CEC realizes the dream of GT racing, let’s take a look at the upcoming GTL group racing car

In the 2025 season, the CEC China Automobile Endurance Championship GT Cup launched a new category - the GTL group, creating a more people-friendly GT racing platform and providing a stage for domestic teams to display their skills.

Once the GTL category was launched, it received a lot of responses from CEC teams. At present, many teams have started the modification of GTL group racing cars. Today, let us get closer to these upcoming GTL racing cars in advance.

Autohome Racing Team: Building the World's First GTL Racing Car

Autohome Racing Team is one of the first teams to respond to the GTL group rules. This champion team modified the world's first GTL group racing car based on the Porsche 718, and the modification of the second racing car is also in progress.

The Porsche 718 racing car of the Autohome Racing Team is equipped with a 2.0T horizontally opposed four-cylinder engine, and has been professionally modified in terms of safety, braking system, suspension system, power, aerodynamic parts, etc.

Manufacturer Cup annual champion Wang Tao is full of confidence in the GTL group car. He shared: "First of all, the safety of professional racing cars must not be 'discounted'. Our roll cages, racing seats, seat belts, fire extinguishers, racing steering wheels, etc. all meet FIA certification standards.

In terms of braking, our brakes have been tested in the CEC field for two seasons and can be said to be the strongest version of domestic brakes at present. In pursuit of better driving For stability, we use the shock absorbers of the Swedish brand Öhlins. For power, we modified the high-flow air filter. Our carbon fiber surround and rear wing are domestic brands, and the wheels are also a cost-effective product that I personally and the Autohome Racing Team like very much. "

Wang Tao believes that the significance of the GTL group is to provide a new choice for domestic drivers to advance. "The GTL group fills the gap between small-displacement touring cars and TCR and GT racing cars. It is also an advanced step for drivers to switch from front-wheel drive racing to rear-wheel drive racing. At the same time, the GTL group is very cost-effective. Sports cars from luxury manufacturers such as Porsche and BMW, as well as GT4 racing cars before 2016, can appear in this arena. I believe it will bring a very exciting duel."

LTC RACING: Stimulating the endurance racing potential of 718

LTC RACING, which has performed well in the CEC National Cup in recent years, has also built a GTL group racing car based on the Porsche 718. The team's main driver Lu Yan said that the emergence of the GTL group has given drivers a place to use their favorite cars. "Our drivers love Porsche and bought this 718 at the end of 2017. Initially, the car was mainly used for track days, but later we found that the 718 had great potential and excellent handling, so we gradually upgraded it and built it into a racing car around 2021.

By Since there was no corresponding race category to participate in at the beginning, we initially modified the car with the idea of building a car for track days and local races. We upgraded the 718 from power to chassis, and also equipped it with safety equipment such as roll cages to meet the safety standards of the race.

This year, this Porsche 718 will join the GTL group of CEC. Therefore, we strengthened the car for endurance racing, including strengthening heat dissipation and adjusting horsepower appropriately to improve stability. The car's track performance is now more stable. "

LTC RACING has been competing in the National Cup for two consecutive seasons. Lu Yan believes that the GTL group will be a cost-effective choice for drivers to advance.

"From the existing information and data, the operating cost of the GTL group car will be between the national cup car and the TCE group and GTC group car, which fills the gap in domestic car racing. We look forward to continuously improving the car and strive to achieve good results in the first year of the GTL group."

The core highlight of the GTL group is "all-people modification, light-equipped competition", which allows participating teams to personalize the commercial supercars on the basis of retaining the original powertrain and basic tuning. Therefore, those models that are inherently powerful and have excellent chassis tuning, and have rich modification resources are the best choice for building GTL group cars. In addition to the Porsche 718, there are many other models in China that are good choices for participating in the GTL group.

BMW M2 (F87&G87)

With the development of the times, the current BMW M3/M4 has already become several times larger than the original E30 M3, and the compact M2 seems to be more able to demonstrate the original intention of BMW M-Power's driving control. The M2 (G87) is equipped with BMW's high-performance "king of machines"------S58 inline six-cylinder twin-turbocharged engine, which can burst out 480 horsepower. With the front-rear drive layout and chassis tuning produced by M-Power, the original factory is already a popular model for track days. BMW has always been a hot spot in the modification circle, with rich upgrade resources. After professional modification, it can join the GTL group showdown.

In addition, the F87 generation of the M2 is also a good choice for transformation into a racing car. The M2 (F87) has been built into a racing car. As the previous generation model, the F87 is also more advantageous in terms of price. Both generations of the M2 have the potential to join the GTL group.

BMW M235i Racing Cup

If you think that turning the M2 into a racing car is a test of technical level, then the F22 generation BMW M235i Racing Cup is a more realistic choice. The BMW M235i Racing Cup is a BMW standard event - the BMW M235i Racing Cup, and is a popular horse for many drivers to compete on the Nürburgring track. The BMW M235i Racing Cup is equipped with an inline six-cylinder 3.0T turbocharged engine and a 7-speed dual-clutch gearbox, with a maximum output of 340 horsepower.

The BMW M235i Racing Cup was originally a car model for the Nürburgring endurance race VLN, and its stability has been certified. The BMW M235i Racing Cup was once introduced to China, and there is a ready-made source of cars, which is undoubtedly a reasonable choice for participating in the GTL group.

BMW M4 (F82)

The BMW M3/M4 is a car model that cannot be avoided when talking about BMW performance cars. The two-door M4 is obviously more in line with the positioning of GT racing cars. The current G82 M4 is slightly more expensive and does not conform to the people-friendly spirit of the GTL group. The F82 M4 is a more suitable choice. The M4 (F82) is equipped with BMW's famous performance engine --- 3.0T S55 inline six-cylinder twin-turbocharged engine, matched with a 7-speed dual-clutch gearbox, and can output a maximum of 450 horsepower.

BMW once built the previous generation GT4 racing car based on the F82 M4, which is enough to prove the track potential of the F82 M4. Of course, directly based on the old M4 GT4 racing car, participating in the GTL group after modification is also another good choice.

Toyota SUPRA

The legendary history of the series, the front-engine rear-wheel drive layout, and the pedigree of the GT4 racing car make Toyota SUPRA a sports car with great track potential within one million yuan. Toyota SUPRA has two power options: 2.0T and 3.0T. Among them, the 3.0T model is equipped with the same B58 inline six-cylinder twin-turbocharged engine as the GR SUPRA GT4 racing car, matched with an 8-speed manual transmission.

The mass-produced Toyota SUPRA shares a lot of mechanical parts with the GR SUPRA GT4. I believe that with the strong modification resources of Japanese cars, it is not difficult to transform the Toyota SUPRA into a GT racing car. The GR SUPRA GT4 is the champion car of the CEC GT Cup. We also look forward to the GTL group SUPRA car independently developed by China to appear on the track.

Porsche 911

The status of the Porsche 911 is beyond words. In the GT arena, the 911 GT3 Cup has accompanied the growth of countless drivers, and the 911 GT3 R has accompanied many top drivers in the GT3 arena. In the hearts of car fans, the rear-mounted, rear-wheel drive, horizontally opposed six-cylinder 911 is an enduring classic in the car world. From Carrera to GT2 RS, there is always a 911 that can satisfy the most discerning fans.

Porsche 911 has been introduced to China for many years. From new cars to used cars, there are a variety of models to choose from. Among them, the prices of 997 and 991 are relatively affordable, which is a good choice for conversion into racing cars. If you want to use a ready-made solution, buying an old Cup racing car and converting it to participate in the competition is another idea.

Lotus Emira Cup Car

Lotus Emira Cup Car is also a suitable choice for the GTL group. Lotus sports cars have a pure racing pedigree. Emira adopts a mid-mounted rear-wheel drive layout and inherits the brand's lightweight genes. The original factory is already an ultimate driving control weapon. Lotus sports cars' current GT4 racing car is built based on Emira. Emira Cup Car is equipped with a 2.0T four-cylinder turbocharged engine and a 7-speed dual-clutch gearbox. It can output a maximum of 420 horsepower and is a good horse for entry-level GT racing.

In addition to the above models, there are many high-performance sports cars and old-style standard racing cars and GT4 racing cars in China that are suitable for making GTL group racing cars.

The new season is about to kick off. CEC has updated the race schedule for the 2025 season, setting up comprehensive tests for the diverse racing lineup. We look forward to more personalized racing cars appearing in the new season, presenting a colorful racing world.

2025 CEC China Endurance Championship
GT Cup:

Two free practice sessions of no less than 60 minutes

Two qualifying sessions of no less than 20 minutes

Two rounds of finals (90 minutes each + the first car)

Or one round of finals (240 minutes + the first car)

Manufacturer Cup&National Cup:

Each race includes

One free practice session of no less than 60 minutes

One qualifying session of no less than 20 minutes

Two stages of finals (120 minutes each + the first car)

Uniform Specification Cup:

One free practice session of no less than 30 minutes

Two sessions of no less than 15 Minutes of qualifying

Two rounds of finals (30 minutes per round + lead car)

*Some of the above pictures are from the Internet