung in the ladder of GT motorsports. Approximately 20 Automobile manufacturers have built or been represented with GT3 machines.

The GT3 group allows for a wide variety of car types to be homologated with almost no limit on engine sizes and configurations or chassis construction or layout. But there is one prime rule, that is, The GT3 cars must be based on a production road car model that is in production. Performance of all the group GT3  cars are regulated, either by the GT bureau fo the FIA or by a series specific ruling body, through Balance of Performance formulae that adjusts limits on horsepower, weight, engine management and aerodynamics to prevent a single manufacturer from becoming dominant in the class.

The cars in GT3 are designed to have a weight between 1200kg and 1300kg (2645lbs and 2866lbs) with horsepower between 500hp and 600hp. All cars have a very similar power to weight ratio but achieved either by high power and high weight such as the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG or low Power and low weight such as the Porsche 911 GT3. GT3 cars also have traction control, ABS and built in air jacks for quick pit stops.

So is the Porsche 911 GT3 a GT3 race car? 

The simple answer to the question is no. Porsche 911 GT3 takes the name from GT3 racing as it wants to suggest low weight, a more powerful engine and a great power to weight ratio but a racing team would not go to a Porsche store and buy a production model 911 GT3. Porsche does sell GT3 race cars but the production model is not the one. The production model weight 3153 lbs. The race cars has to be under 2866 lbs according to the FIA guidelines. Although the production model shares a lot of parts with the race car. 

GT3 race car vs road car, what is the difference?

Lets look at the Audi's GT3 LMS car and compare it with Audi's limited production(1/999) RWD car where Audi claimed to share 60% parts between the limited production RWD R8 and the R8 LMS race car.

GT3 racing is bucking that trend, championing the idea that the cars filling the grids share the same backbone and heart as the road versions with which they share an outward likeness.

Approximately 7 Audi GT3 LMS R8 race in GT3 competition at the time I am writing this article and they are amongst the strong runners and win contenders, so I think its a great example to put it under the knife and see the similarities between the GT3 racer and the RWD R8 V10 plus coupe.

Both cars are born on the same production line with their chassis manufactured in Böllinger Höfe industrial park in Heilbronn. The GT3 chassis has aluminum cast joints and a steel roll cage, but is otherwise identical to the road car. 

The 5.2L V10 that powers the GT3 is produced on the same production line as the road cars V10. Apart from the air-ristrictor to meet GT3 regulations and a new manifold to cope with the added stress of Racing in the LMS, both the engines are identical. 

On their LMS car Audi losses the All wheel drive system to comply with the GT3 rules. It also adds wishbone suspension, carbon fiber bodywork and a different six speed gearbox. A stripped out interior, bigger brakes, slick tyres and a racing aero complete the transformation of the 24hour racer. 

So why don't these companies give the lighter, faster race car as production models?

These companies have to comply with local road laws which are very different to GT3 rules. Every country and states have their own road rules and the production vehicle has to comply with that. Emission rules, exhaust sound db etc.

Not even 1 percent of these original cars, supercars, hyper cars make it to the race track through out their life time. At most they might go on a spirited drive once in a while on a back canyon road no where reaching its limits. The transmission, engine and brakes on GT3 race cars are made to be pushed and don't perform well if driven slow. If you have driven the first generation R8 you would know how jerky the transmission was. The fact is the transmission wasn't faulty but it needed to be rev'd till the red line before changing gears to feel a smooth up shift. On city roads that might result in a ticket if not worse. The carbon ceramic brakes and tires on GT3 race cars don't perform well when cold. No sound deadening and no air conditioning might be a problem for majority of the buyers. A lot of countries wouldn't let you sell a new car if it doesn't have a back up camera, sensors and airbags. 

So looking at all of these issues GT3 race cars are different from production model but Porsche has done an amazing job at making the 911 GT3 race car in to a road legal car. The 911 GT3 production road car is an excellent example of how close to the real race car it is.

Can one take a Road Car and build a GT3 race car. Or even better, Can one buy a road car and build a road version of a GT3 race car ? If these automotive giants can do it why cant an individual?

Well in theory it can be possible. One can buy a production Lamborghini, Aston Martin, or a Viper and try stripping the interior out, putting in a roll cage, changing the whole body to a carbon fiber body to save weight, put wider wheels and tires with better brakes on and turn it in to a GT3 road car. But who would want to buy an expensive vehicle and then strip it apart and change it to a bare bone race car to use on the road. But as I said in theory it is possible todo. GT3 cars main concept is being light and having an awesome power to weight ratio. If one wants to keep it road legal once can keep the air bags and all the safety features the same way Porsche has made the 911 Gt3 road car. So yes in theory yes it can be done if you have deep pockets.  The car in the Picture is TJ Hunt's 458 Italia with a carbon fiber wide body kit from a GT3 car. Knowing the cost of these original kits I can safely say including labor, bodykit, Paint, suspension, wheels and tires this would have not costed TJ under $50k in upgrade. (not considering endorsements, sponsors or discounts) TJ didn't do anything to the engine because the 458 is a powerful car to begin with. I think he upgraded the exhaust but didn't do any further weight reduction or roll cage.

How much might it cost to convert a road car to a road legal GT3 car?

Everyones definition and build specs might be different. But if you do it like the way the 911 GT3 has done it, it would cost you as much as the real race car. If you get a race engine the way the 911 GT3 has a Metzger engine, if you get all carbon fiber body parts , roll cage , labor, weight reduction, aero package. You will have spent the same money as a real race car. But the only benefit you would have building a GT3 road car is that you can use it on the road and you would be the only one with something that exotic. And if done correctly, you will be having supercars for breakfast. 

The car in the picture was built for Jens Byggmark. This car is as GT3 race car like as it gets. Full carbon fiber upgrade, full aero, suspension, tires wheels, roll cage, seats , steering wheel, BMW S66 v8 motor with a sequential gearbox. Our estimation is this would cost nothing under $100k in upgrades if you already have the donor vehicle. 

The last BMW Z4 Gt3 race car sold for $130k at the auction and that included enough spares to assemble another race car.