Here’s Part 2 (of an initial 3) taking a look at some of the cars that have raced at GT3 level in a wide variety of races and Series worldwide but without an FIA GT3 homologation
You can find Part 1 HERE
Chevron GR8
The Chevron GR8, which was built in ‘GT4’ as well as ‘GT3’ spec looked to revive the long-lived British sportscar brand.
Of the two specs the higher powered, GT3 car was significantly the less successful derivative, on launch in 2012 it was initially powered by a 3.5 litre V6 and later with a 6.2 litre Chevy V8.
Development challenges, and a general lack of competiveness agains the fast-evolving homologated GT3s led the concern to focus on their ‘GT4’ spec car after the GT3 car contested selected British GT, GT Cup and Britcar evenrts.
Ginetta G50Z
During the brief dalliance between Ginetta Cars and Zytek Engineering the Frankenstein of a car emerged. Based on the one-make and GT4 Ginetta G50 but fitted with a high-revving Zytek V8 (initially a 4 litre unit, later a 3.4).
Raced by Barwell Motorsport as an invitational entry in British GT, restricted back to GT3 performance levels, it had race winning success in the hands of young guns Oliver Bryant and Joe Osborne and later with Leo Machitski/Phil Quaife. That car led to a small batch (3 further cars) which raced later in the hands of – amongst others – Craft Bamboo Racing in GT Asia. One ex GT Asia car found its way to Australia for use in the Aussie GT Championship.
Ginetta G55 GT3
Introduced in 2011, the G55 GT3 was initially powered by a Ginetta-prepped, Nissan-based 4.35 litre V8. The G55 was later (2016/17) re-engineered with a Chevrolet V8 and uprated aero and raced in the UK and Europe (including VdeV and Supercar Challenge) and with an example of this Ginetta too making its way down under for the Australian GT Championship
It had some success in Britcar with a handful of race wins and a single overall British GT podium
Glickenhaus SCG 003C
After the GT2-level P4/5 Competizione Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus produced the extraordinary SCG 003C in 2015, the (HPD) 3.5 litre turbo V6 powered car became a familiar site in the VLN and Nurburgring 24 Horus racing in the SPX class, Jeff Westphal taking pole position for the 2017 24 Hours.
There were customer cars too and they took in a variety of other racing including some 24H Series events, a one-off in the International GT Open and other national-level races inn Germany and belgium
Glickenhaus SCG 004C
As Jim and Jesse Glickenhaus started to ramp up their plans for road car production, so a race version of their new roadgoing supercar came into focus too, the centre-driving position SCG 004, this time with Chevrolet LS4 V8 power.
The original car made a race debut amongst the chaos of COVID in 2020 in the VLN and at the Nurburgring 24 Hours where it scored a highly creditable 14th place finish overall. Since then the car has been updated with revised aero.
It is a platform that the team have ambitions of taking to full FIA GT3 homologation, only possible when 200 road car equivalents have been sold.
Jaguar XKR (Emil Frey)
Emil Frey Racing tried for many years to capture the imagination of Jaguar to move into GT3 racing by developing their in-house developed XKR into a competitive prospect.
The team started development of the Jaguar in 2011 and the team opted to enter the car in the RACB G3 class to allow more flexibility to develop the car.
It raced in FIA GT and Blancpain GT competition from 2012 – 2017 scoring some Pro-Am success but often struggling with reliability. The team entered a second Jaguar for selected races, running well up the field at the Spa 24 Hours.
The car was though capable of very good speed in Pro hands, yet another missed opportunity from Jaguar!
KTM XBow GTX
The KTM XBow first saw service as a ‘GT4 Light’ in 2008 with the closed top GT4 following in 2015.
2020 saw the GTX version (and a sister GT2 version with even more power), the csr featuring radically different bodywork and a power boost to c.500 bhp, still utilising Audi powerplants.
The GTX has seen SPX service in the VLN (plus a one-make ‘Cup’ class) and has seen action in a wide variety of races elsewhere including demo runs in International GT Open and regular appearances in 24H Series events.
Marcos Mantis GT3
The Marcos Mantis started life over 20 years ago as a one-make ‘Cup’ car and emerged, via the Cup Class of the British GT Championship as an increasingly ‘Frankenstein’ effort in Britcar and GT Cup, principally through the efforts of the Husband and wife-run Topcats racing squad (Warren and Charlotte Gilbert met when he was the Team manager and she was the driver of a Mantis in British GT), the cars upgraded, with big Chevy power, one car in particular fettled to try to do battle with the big boys.
Of course technology overhauled them, but the remaining car, now more at a GT4 level, did spring a surprise race win for Charlotte in 2022 with fiendish tactics in a wet and red-flagged GT Cup race!
McLaren MP4-12C Can Am
A late replacement for the Brabham BT62, normally campaigned in 2021 by Paul Bailey and Ross Wylie in the GT Cup Championship – When the Brabham was benched in 2021, what better to temporarily replace a car from a famous racing name in Australia than one with a famous name from New Zealand – Bailey rolling out his then 9 year old ‘Can-Am version’ of the Mclaren MP4-12C, effectively an unrestricted GT3 car!
Mosler MT900R
Another car that has been racing for 2 decades, introduced into the European marketplace by Martin Short’s Rollcentre racing outfit in pre-GT3 years with great success in the British GT Championship, winning the title in 2003.
A later version adapted to comply with GT3 regulations saw cars running in International GT Open, Belcar, Australian GT Championship and the British GT Championship, plus a couple of appearances in a National GT class at the Spa 24 Hours.
There was a Super GT GT300 class version too!
A handful of cars are still racing in national and club-level Series
Porsche 935
First things first – Richard Chamberlain’s ‘Porsche 935’ is not a Porsche 935, in fact with the amount of in-house design that has gone into the car it is not really a Porsche at all – though the engine is, though that isn’t a 935 unit, but a highly modified 962 engine!
The successor to an original build on the basis of a 1970s 911E, the current car rose from the literal ashes of a fire in 2017 that all but destroyed a car that had been racing in Chamberlain’s hands for three decades.
It’s successor picks up the baton of a career that has seen Chamberlain and his monstrous creation continue to bang heads with much, MUCH more modern creations, initially in Britcar and now as a regular in the GT Cup – long may it continue!
