In 2018, Endurance Brasil underwent a complete reformulation of its classes, with the GT models following the standard FIA nomenclature. While GT3 saw the arrival of several modern GT3s and the presence of some GT3s from the extinct GT3 Brazil, GT4 received, in addition to the homologated GT4s, a myriad of models that previously competed in the GT1 and GT2 classes.
Audi A3 DTCC
Developed by MC Tubarão for the DTCC (Driver Touring Car Cup), the A3 DTCC lost weight (from 1,396 to 1,040 kg) and gained power in comparison to the standard A3, reaching 200 hp. After the end of the championship, several units found new life in Endurance and Paulista Automobile races. In Endurance Brasil, the model debuted in 2024, through the Mamba Negra Racing team, with its best final placement being third place in Velocittà.
Audi RS3 LMS TCR
Imported by Eurobike in 2018, the RS3 LMS was the first TCR to compete on Brazilian tracks, many years before the official arrival of TCR in South America in 2021. Initially, the model competed in the GT4 class in the 2018 season, migrating to GT4 Light between 2019 and 2020. After a period competing in regional events, the “Voyagão”, as the model became known, returned to Endurance Brasil in 2024, always for the Eurobike team. In 2024, it achieved its first victory in the class, at the 3 Hours of Velocittà.
BMW E36 M3 Chevrolet V8
A frequent presence in the initial seasons of Endurance Brasil was the BMW M3 E36 equipped with a Chevrolet V8 engine by Rui Machado and Jorge Alberto Machado, a true third millennium roadster, which initially competed in the GT2 class. With the implementation of the GT4, the classic BMW only competed in the 4 Hours of Interlagos in 2018, abandoning the race after less than two hours of racing.
BMW E92 M3 GTS V8
One of the most iconic models of the first phase of Endurance Brasil was the BMW M3 GTS of the Eurobike team, always with Henry Visconde at the wheel. Built from one of the 138 E92 BMW M3 GTS units built, the model was prepared by MC Tubarão, keeping the BMW S65 4.4 V8 engine and initially with a lighter preparation, being placed in the GT2 class, achieving 3 victories in its class. In 2017, the model received an upgrade developed by MC Tubarão, including a GTR bodykit from the German tuner Floßmann, and began competing in the GT1 class, achieving a victory in its class in the 500 km of São Paulo. From 2018 onwards, the model began competing in the GT4 class, winning the first GT4 race in Endurance Brasil, with Guilherme and Sérgio Ribas, the only race for which it was entered in the season. In 2020, Henry Visconde returned to using the BMW M3 E92 in the GT4 class, but with the arrival of current GT4 models such as the Mercedes AMG and McLaren 570S, he achieved his best position of fourth place in the 4 Hours of Goiânia. The model’s farewell from the tracks took place in the 1,000 Milhas of 2021, which ended prematurely after an accident with a competitor.
BMW F82 M4 GT4
After years of competing with the BMW M3 GTS and Audi RS3 TCR, for the 2021 season the Eurobike team opted for a “real” GT4. The F82 generation of the BMW M4 debuted on the track in 2017, with highlights including victories in the SP10 class of the 24 Hours of Nurburgring, and titles in the French GT4 championship. In Endurance Brasil, the model won two victories in its class, in addition to the runner-up position in its class for Henry Visconde and Lucas Foresti.
BMW F87 M2 CS Racing
Starting in the 2022 season, the Eurobike team brought the BMW M2 CS Racing as its weapon to compete in the GT4 class championship. As the entry point for the Bavarian factory’s competition cars, the M2 CS Racing is derived from the street-legal M2, maintaining the 3-liter S55 twin-turbo engine and 7-speed dual-clutch transmission, with the necessary safety modifications and minor aerodynamic modifications. At Endurance Brasil, the model won several podiums.
BMW F87 M240i
Another development by MC Tubarão, the Eurobike team’s BMW M240i made its track debut in 2023 at the closing stage of the Rio Grande do Sul Endurance Championship, winning the GT1 class with Tiel Andrade. With a light engine tune-up and maintaining the eight-speed automatic transmission, the M240i also won the GT4 Light class at the 2024 1,000 Milhas. In Endurance Brasil, it made its debut in the third stage of the 2024 season, at Velocittá with Fernando Gorayeb, Adriano Buzaid and Witold Ramasauskas at the wheel. Unfortunately, the trio retired after 52 laps, after a bearing failure.
BMW G20 320i
Another project by MC Tubarão and Eurobike that debuted in the 2024 Endurance Brasil season was the BMW 320i generation G20. Designed for a single-make Eurobike championship, the car appeared on the tracks for the first time in the second stage, the 4 Hours of Interlagos. Driven by Fernando Rebellato and Rodrigo Garcia, the car completed 69 laps before retiring from the race.
Chevrolet Montana Stock Car
One of the Stock Cars competing in the GT4 class of Endurance Brasil, the Montana pickup truck driven by drivers Ésio Vichiesi and Felipe Franco started from the pits in the 4 Hours of Interlagos, the second stage of the 2018 season, finishing the race in 19th place overall and 5th place in the GT4 class. In the 3 Hours of Velopark, now in partnership with Roberto Rossatit, Vichiese finished 15th place overall and 2nd in GT4.
Chevrolet Vectra Stock Car
A classic figure in Brazilian endurance racing, the Vectra Stock Car V8 driven by the trio Edras, Esdras and Juarez Soares also took part in the São Paulo stages of the 2017 Endurance Brasil season in the GT1 class. In 2018, it took part in the races at Interlagos and Velocittà, finishing sixth in its class in the first race and retiring from the second.
Dodge Challenger
Built on a Stock Car chassis, André Carrillo’s Challenger is one of the cars that remains most memorable to fans, even though it only participated in a few races in the championship. Driven by André in tandem with Rodrigo Corbisier, the Challenger V8 only participated in one race in the GT1 class, the 500 Km of Interlagos in 2017, but continued to compete in the GT4 class in 2018, winning a victory in its class at the 4 Hours of Velocittà in 2018.
Fiat Linea Trofeo
The Linea Trofeo was created for the now-defunct Trofeo Linea and Copa Fiat, a single-brand championship sponsored by Fiat that featured several top-notch Brazilian drivers such as Cacá Bueno, Christian Fittipaldi, Marcos Gomes and many others. Starting with the Fiat Linea T-JET, the competition model received a FIRE 1.4 T-JET engine prepared by FPT, with a 6-speed Sadev sequential transmission and had its chassis prepared by Metalmoro, which carried out the final assembly of the car. After the end of the championship in 2012, several of the cars manufactured found a home in endurance races, in the Gáucho de Endurance and later in the Endurance Brasil. In 2018, some Fiat models competed in the GT4 class. The last participation of a Linea in Endurance Brasil took place at the 4 Hours of Goiânia in 2022, with fifth place for the trio Rodrigo Lemke, Marcelo Lemke and André Jesus.
Ford Mustang GT4
One of the new features of the 2021 Endurance Brasil season was the arrival of the Ford Mustang GT4 from the Autlog team. In contrast to the sophisticated European models, the American pony car brought a more rustic sound to the tracks with its Coyote V8 engine. Making its debut at the 4 Hours of Santa Cruz do Sul, the Mustang got 4 victories in the GT4 class between the 2021 and 2023 seasons, in addition to being part of the title campaign of Cássio Homem de Melo, Flávio Abrunhoza and André Moraes Jr in the 2021 season.
Ginetta G55 GT4
After dominating the 2018 Endurance Brasil season in the GT4 class, the arrival of more modern models such as the Mercedes AMG and McLaren 570S and the lack of an adequate BoP caused the Ginettas to migrate to the GT4 Light class midway through the 2020 season. Although in practice the English cars were competitive in race pace, sometimes achieving positions above the GT4s in the main class, this demotion led to a loss of the title, despite having won 4 out of 6 races. During the 2021 season, the Ginettas once again dominated the GT4 Light, with a 100% victory rate.
McLaren 570S GT4
One of the new features brought to Endurance Brasil in 2020 were the McLaren 570S GT4s, which competed until the 2023 season. Despite their potential, the English cars never achieved a victory in their class, with their performance overshadowed by the dominance of the Mercedes AMGs in the GT4 class.
Mercedes AMG GT4
Making their debut on Brazilian tracks in 2019, the Mercedes AMG GT4 had a reasonable start, with just one victory in the 2019 season. In 2020, however, they completely dominated the class, with 6 victories and the title for Léo Sanchez and Átila Abreu. The following year, there was a review of the BoP, the class became more balanced again, but Mercedes continued to dominate with 5 victories in 2021, 4 victories in 2022 and 3 victories in 2023.
Mercedes CLA 45 AMG
Developed in 2014 for the AMG Cup, some Mercedes CLA 45 AMGs ended up finding new life in endurance races, such as in Endurance Brasil in the GT4 (2018) and GT4 Light (from 2019 onwards) classes. In GT4 Light, Mercedes dominated the 2019 season with 5 victories, even against competition from the Audi RS3 TCR from Eurobike, bleeding Junior Victorette and Marcelo Karam as champions. With the arrival of the Ginetta G55 in the GT4 Light class in 2020, it became practically impossible for a touring car like Mercedes to win races, but as this change in classification occurred in the third stage of the championship, Tuca Antoniazzi’s consistency led him to the class title.
Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X Cup R
Another car from single-make championships, the Lancer Evolution X Cup R of Marco Scalamandré, Rodrigo Garcia and Ricardo Landi, which came in second place in the 500 km of Interlagos in the GT2 class in 2017. With the reformulation of the classes in 2018, the Lancer received yellow headlights (mandatory for GT models after 2018), in addition to the wheels and rear wing of the RS model. In this configuration, the trio came in third place in the 4 Hours of Interlagos, behind the Audi RS3 TCR and the Mercedes CLA 45 AMG (and which would have been second place, had it not been for a flat tire). You can read the full story here.
Peugeot 307 Stock Car
Another Stock Car on our list, the Peugeot 307 bubble was also present at Endurance Brasil, debuting in the closing round of the 2015 season with Reinaldo Rena and Roberto Rossatti, who participated in several races between the 2015 and 2017 seasons in the GT2 class. With the unification of the slowest GTs in the GT4 class in 2018, they competed in the 4 Hours of Interlagos, winning 4th place in their class.
Porsche Cayman 718 CS GT4
One of the latest additions to the GT4 class, the Porsche Cayman 718 CS GT4 from the Stuttgart Porsche team debuted in 2022, nearly taking the 1,000 Miles overall and taking three class victories. In 2023, Porsches again took three class victories, in addition to the title for Jacques Quartiero and Danilo Dirani. In 2024, partly due to the absence of other “pure” GT4 models on the track, the German cars dominated the season, winning seven of the eight stages contested.
