Aston Martin wasted no time on this one. At the same time its all-new Vantage debuted, the track going version had its sheets removed. Meet the Aston Martin Vantage GTE, developed in parallel with the road car and already tested during two 30-hour runs at the Spanish circuit of Navarra, and arguably one of – if not the –sexiest race cars in the World Endurance Championship series. It's the official successor to Aston Martin's most successful competition car of all time, the V8 Vantage GTE. It won Le Mans multiple times.

Designed and engineered entirely in-house, the new Vantage GTE is powered by the same twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 sourced from AMG as the road car. However, the engine was further optimized for racing duties. Aston Martin Racing (AMR) is also working with its new technical partners, Alcon, for the braking system, Ohlins for the suspension, and Michelin for the bespoke tires in order to offer the best racing machine possible. Design was also done in-house, with the styling studio beginning with the road car and, ultimately, turning everything up several notches.

Just look at that massive rear spoiler, rear diffuser and front spoiler; the car literally looks like it's glued to the ground thanks to all of the expected downforce. Compared to the Vantage road car, the GTE has already been undergoing serious training. Aside from its time at Navarra, it's already clocked more than 8,000 miles of testing. In fact, AMR has already taken it to Sebring in Florida for a further beat down. AMR has also announced it's recruited ex-GP2 race winner and current Formula E racer Alex Lynn to join its already established 24 Hours of Le Mans GTE Pro team. Expect the new Vantage GTE to take part in next year's most grueling endurance race. We can hardly wait to see it in action.