Returnees Aston Martin are making their comeback in the Super Sports Car League with the newly developed Vantage GT3. It has been derived from the GTE version which has already seen action in last year's FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC). Unlike the previous model, which was used in the 2012 and 2013 ADAC GT Masters and scored one race win, the 2019 version of the British Gran Turismo no longer has a naturally aspirated V12 engine but rather a 4-litre V8 with two turbochargers. The Vantage GT3 has already competed in a few specially selected endurance races, but it was not homologated until March 1st.

Porsche have also developed a new GT3 sports car for 2019. The GT3 R is based on the 991.2 series, but despite bearing the same name as last year's ADAC GT Masters championship-winning car, it is largely new. The data gathered from the numerous outings of the predecessor model was methodically used to bring about improvements in the areas of aerodynamics and kinematics. The new GT3 R is instantly recognisable by its redesigned air duct on the front apron, the front wheel arches and the front bonnet, as well as the large air intakes in the rear wings. Also new are the driver's centre console and the highly versatile 'Multi-Touch Panel' which will allow even more direct and intuitive operation of the vehicle.

Volkswagen sister brands Audi and Lamborghini will send Evo versions of their successful GT3 sports cars to contest the 14 races of the 2019 season. These will line up alongside the revamped road versions of the Audi R8 and Lamborghini Huracán, from which they have also taken design elements on board.

The spotlight for the development team in Ingolstadt was on optimising the aerodynamics and cooling of the 2019 R8 LMS, with the aim of achieving more consistent handling in a wide variety of situations. In addition, changes to the transmission and clutch are intended to enhance the durability of the power transmission. "We focused on the areas that make a real difference to the customer," explains Chris Reinke, Head of Audi Sport customer racing. "We were not aiming for faster lap times."

At Lamborghini, the development of the Huracán GT3 EVO was also focused on improved handling and reduced operating costs. With the involvement of Dallara, an aero package has been developed that significantly increases downforce, thereby improving stability and reducing aerodynamic pitch sensitivity. The most notable features here are the splitter with its pronounced front edge and the front bumper with two new side recesses for two large flics. In addition, the Evo Huracán has been given an upgraded front suspension and rear axle, a new roll cage, electro-hydraulic power steering and the improved racing version of ABS.

In both cases - Audi and Lamborghini - the existing models can be upgraded with an Evo kit to the latest development level.

By way of contrast, the GT3 sports cars from BMW, Corvette, Ferrari and Mercedes-AMG go into the 2019 campaign unmodified.