Conversion To Electric Car: Summary
Many years have passed since then but more recently I leased a Nissan Leaf through my companies green car scheme for 2 years. Leaf's aren't exactly the best looking cars and living with a car with a range of 70 miles can be frustrating, but the feeling of driving something now which we will all be driving in the future was great. The pull from a standing start, continuous acceleration and lack of maintenance is great, unfortunately some EV's are slow or people drive them slowly, but they don't need to be. I also got to drive a Tesla Model S, without doubt the best car I've ever driven in every way, but unfortunately at cost few can afford. I bought the Smart Roadster 4 years ago, I love the looks and the fun handling but ever since owning it I've though this car should be electric. So after a lot of thought, a lot of searching for parts and too much time seeing what other people have done, it's time to make a proper start on planning the conversion. Finding good information on conversions that have been done so far is quite difficult, so I figure I should try and document it properly in case anyone else might be interested. I've never blogged before but I'm assuming this will be the best way to do it.. I hope you find it useful and interesting.
The Vantage GT3 is a seriously beefed-up version of the road-going coupe. It鈥檚 wider, it has a complex aerodynamic kit, and it鈥檚 significantly more aggressive front and rear. The concept is not entirely new though. Aston Martin already introduced the Vantage GTE and the GT3 is very, very similar. Aston Martin also separated the lower corners of the grille to make two additional vents and fitted a bigger splitter. The engine hood is also identical to the GTE-spec car, so it retains the shape of the road car but incorporates two massive vents on each side for improved cooling. The similarities continue onto the sides. The aero kit includes massive side skirts, significantly wider wheel arches front and rear, and modified quarter windows for fuel-cap duty. The standard side windows were replaced by lighter polycarbonate, while the side mirrors feature an aerodynamically optimized design. The side-exiting exhaust pipes round off the aggressive profile. The tall wing atop the deck lid seems identical to the GTE car. Actually, it鈥檚 hard to tell the two cars apart, which is unusual as GTE- and GT3-spec cars have notable differences.
All told, the Vantage GT3 is one gorgeous race car and will most definitely attract plenty of attention on the race track. As usual, Aston Martin didn鈥檛 publish photos with the car鈥檚 interior at launch. This is common practice in the racing world and we鈥檒l probably have to wait for the first race of the season to see something. However, GT3-spec cars are designed following strict rules so the cockpit isn鈥檛 much of a mystery. What鈥檚 more, we鈥檝e already seen the inside of the GTE model and the GT3 should be about the same. Needless to say, the GT3鈥檚 interior probably very little in common with the production car. Like in the GTE, the roll cage probably spreads over the lower door panels and the roof, as well as behind the front compartment. The standard dashboard was replaced by a carbon-fiber shell, while the instrument cluster is probably just a simple display for vital information. The center stack is probably gone too, replaced by a carbon-fiber console. Made by Cosworth in the GTE, it鈥檚 packed with loads of buttons, switches, and knobs. The center console is also made from carbon-fiber, as is the steering wheel.
The latter should come with Alcantara grip sections, six buttons on each side, and additional knobs in the lower section. Of course, the GT3 might have a few extras or unique features compared to the GTE, but we won鈥檛 know more about that until we get a look inside the cockpit. Aston Martin had nothing to say about the car鈥檚 drivetrain either, but it鈥檚 safe to assume that most of it comes from the GTE race car. The mill is sourced from Mercedes-AMG, as part of a deal signed with the German firm a few years ago, and shared with almost all AMG cars out there, including the GT sports car. The engine in this car is probably based on that in the Mercedes-AMG GT3 racer, a coupe that the Vantage GT3 will meet in various European series. Much like in the GTE, the engine was probably optimized to the Vantage GT3鈥檚 aerodynamics.
No word on output, but the V-8 should deliver at least 450 horsepower. The output depends on how much the car weighs, but again, there鈥檚 no info about that. This is a big change compared to the outgoing Vantage GT3, which features a V-12 engine. The Vantage GT3 should ride on race-spec suspension system made by Ohlins and bespoke Michelin tires. Stopping power should come from Alcon brakes. The Vantage GT3 will face a long list of competitors in GT3 classes around the world. In the Blancpain series, it will go against the Audi R8 LMS, Mercedes-AMG GT3, Bentley Continental GT3, Lamborghini Huracan GT3, and the Ferrari 488 GT3. Developed to replace the McLaren 650S GT3, the 720S GT3 is one of the very few race cars that鈥檚 actually brand-new. Group GT3 now includes several series spread across Europe, North America, and Asia. Expect to see the Vantage GT3 in the Blancpain GT Endurance Cup, Blancpain GT Sprint Cup, British GT Championship, FIA GT World Cup, WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, and the Pirelli World Challenge. The new Vantage GT3 has a big pair of shoes to fill. The old Vantage V12 GT3 has been around since 2012 and it managed to win quite a few races in GT3 classes all over the world. But thanks to its lighter and stiffer chassis as well as the much more efficient engine, the new Vantage GT3 should be able to at least match its predecessor鈥檚 performance on the track.