As is often the case, the annual press conference conducted by Stephane Ratel at the Spa 24 Hours once again threw up some very interesting nuggets of information, not least an analysis of the current state of play in the GT3 marketplace.
SRO’s analysis of the breadth and depth of the global marketplace covers most of the major racing series across the planet that utilise GT3 cars, but not all – so the numbers discussed below are not the FULL picture.
That, in itself, is food for thought, because with the inclusion of the Series NOT covered (which include – for instance – Asian Le Mans Series, Gulf 12 Hours, Britcar, Brazil Endurance, Michelin Le Mans Cup (though ELMS is listed and does not utilise GT3 machinery), Thai Super Series and all of the racing activities in China) what are already impressive numbers become even more so!
The headline figure is that 315 GT3 cars have competed in 2022: 45 in North America, 58 in Asia and Oceania and a mighty 212 in Europe! (by comparison, the total thus far in 2022 for the outgoing GTE machinery across the FIA WEC and ELMS (and Le Mans) is around 10% of that total.
Across 12 brands featured (SRO quote the Acura and Honda NSX entries separately, we’ll combine them for the purposes of this round-up):
Three have entries that don’t make it into double figures with Bentley and Lexus featuring just four cars apiece, the Bentleys featuring one car apiece in British GT, GT World Challenge Europe, GT World Challenge Australia and 24H Series.
The Vasser Sullivan Lexus and 2 x Super GT RC F GT3s the only Lexus representatives.
The Nissan GTR meanwhile chimes in with nine entries, the UK’s GT Cup, GT World Challenge Australia and Super Taikyu and Super GT the remaining Series featuring examples of NISMO’s ‘Godzilla’.
Into the ‘teens’ where Acura/ Honda’s NSX GT3 (14) and Aston Martin’s Vantage AMR GT3 (16) feature.
So too does the McLaren 720S GT3 (18), the 720S GT3 on the up courtesy of no fewer than eight cars racing in the British GT Championship this year!
The new BMW M4 GT3 fields an impressive 22 cars in 2022.
Next up Ferrari, 34 examples of the 488 GT3 have featured in the car’s last season in front line competition before the debut next season of the new 296 GT3.
Ferrari’s biggest historic rivals Porsche have a new car coming too next year with the 911 GT3 R switching to the latest 992 platform, the current car featured a mighty 39 entries in 2022.
Still three to go and next up is Lamborghini, the Huracan GT3 Evo, 42 cars entered across the planet.
That total was beaten by Audi though, 50 entries for the R8 LMS Evo and Evo 2 thus far this year.
Even that total though was beaten, and substantially so, Mercedes AMG with their AMG GT3 Evo totalling an impressive 63 cars.
300 plus cars, and more to come by 2024.
Why so certain?
GT3 has taken a decade and a half to get there, but it is going to the biggest race in the world, the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the prospect of making it there is only going to prove to be an even bigger draw to what is already the most successful GT ruleset ever.
