Aston Martin Vantage GT3 is now the V12 GT. Thanks to Porsche.

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The Aston Martin Vantage GT3 – revealed only last month – is to be renamed the Vantage V12 GT after Porsche challenged Aston Martin over the GT3 badge.

What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet, wrote the Bard. And Aston Martin has decided that’s the case with the Aston Martin Vantage GT3.

Aston revealed the Vantage GT3 just last month as a hardcore Vantage V12, aimed at filling a gap between the road-going Astons and those for the track. But it seems Porsche is not impressed.

According to the chaps at Goodwood Road and Racing, Porsche’s lawyers have laid claim to the GT3 moniker, and rather than fighting the deep pockets of Porsche (and VW) Aston Martin has decided to take Juliet’s advice and not get hung up on a name. So the GT3 now becomes the Aston Martin Vantage V12 GT.

Clearly, Porsche’s heavy-handed defence of ‘their’ badge has had the desired effect, but it is surely arguable that the ‘GT3’ moniker doesn’t belong to Porsche just because they’ve been using it on the 911 since 1999?

GT3 is now a race series, and the GT3 name was actually used on a road car by Lotus (the Lotus Esprit GT3) before Porsche attached it to the 911 (maybe there’s an angle for Lotus to claim some cash from Porsche?), but Aston Martin appear to have taken the pragmatic route, and who can blame them?

Still, it’s now the Aston Martin Vantage V12 GT. And that’s just fine.