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Group GT3, known technically asCup Grand Touring Cars[1] and commonly referred to as simplyGT3, is a set of regulations maintained by theFédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) forgrand tourer racing cars designed for use in variousauto racing series throughout the world. The GT3 category was initially created in 2005 by theSRO Motorsports Group as a third rung in the ladder of grand touring motorsport, below theGroup GT1 andGroup GT2 categories which were utilized in the SRO'sFIA GT Championship, and launched its own series in 2006 called theFIA GT3 European Championship. Since then, Group GT3 has expanded to become the de facto category for many national and international grand touring series, although some series modify the ruleset from the FIA standard. By 2013, nearly 20 automobile manufacturers have built or been represented with GT3 machines.
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GT3 cars must be based on mass production road car models that are being built and sold at the time of homologation, which does not necessarily include the engine (e.g. theBMW Z4 GT3 used a 4.0 V8, while theMercedes-AMG GT3 the 6.2 V8 from theMercedes SLS AMG GT3). Apart from that, Group GT3 allows for a wide variety of car types to behomologated with almost no limit on engine sizes and configurations or chassis construction or layout. Performance of all the Group GT3 cars are regulated, either by the GT Bureau of the FIA or by a series' specific ruling body, through thebalance of performance formulae that adjusts limits on horsepower, weight, engine management, and aerodynamics to prevent a single manufacturer from becoming dominant in the class. The cars in GT3 are designed to have a weight between 1200 kg and 1300 kg (2645 lbs and 2866 lbs) with horsepower between 500 hp and 600 hp. All cars have a very similar power to weight ratio but achieved either by high power and high weight such as theMercedes-Benz SLS AMG[2] or low power and low weight such as thePorsche 911 GT3.[3] GT3 cars also havetraction control,ABS, and built-inair jacks for quickpit stops.
The concept behind Group GT3 was introduced by Stéphane Ratel, head of the SRO Group and promoter of the FIA GT Championship in 2005.[4] The Group GT1 and Group GT2 cars in the FIA GT Championship required manufacturers to build a car based on regulations, and then develop that car to increase its performance, thus increasing the cost for the manufacturers and the customers wanting to race the cars. GT3 was envisioned as a category that would simplify the process by combining several existing cars fromone-make series, such as thePorsche Supercup orFerrari Challenge, as well as other race cars available from manufacturers that did not fit in GT1 or GT2, such as theAston Martin DBRS9 orDodge Viper Competition Coupe, and allow them to all compete on a level playing field through strict control of their performance by the FIA. This would allow drivers a bridge between smaller national series and the professional international FIA GT Championship.[5] Further, the category was conceived to use sprint formats for races, but manufacturers could develop and sell an upgrade kit for their cars to allow GT3 cars to be used inendurance races. A similar category, under the same name, had been in use in theBritish GT Championship which the SRO Group also organized.
The regulations and homologations for Group GT3 were prepared by the FIA and ready by the start of the 2006 season, with eight manufacturers represented as the first Balance of Performance test prior to the debut of theFIA GT3 European Championship.[6] TheInternational GT Open,British GT Championship,Spanish GT Championship, andItalian GT Championship all created a category specifically for the FIA's new Group GT3 machines. The SRO Group expanded the category in 2007 with the launch of two new regional championships, theBrazilian GT Championship and the GermanADAC GT Masters, exclusively running Group GT3 cars. The British GT Championship abandoned Group GT2 cars, promoting GT3 to their premiere category, while theBelcar series reorganized their class structure to introduce GT3 as their lead class. The FrenchFFSA GT Championship also added a new GT3 category.
TheAustralian GT Championship brought on board the GT3 category in 2008 while theVLN Series and24 Hours Nürburgring added GT3 categories in 2009. By 2011 Group GT3 was expanding into endurance racing with the formation of theBlancpain Endurance Series as well as winning overall at theBathurst 12 Hour,Dubai 24 Hour,Malaysia Merdeka Endurance Race, andSpa 24 Hours, followed by a 24 Hours Nürburgring victory in 2012. Group GT3 also expanded to the United States with theRolex Sports Car Series allowing several GT3 cars with specification wings, as well as the JapaneseSuper GT andSuper Taikyu Series, whileNissan became the first Japanese manufacturer to sell a GT3 car. GT3 category cars also replaced Group GT1 cars in theFIA GT1 World Championship before rebranding as theFIA GT Series in 2013. After NASCAR merged their Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series with IMSA's American Le Mans Series, the newUnited SportsCar Championship allowed more types of GT3 cars to join theGTD category, and in 2016 limited the category to only GT3 spec machines.
On 9 March 2018, it was announced that theFIA World Motor Sport Council approved the introduction of a new process, in which a minimum production number required for GT3 race cars would be enforced. Ten units must be made within twelve months as from the homologation date, twenty units must be made within twenty-four months and so on.[7] Following dwindling manufacturer support for theirClass One regulations, theDeutsche Tourenwagen Masters (DTM) series switched to the GT3 formula in 2021, abandoning its touring car origins.[8] In 2022, the FIA confirmed that the GTE cars in theFIA World Endurance Championship would be replaced by GT3 cars, racing in the LMGT3 class. This means GT3 cars will be able to participate in the24 Hours of Le Mans from 2024 onward.[9]
As of April 2024[update], 58 vehicles have gone through the homologation process with the FIA, although some of these homologations failed to be completed or were later revoked.[10] Homologations expire after a period of seven years unless a request for extension is made by the manufacturer. Currently, all homologations prior to GT3-030 have expired and not been renewed, although these expired cars are allowed to compete in national series under local approval (such as SCCATrans-Am Series XGT classes) or in historic events such asLe Mans Classic.
Group GT3 cars can be built either directly by the automotive manufacturer or built by racing teams and tuning companies at the behest of the manufacturer. Other vehicles have been allowed to run alongside Group GT3 cars in various series under homologations from national ruling bodies, including theMosler MT900R GT3,Ginetta G55 GT3,Chevron GR8 GT3,Radical RXC GT3,Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus SCG 003C,Emil FreyJaguar XKR G3,Acura TLX-GT,Renault Sport R.S. 01 GT3,Aston Martin Vulcan AMR Pro andChevrolet Corvette C8.R GTD.
| Homologation # | Manufacturer | Model | Developer | Photo | Start date | End date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GT3-001 | Maserati | Coupe GranSport Light | Italtecnica | 1 October 2006 | 31 December 2019 | ||
| GT3-002 | Dodge | Viper Competition Coupe | Oreca |  | 1 October 2006 | 31 December 2019 | |
| GT3-003 | Aston Martin | DBRS9 | Prodrive |  | 1 November 2006 | 31 December 2019 | |
| GT3-004 | Lamborghini | Gallardo LP520 GT3 | Reiter Engineering | .jpg) | 1 November 2006 | 31 December 2019 | |
| GT3-005 | Corvette | Z06.R GT3 | Callaway Cars |  | 1 May 2007 | 31 December 2019 | |
| GT3-006 | Ascari | KZ1-R GT3 | Ascari |  | 1 March 2007 | 31 December 2019 | |
| GT3-007 | Porsche | 911 GT3 Cup | Porsche Motorsport |  | 1 April 2007 | 31 December 2019 | 997 generation 911 GT3, 2006 model only |
| GT3-008 | Venturi | GT3 Heritage | Venturi | 1 December 2008 | 31 December 2019 | ||
| GT3-009 | Ferrari | F430 GT3 | Kessel Racing |  | 1 March 2007 | 31 December 2019 | |
| GT3-010 | Ford Racing | Mustang FR500C GT | Multimatic Motorsports |  | 1 May 2007 | 31 December 2019 | |
| GT3-011[11] | Ford | GT GT3 | Matech Concepts | Not available | 30 April 2008 | Homologation rescinded, replaced by GT3-016 | |
| GT3-012[11] | Jaguar | XKR GT3 | Apex Motorsport |  | none | Homologation failed | |
| GT3-013 | Morgan | Aero 8 GT3 | AutoGT Racing |  | 1 September 2007 | 31 December 2019 | |
| GT3-014 | Lotus | Exige GT3 | Lotus Sport |  | 1 October 2007 | 31 December 2019 | |
| GT3-015 | Porsche | 911 GT3 Cup S | Porsche Motorsport |  | 1 April 2008 | 31 December 2019 | |
| GT3-016 | Ford | GT GT3 | Matech Concepts | .jpg) | 1 May 2008 | 31 December 2019 | Engine design was changed from GT3-011 |
| GT3-017 | Audi | R8 LMS | Audi Sport |  | 1 May 2009 | 31 December 2019 |
|
| GT3-018 | BMW Alpina | B6 GT3 | Alpina |  | 1 May 2009 | 31 December 2019 | |
| GT3-019 | Ferrari | 430 Scuderia GT3 | Kessel Racing |  | 1 May 2009 | 31 December 2019 | |
| GT3-020 | Dodge | Viper Competition Coupe Series 2 | Oreca |  | 1 May 2009 | 31 December 2019 | |
| GT3-021[11] | Jaguar | XKR-S GT3 | Apex Motorsport |  | none | Homologation failed | |
| GT3-022 | Morgan | Aero Super Sport GT3 | AutoGT Racing | .jpg) | 1 May 2009 | 31 December 2019 | |
| GT3-023 | BMW | Z4 GT3 | BMW Motorsport | .jpg) | 1 May 2010 | 31 December 2019 | |
| GT3-024 | Lamborghini | Gallardo LP600+ GT3 | Reiter Engineering | .JPG) | 1 May 2010 | 31 December 2019 |
|
| GT3-025 | Porsche | 911 GT3 R | Porsche Motorsport |  | 1 May 2010 | 31 December 2024 | 997 generation 911 GT3 |
| GT3-026 | Corvette | Callaway Z06.R GT3 | Callaway Cars |  | 1 May 2010 | 31 December 2019 | |
| GT3-027[11] | Ford | Mustang VDS GT3 | Marc VDS Racing Team | none | Homologation failed | ||
| GT3-028 | Mercedes-AMG | SLS AMG GT3 | Mercedes-AMG |  | 1 May 2011 | 31 December 2019 | |
| GT3-029 | Ferrari | 458 Italia GT3 | Ferrari Competizione GT | .jpg) | 1 May 2011 | 31 December 2024 | |
| GT3-030 | Nissan | GT-R Nismo GT3 | Nismo |  | 1 April 2012 | 31 December 2026 | |
| GT3-031 | McLaren | MP4-12C GT3 | McLaren GT |  | 1 April 2012 | 31 December 2019 | |
| GT3-032 | Aston Martin | V12 Vantage GT3 | Prodrive | .jpg) | 1 May 2012 | 31 December 2019 | |
| GT3-033 | Chevrolet | Camaro GT3 | Sareni |  | 4 April 2012 | 31 December 2019 | |
| GT3-034 | Maserati | GranTurismo MC GT3 | Swiss Team | 1 November 2013 | 31 December 2020 | ||
| GT3-035 | Bentley | Continental GT3 | M-Sport | .jpg) | 1 April 2014 | 31 December 2023 | Second-generation Continental GT |
| GT3-036 | Dodge | Viper GT3-R | Riley Technologies |  | 1 January 2015 | 31 December 2022 | |
| GT3-037 | McLaren | 650S GT3 | McLaren GT |  | 1 February 2015 | 31 December 2022 | |
| GT3-038 | Audi | R8 LMS | Audi Sport |  | 1 May 2015 | 31 December 2030 | Second generation R8
|
| GT3-039 | Cadillac | ATS-V.R GT3 | Pratt & Miller | .jpg) | 1 August 2015 | 31 December 2022 | |
| GT3-040 | Lamborghini | Huracán GT3 | Lamborghini Squadra Corse |  | 1 December 2015 | 31 December 2023 |
|
| GT3-041 | Porsche | 911 GT3 R | Porsche Motorsport |  | 1 March 2016 | 31 December 2025 | 991 generation 911 GT3 |
| GT3-042 | Mercedes-AMG | GT3 | Mercedes-AMG | .jpg) | 1 March 2016 | 31 December 2029 |
|
| GT3-043 | BMW | M6 GT3 | BMW Motorsport | .jpg) | 1 March 2016 | 31 December 2023 | |
| GT3-044 | Ferrari | 488 GT3 | Ferrari Competizione GT |  | 1 March 2016 | 31 December 2028 |
|
| GT3-045 | Corvette | Callaway Corvette C7 GT3-R | Callaway Cars |  | 1 June 2016 | 31 December 2026 | |
| GT3-046 | Toyota | Lexus RC F GT3 | Toyota Gazoo Racing |  | 1 January 2017 | 31 December 2030 | |
| GT3-047 | Honda | Acura NSX GT3 | JAS Motorsport | .jpg) | 1 March 2017 | 31 December 2028 |
|
| GT3-048 | Nissan | GT-R Nismo GT3 | Nismo | .jpg) | 1 April 2018 | 31 December 2030 | Second-generation GT-R |
| GT3-049 | Bentley | Continental GT3 | M-Sport | .jpg) | 1 April 2018 | 31 December 2031 | Third-generation Continental GT |
| GT3-050 | Porsche | 911 GT3 R | Porsche Motorsport |  | 1 February 2019 | 31 December 2028 | 991.2 generation 911 GT3 |
| GT3-051 | Aston Martin | Vantage AMR GT3 | Prodrive |  | 1 March 2019 | 31 December 2031 | Second-generation Vantage
|
| GT3-052 | McLaren | 720S GT3 | McLaren Motorsport | .jpg) | 1 April 2019 | 31 December 2029 |
|
| GT3-053 | BMW | M4 GT3 | BMW Motorsport |  | 1 January 2022 | 31 December 2029 |
|
| GT3-054 | Lamborghini | Huracán GT3 Evo 2 | Lamborghini Squadra Corse |  | 1 December 2022 | 31 December 2029 | |
| GT3-055 | Porsche | 911 GT3 R | Porsche Motorsport |  | 1 December 2022 | 31 December 2030 | 992 generation 911 GT3 |
| GT3-056 | Ferrari | 296 GT3 | Ferrari Competizione GT | .jpg) | 1 January 2023 | 31 December 2030 | |
| GT3-057 | Chevrolet | Corvette Z06 GT3.R | Pratt & Miller |  | 1 December 2023 | 31 December 2030 | |
| GT3-058[12] | Ford | Mustang GT3 | Multimatic Motorsports |  | 1 March 2024 | 31 December 2031 | 7th Generation Mustang |
Since 2006, Group GT3 cars have been either exclusive to or in a distinct class in each of the following series:
Bold indicates an active series that currently uses Group GT3 cars.
Additionally, the following series allow certain Group GT3 cars to participate alongside other competitors:
