Le Mans racer experienced at the Buddh International Circuit
Vantage GTE is the endurance racing version of Aston Martin’s V8 Vantage Coupé and it is painted in Gulf Oil’s light blue and orange colours since the two companies are international partners.
It is 400 kg lighter than the car it is based on and has a power output in excess of 430 PS, with 470 Nm of mind-boggling torque, which enables it to accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.1 seconds and gives it a top speed of about 300 km/h. The car drinks upto 11 litres of the 5W40 grade ester-based synthetic oil by Gulf, which is their special formula for racing engines.
The Vantage GTE made its international début at the 24 Hours of Le Mans this year and bagged a podium finish in the GTE Pro class. Last month, the car was presented at the Buddh International Circuit (BIC) as the main highlight of Gulf Oil’s ‘Speed Bolt’ event through which they showcase their involvement in various forms of motor sport. It was driven by Aston Martin Racing’s official race driver, Stefan Mücke, who is an experienced endurance racer and was one of the three drivers of the team at Le Mans.
As a representative of Car India at the event, I got an opportunity to experience the car from the front passenger seat, with Stefan behind the wheel. After I settled in and buckled up the five-point seat-belt, Stefan cranked the engine to bring the car’s massive 4.5-litre V8 to life. The engine’s growl was echoing from the empty grand stand as we passed through the pit-lane, but the moment we hit the line marking the exit to the track, Stefan floored the accelerator pedal and the growl turned into a roar. Within seconds we were at the apex of the first corner, which is a 90-degree right-hander. Accelerating through the sweeping left hand curve, we reached the blind right-hand hair-pin where the speed dropped down to 80 km/h. The car ripped through the morning air as soon as Stefan stepped on the pedal again and we went full throttle on the long back straight, right up to 250 km/h, before braking for the next corner.
My body had become adjusted to the acceleration by now and I started noticing the finer details of the moments such as the readings on the numerous digital gauges inside the car and the smoothness of the track. The view outside the windscreen looked like a video game screen as Stefan’s precise driving assured that nothing could go wrong. I swerved right and left as we went through the remaining corners and had a big smile on my face by the time we re-entered the pit-lane.
The five-km lap was completed in just over two minutes, but the adrenaline rush lasted the whole day! And the smile for a few days more.
Report: Piyush Sonsale
Photography: Gulf Oil
