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The most obscure GT3 models

The Meguiar’s Bathurst 12 Hour has become a prestigious event for GT teams globally and the GT3 regulations have taken the world by storm since being launched in 2006.

More than 50 models have been homologated since featuring marques from Europe, Asia and America.

There are some including the Mosler MT900R GT3 and Ginetta G55 GT3, which received national homologation leaving those unable to compete in international series due to not meeting the minimum production requirement.

Check out some of the weird and obscure ones below.

Maserati Coupe GranSport Light

The very first model to be homologated for GT3 racing was Maserati’s Coupe GranSport Light. Built by Italtechnica in a limited run of three for the 2006 European GT3 Championship and was based off the model raced in the one-make series. Powered by a 4.2-litre V8 producing 430bhp, three Maseratis were run by now Ferrari-affiliate AF Corse unsuccessfully and made the trip to Australia after its European season was finished.

Venturi GT3 Heritage

Now here is a model to never make the grid. Venturi is a Monaco-based manufacturer, which had pedigree in GT racing and its one-make series of the 1990s proved very popular as 70 examples were produced. However, at the turn of the millennium the company’s fortunes had turned and it was effectively broke. There was an attempt to bring the name back through its 4.2-litre Audi-sourced V8-powered Heritage to enter GT3, but the program was halted when the Ferrari proved more popular to JMB Racing’s customers.

Ascari KZ1-R GT3

Ascari was a small British manufacturer and proved the GT3 regulations were accessible early on. Its KZ1 was built into a GT3 entry and proved fairly successful using BMW’s S62 90-degree V8, the Ascari was certainly a strange model and competed for five seasons until the company went bankrupt in 2010.

Ford Mustang FR500C GT

Ford’s latest Mustang GT3 is not the first and also is not the maiden partnership with Multimatic Motorsports either. In 2008, the partnership developed the Mustang FR500C GT3 and it proved a disappointing entry into GT3 racing. The FR500 platform was used in a variety of disciplines including drag racing and GT4 to demonstrate Ford’s customer racing abilities. This project was quietly shuffled to the back corner due in part to the success of the Ford GT GT3.

Morgan Aero Super Sport GT3

Morgan going racing is not anything new, but the Aero Super Sport GT3 is one of the most successful in the brand’s history. Known for using wood in the construction of its sports cars, Morgan has been around for 115 years and by the 1990s was ensconced in racing. Fast forward to the next decade and French team AutoGT developed and won in BMW S50LA V8-powered Aeros. How cool do these things look?

Lotus Exige GT3

Lotus was also an early adopter of the GT3 regulations with its Exige. Weighing in at a remarkable 750kg, but underpowered compared to its rivals by a 1.8-litre 2ZZ-GE VVTL-i Toyota engine featuring a Roots supercharger, intercooler and Lotus T4e Engine Control Unit producing 285bhp. Three of these were built and one continues to reside in Australia after it was one of the earliest GT3s to enter the country.

Jaguar XKR GT3

It’s a case of what if for the Jaguar. Built by Apex Racing for the 2008 European GT3 Championship and was fairly competitive in the series until a devastating moment occurred. A plane containing team owner Richard Lloyd, test driver David Leslie, young engineer Christopher Allarton and the two pilots in Spain. Although upgraded significantly in 2009, the project never made it past the season and its initial momentum was halted by the plane crash.

Maserati GranTurismo MC GT3

Yes, another Maserati. This version never made it to the European GT3 Championship and was constructed by Swiss Team following its development of the Maserati Quattroporte for the Superstars Series. Both shared the same V8 engine producing 530bhp and the GranTurismo MC GT3 aerodynamics were advanced, but it was limited to racing in the Italian domestic series.

Bentley Continental GT3

The Bentley continues to be a fan favourite although the program led by rally team M-Sport ended nearly five years ago. It took success with the second evolution of the Continental GT3 at the 2020 Bathurst 12 Hour ending a surprising chapter. A large beast, the Bentley enjoyed great success during its competitive years and surprised many by its competitiveness. A high-market coupe in the showroom, proved its capability on the track.

Dodge Viper GT3-R

This version of the Dodge Viper barely left US shores and was limited in its production. Built by Chrysler Group’s SRT (Street and Racing Technology) Motorsport’s division, the GT3-R followed the previous model Viper, which proved very successful globally. In collaboration with Riley Technologies and built for the 2014 season, the GT3-R only raced sparingly before finishing in 2016.

Cadillac ATS-V.R GT3

This Cadillac forced a rule change following its domination of GT World Challenge America as it was not available to customers and was a works entry. Featuring a race version of the road-going twin-turbo 3.6-litre V6 engine, but a limited run led to the FIA and SRO mandating a production requirement. This forced constructors to build 10 in the first year and reach a figure of 20 within 24 months.

Chevrolet Corvette C7 GT3-R

The current Corvette might now be developed in-house by Chevrolet, but this wasn’t always the case. Callaway Competition in Germany had handled the development of the Corvette since GT3’s beginning and released the C7 in 2016, but due to Cadillac’s involvement in the US, Callaway was unable to sell any of its product in the US until after the program ended in 2017.

Honda NSX GT3

The NSX’s involvement in GT3 is spearheaded by JAS Motorsport from Italy and Honda Racing Developments in the US. The road-going NSX is a hybrid, but this system is removed for the race version. Running a twin-turbocharged V6 engine through the rear-wheels ditching the all-wheel-drive system of the road-going version due to it being prohibited in GT3. The model is now out of production, but continues to be used on the track in the US and Japan. It made a trip to Bathurst in 2020, but failed to finish the 12 Hour.