Graham Davidson gives Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3 second life in GT3 Legends: “The noise, drama and theatre”

The first generation of GT3 cars is no longer simply old. It is becoming classic. GT3 Legends and the GT3 Revival Series have given early GT3 machinery a proper stage again, while the return of BMW Z4 GT3s to the Nürburgring 24 Hours SP9 class underlines how much life there still is in cars built around the original spirit of GT3.

For Graham Davidson, that revival is personal. His Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3 is not just a historic GT3 car brought back out for a few nostalgic laps, but a machine that forms a key part of his own Aston Martin story, from British GT to Le Mans and Spa, before GT3 Legends gave it a reason to race again.

That makes this weekend’s 24 Hours of Spa support programme a fitting next chapter. GT3 Legends returns to Spa-Francorchamps as part of the 24-hour weekend, taking early GT3 machinery back to one of the circuits where the category has written so much of its twenty-year history. For Davidson and his V12 Vantage GT3, it is a meaningful return to a track that has already played a significant role in his career.

Davidson, British GT champion in 2019 with Jonny Adam and TF Sport in the newer-generation Aston Martin Vantage GT3, has a long-standing connection with the marque. But the roots of that relationship go further back than his racing career. His interest in Aston Martin started at home.

“When I was a kid, my dad had an Aston Martin DB7 V12 Vantage,” Davidson said. “I think that’s where it all started. Over the years, I’ve had a couple of Aston road cars.”

The opportunity to buy the V12 Vantage GT3 came in 2017. At the time, Davidson had been racing a McLaren MP4-12C GT3 in GT Cup, but several people around him had pointed him towards the Aston as a car that could suit an Am driver.

“In terms of the handling and the front-engine layout, the Aston was a better thing for the Ams. Right enough, we tested it, drove it, and it was really good and predictable. Particularly in the wet, if you end up sliding the Aston, you can catch it. It rides kerbs well, whereas the McLaren was a lot more snappy. It was obviously more geared towards a pro driver.”

That was enough to convince him. The Aston still had homologation left, had already shown its strength in British GT, and offered a more usable platform for Davidson as he looked for the next step.

“It was good as an Am car. And obviously, at the time, we knew that it was successful. It had been getting results in British GT. So we decided that that was the next step for me.”

A V12 Aston with its own story

The car Davidson bought was already a known machine. It had raced as an Oman Racing entry with Motorbase, carrying the colours associated with Ahmad Al Harthy, Jonny Adam and Darren Turner, before arriving with Davidson and being entered into British GT in 2018 with Jetstream Motorsport.

That connection remains part of the car today. The Aston is now run in GT3 Legends by DTB Motorsport, the same operation that ran the car as Jetstream Motorsport during Davidson’s British GT programme. The name changed after the departure of one of the team’s owners, but the continuity around the car is still there: the people looking after the V12 Vantage GT3 now are the same people who knew it in period.

It has also taken Davidson to some of the places that matter most in GT racing. In 2018, he took the car to Le Mans for the Aston Martin Festival, held on the support bill of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. It was the same event where Ross Gunn gave the new V8-powered Aston Martin Vantage its first public race outing, while Aston Martin Vulcans also joined the grid.

“That was actually a really good fun race,” the Scotsman said. “I managed to stick with the front pack, but we actually executed our pit stop perfectly and I came out in the lead.”

For a brief moment, Davidson’s V12 Vantage GT3 was ahead of some serious Aston Martin machinery.

“I led in the GT3 car ahead of all the GTEs, GT2s, the Vulcans in the open class. So I got to lead a lap, I think it was a lap and a half, I got to lead at Le Mans.”

It did not last forever. Ross Gunn came past in the new Vantage, before Chris Harris also found a way through in one of the Vulcans. Davidson knew the new car was always likely to have the upper hand.

“I think it’s okay to say now,” Davidson said cheekily. “I think a lot of people knew that the new Aston was running a tweaked engine map, let’s say, or free of BoP. The new car was always going to win, wasn’t it?”

Still, the V12 GT3 had made its point.

“That was a good fun race,” he continued. “We won the GT3 class in that event, which was fun.”

The memory stayed with him.

“I still don’t think there’s anything else beats driving at Le Mans. And flying down the Mulsanne Straight in a V12 engine, 600 horsepower race car. I’ll remember that until the day I die.”

Spa carries similar weight for Davidson. When he raced the V12 Vantage GT3 in British GT, Spa was also the scene of one of his favourite wins, shared with Maxime Martin.

“When we raced the car in period, my teammate was Max Martin, Spa’s local hero. He gave me a lot of good coaching at Spa. And we won the race there, that was probably my favourite win — to win at Spa with Max and the V12.”

The experience also left an impression on how Davidson measures himself around the circuit.

“Obviously, I thought I was driving it well,” he said. “And then Max showed me how to do it properly.”

Returning to Spa with GT3 Legends last year, Davidson found that the old Aston was still capable of being driven properly hard.

“When I was there last year at the GT3 Legends, I was matching, or even slightly, I think because tyre technology has moved on, I was actually bettering my pace than I was in British GT in period.”

For Davidson, Spa is more than just another circuit on the calendar. He has raced the 24 Hours of Spa there in a Lamborghini, competed in the Citroën C1 24 Hours at the circuit, and returned with the V12 Aston across GT Cup, British GT and GT3 Legends.

“Between GT Cup, British GT and all those other endurance events, it’s probably the circuit I’ve raced the most,” he said. “It is definitely my favourite.”

That makes this weekend’s return with GT3 Legends a particularly fitting one.

“So yeah, I’m quite happy at Spa,” Davidson said. “That bodes well for this week. And hopefully, touch wood, the weather plays along nice and we can have another successful weekend there.”

The car later sat unused for several years after its last run in 2020. Davidson had considered selling it, but the arrival of GT3 Legends changed that.

“Following all that, it sat from 2020 up until last year when we did the GT3 Legends. It sat for four or five years doing nothing. We thought about selling it. But the rumours started to come out about GT3 Legends. And we decided the right thing to do was to keep it and race it again.”

Since then, the Aston took a second place at Silverstone, won both races at Spa, and was again at the front at the Donington Historic Festival, where Davidson won Race 1.

Back in Oman colours

For GT3 Legends, the Aston has returned to its Oman Racing livery. That was not the only option. Davidson could have kept the Jetstream Motorsport colours from his own period with the car, but GT3 Legends encourages owners to bring cars back to their original or period-correct appearances.

“The car had that livery on it through its early ownership, 2014, 15, 16,” Davidson said. “As part of the GT3 Legends championship, they prefer if everyone can put the cars back to in-period livery. And that just lets people see them and how they would have raced back in time.”

For Davidson, that visual history is part of the appeal. The early GT3 cars are now old enough to trigger the same feeling that Group C, GT1 or older endurance racing machinery has carried for years.

“I think it looks fantastic. It’s great to see the old liveries on the GT3 cars. In the same way that when you watch the historics, when the old Group C cars go out, or any of the old GT1s and things like that, growing up and watching at Le Mans, that’s what I wanted to see.”

Although Davidson ran the car in different colours during his own British GT season, he felt the Oman livery better suited chassis number 20 in its current life.

“I actually quite like the Oman one. I think it’s right. That’s what people recognise that chassis for.”

Racing hard, with more respect

The appeal of GT3 Legends is not only the look and sound of the cars. The series has also created a different kind of paddock and a different kind of racing.

“I think it’s a good fun weekend,” Davidson said. “It’s not too serious. It’s a good paddock. Everyone races hard but fairly.”

That does not mean the racing is soft. Davidson is clear that he still wants to win, and the 50-minute race format gives the drivers enough time to have proper fights. But the way those fights happen is different from modern British GT racing.

“Although it is competitive, of course we all want to win and we will fight as hard as we can, but there is a lot more respect, I think. Because people appreciate that the cars are older. They don’t bump and crash so well. It’s harder to get parts for. And we are out there to have fun.”

That attitude changes how drivers judge risk. Davidson says he will still go for a move if the chance is there, but the margins are different when the car is older, more valuable and harder to repair.

“You don’t see people sending it up the inside, lunging, making silly moves. But given the opportunity I will go. If the door’s open I will try to make a move. But I’m not going to go for marginal ones where contact is likely. Not in the same way that I would have in British GT.”

The format also helps. At 50 minutes, GT3 Legends gives the cars and drivers enough time for a proper race rather than a short demonstration run.

“Still a 50-minute race is a good length,” Davidson reflected. “It’s just 10 minutes short of what we did with British GT. It makes for some good racing.

“One of the other differences which slightly limits things, I understand it from a cost point of view, but during the pit stops they don’t allow tyre changes or refuelling. Having raced in championships that do that, our guys are all well trained and versed in the art of a quick pit stop. I think it’s a challenge that adds to the race. It makes it more exciting for the team and the fans. I think it would be nice if we did that.”

At the same time, Davidson understands why GT3 Legends avoids adding that layer of complexity.

“But having had to buy the fuel rigs and all the equipment, I know it’s expensive,” he said. “And I know that for a lot of the older gentlemen that are more familiar with historic racing, they don’t want that additional stress and hassle. And potentially cost.”

It is also a different kind of weekend. Davidson still treats the races seriously, but part of the appeal of GT3 Legends is that it is not meant to carry the same pressure as a full pro championship campaign.

“For me, the serious racing is British GT, GT World Challenge, Creventic, that sort of stuff. Racing is meant to be fun. For me, part of the fun is all my friends that come with me. We go out and have a bit of a party afterwards. It’s the social side of it as well.”

Keeping the V12 alive

One reason the Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3 works so well in GT3 Legends is that it remains relatively manageable to run. Davidson says the car has needed proper maintenance, including a gearbox rebuild, a differential rebuild and updated safety equipment, but parts supply has not yet become a major issue.

“We still try and follow the original guidance from Prodrive on how to maintain the cars,” Davidson explained. “So far we’ve not had any trouble with getting the bits that we need.”

He believes the Aston’s simplicity is a major advantage. Some early GT3 cars are now harder to support, especially when parts were produced in smaller numbers. By contrast, the V12 Vantage GT3 benefits from the number of cars built, the continued presence of suppliers and the support network around Aston Martin Racing and Prodrive.

“Aston overall, the Aston is quite simple. It’s a simple old beast, it’s straightforward to run, it’s not overly technical.”

That simplicity also shows in some of the parts. Davidson pointed to the driveshafts as one example of how the race car still benefits from its road-car roots.

“The driveshafts come off of a V12 Vantage road car, so you can buy that from any Aston Martin dealer. There’s plentiful supply of things like that.”

That does not mean everything is easy. Engine and gearbox work remain expensive, and Davidson says the cost of engine rebuilds has gone up as more cars return to racing. Still, the Aston is in a better position than some of its rivals.

“There are people that have kept stock of old bits and there are suppliers and teams and things that have stuff. There were quite a few cars, so there’s a lot of parts around.”

The same kind of pragmatism was needed at Spa last year, when the team wanted the endurance-style front bumper and extra lights for a night race.

“I jumped in the car and I drove three hours into Germany and found a team that had a stock of old parts,” Davidson recalled. “So I bought the endurance bumper and all the extra spotlights, drove back and then the next day they were on the car for qualifying.”

For Davidson, that is part of running an older GT3 car. The parts are still out there, but sometimes they need to be found.

The number of V12 Vantage GT3s built has helped keep the car viable. While some early GT3 cars are now much harder to support, Davidson says the Aston still benefits from having a decent number of surviving chassis.

“There’s maybe 40 cars in existence, so there’s a decent number of them and you can then get the parts. That definitely helps.”

Other owners have not always had the same experience.

“I’ve heard some of the Mercedes guys and the BMW owners having issues getting gearbox parts,” Davidson said.

Support from Aston Martin Racing has also helped. Davidson remembers that even in period, the factory support structure around the car made a difference.

“Aston Martin Racing do provide a very good service and support package. I remember we had a trouble with our gearbox at one event and we just got one out the back of the Aston Racing truck and rented it for the weekend and then gave it back to them on the Monday.”

Could old GT3 cars return to British GT?

The renewed interest in early GT3 cars raises a bigger question. If GT3 Legends and GT3 Revival can give these cars a dedicated historic platform, could a modern championship ever find room for them again?

The Nürburgring 24 Hours has already shown one version of that idea, with BMW Z4 GT3s returning to the race in SP9, the main GT3 class. Asked whether British GT could one day offer a route for older GT3 cars such as the V12 Vantage, Davidson sounded immediately intrigued.

“If British GT amended the regulations to allow old-generation GT3 cars to race again I would consider it,” Davidson said. “But it would need a combination of a couple of other changes as well.”

The first question would be whether the BoP could give older cars a realistic chance.

“I think the BoP would probably need adjusted to compensate.”

If that could be solved, he would be interested in taking the Aston back into a more contemporary GT3 environment.

“If they manage to find a way to give the older cars a chance of fighting then of course yes, I would be interested and I would definitely take that car back racing in British GT.”

Part of the appeal would be the challenge itself.

“I’ve always liked to be a bit the underdog, whether it be the guy with the smallest budget, or I don’t have the full team support that some of the other big professional teams have, or the slightly older car. It’s always really good fun and satisfying to take on the best and try and beat them.”

The idea, Davidson believes, could appeal to more than just him. Some owners would not want the extra intensity and preparation needed for British GT, especially those coming from a historic racing environment, but he believes others would be tempted.

“I think that would really draw in a crowd,” he said. “Certain members of the older vehicle owners would jump at the chance, but then others are probably not ready for it.”

He also thinks some drivers currently in newer cars could be drawn towards an older GT3 class if the format was right.

“Certainly you might find that some of the guys in the newer cars will switch to the older cars, or a B class or whatever you want to call it. There might be quite a few takers, but given the chance I’d love to race in a more competitive grid like that again.”

There would be practical issues too, including parts supply and manufacturer support, and that’s not even to mention physical space in the pits, but Davidson still sees the appeal.

“There’s a lot of things to consider there. But quite an exciting idea certainly, and given the chance I’d certainly give it a shot.”

Noise, drama and theatre

For all the talk of regulations, history and parts supply, the real reason Davidson keeps coming back to the Aston is simpler. It is the experience.

He has driven newer GT3 machinery and is under no illusion about how far the category has moved on. He says the McLaren 720S GT3 he raced was probably the best race car he has driven, but it also felt almost too refined.

“It was incredible, just a fantastic machine, but it was a bit like driving a simulator,” Davidson reflected.

The V12 Aston is different. It is older, hotter, louder and less comfortable. That is exactly what sets it apart.

“Whereas the V12 Aston, you’ve got all the noise and drama and excitement and theatre that comes with that.”

That, in the end, is why GT3 Legends has found its moment. The newest GT3 cars are faster, more efficient and more refined, but the first generation has something else. For Davidson, the Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3 is not only a piece of his own history. It is a reminder of what made GT3 so popular in the first place.

“If lap time is all you care about then yeah, the modern cars are great. But if you want to enjoy racing, I think GT3 Legends is more enjoyable because the cars are better from a driver point of view, the noise, excitement, you don’t have aircon, you have to get sweaty. It’s far more of an event.”