Ginetta has been catapulting young talent to the very top of the motorsport ladder for the better part of two decades. Lando Norris, who until last weekend was in with a (admittedly very small) shot at this year’s Formula 1 drivers’ title, graduated from karts into the hugely competitive Ginetta Junior series in 2014, clinching the rookie title in the process. The competition has also hosted the likes of Jamie Chadwick, Dan Harper and Tom Ingram, all of whom have gone on to nab championships in some of motorsport’s most highly regarded series. So no, a successful season in single-seaters isn’t the only way to kickstart a career in professional motor racing. You just need a Ginetta - and a lot of talent to go along with it.
Well, that goes for the young ‘uns, anyway. Entry into the fiercely competitive Junior series is limited to 14 to 17-year-olds - and because they’re legally children, Ginetta fields them in its dinky G40 Junior with only 101hp to play with. However, knowing that folks whose teenage years are long behind them might want a piece of the action prompted the British sports car maker to launch the GT Academy (not to be confused with Gran Turismo’s gamer-to-race project) in 2021 with no upper age limit. And because the series is geared more towards grown-ups, Ginetta set about making a quicker, more advanced racer based loosely around its GT4 racer, resulting in the G56 GTA you see here.
Anyone who’s seen a support race at the BTCC or British GT in the last couple of decades will be familiar with the design. The G56’s look is an evolution of the G55, which in itself wasn’t a huge departure from the G50. Underneath the familiar skin, however, is a bang-up-to-date racer crammed full of the latest motorsport hardware. Much of which comes from Ginetta itself, with around 80 per cent of components, from the tubular steel chassis to the double wishbone suspension, being manufactured in-house. And while its 3.5-litre V6 has been donated by a gigantic American Ford pick-up, it’s been heavily reworked for competition use and now comes dry-sumped.
GT Academy has just chalked up its third season, but there are a handful of changes for 2025, mostly in the name of keeping costs to a bare minimum. First, there’s a new Quaife six-speed sequential gearbox that doesn’t need to be serviced as frequently as before thanks to ‘stronger gears’ and a mechanical oil pump. The toe arms have been moved too for a slightly stiffer configuration but (more importantly) to make them easier to maintain. What’s more, setup changes will be fixed across both GTA drivers (those with previous racing experience) and Rookies (those without), whereas before those in the GTA class were free to adjust damper, roll bars, camber and wing levels. And if you didn’t think Ginetta was serious about cutting costs for competitors, those who already have a G56 GTA will get the 2025 upgrades thrown in free of charge, so long as you pay next season’s entry fee.
Seeing is believing, of course, which is why Ginetta has hired out Silverstone’s National Circuit (the smallest loop which includes the old pit straight) and invited along 119 potential clients - over 90 of which held racing licences - to try out the new G56 GTA ahead of the 2025 season in the hope that a good chunk of them will splash out on a drive. We’d be among the prospective racers taking part in the test, and being in the minority with no prior racing experience seemed as good a reason as any to see just how accessible this new-and-improved GTA really is.
As rookie-orientated racing cars go, the GTA sure does look the part. It’s a ringer for the V8-powered GT4 Evo, although not having to conform to the ruleset of a multi-manufacturer championship means the GTA actually has a meatier rear wing than the GT4’s. There are some subtle differences, though, including the simpler bonnet design and headlight stickers, though you really need to get up close to notice the latter. Open the featherweight door, fold yourself through the carbon fibre side impact structure and you'll find heavily bolstered bucket seats. It feels like a mini Le Mans prototype inside; the carbon fibre steering wheel and dash all covered in brightly-coloured buttons. All I’ll need for today is ‘start’ and ’N’, but there’s also a pit limiter and a switch to cycle through the MoTeC display.
Pin the clutch, fire the engine and hit the N button to make sure it’s in neutral, then pull the right paddle to engage first and use what little travel you have to find the bite. The race-grade clutch catches a few out and the sound of over revved V6s fills the pit lane throughout the day, but bringing the throttle in gently and decisively will get you up and running easily enough. You have to be just as decisive with the gearbox, as I found out after momentarily lifting off after an upshift while exiting the pit lane. This confused the gearbox and left me with no drive for about two or three seconds, which feels like an eternity when you’re being passed by others at racing speeds. If you’re going to change up, keep the throttle pinned.
Granted, the GTA isn’t a pin-you-to-your-seat kind of racer. Yes, 274hp and 299lb ft of torque are more than enough when there’s only 1,230kg to shift, but there’s nothing to overwhelm you here aside from the whine of straight-cut gears and the thud of another cog being called on with the flick of the right paddle. And that’s a good thing because from the moment you exit the pit lane, you can immediately focus on the job at hand which, in my case, was immediately getting out of the way of Mike Simpson, Ginetta’s head of motorsport and former LMP1 racer, thundering by in the 6.2-litre GT4 car.
Heading into the tight right-hander where Maggots meets the Wellington straight, a quick flick of the single-seater-style wheel causes the nose to dive towards the apex like a two opposing magnets. Never have I experienced turn-in like this before, where the front end reacts to the slightest wheel input with pin-sharp precision, like the steering equivalent of a seamless shift gearbox. It’s as if it’s been tailor-made for Max Verstappen. It’s superbly weighted, too, and for good reason. The G56’s rack comes from a E46 BMW M3 because Ginetta believes it’s the best there is.
Silverstone’s National Circuit includes the tight left-right complex of Brooklands and Luffield, the GTA rotating nicely mid-corner thanks to that laser-pointer steering and a narrow footprint. Ginetta GT Pro champion, Mckenzie Douglas, tells me to pin the throttle as soon as I clip the apex; the GTA’s Pirelli Trofeo Rs bite into the tarmac without a hint of traction loss. There’s no traction control here and it helps that it’s a dry day, but the GTA’s gearing feels on the longer side to stop novices from lighting up the rears. Meanwhile, the massive rear wing is there to help you at higher speeds, with not so much as a wiggle through the fast right-hand sweeper of Copse.
Braking is via four-pot AP Racing callipers to the front and they require a fair bit of force to wake them up. They provide a decent amount of stopping power and despite there being a tiny amount of travel in the pedal, there’s enough space to modulate your speed when entering fast, open turns. Nevertheless, it doesn’t take long to realise, like a go-kart, there is so much grip that the middle pedal barely gets a look in. And that’s what makes the GTA such a superb little racer: it’s immensely confidence-inspiring, allowing you to push as hard as you like without the fear of spinning into the gravel if you get on the power too early or brake a bit too late.
You wouldn't expect anything less from a company that’s been fostering inexperienced talent for as long as Ginetta has. Racing is, however, an expensive game and the GT Academy is no exception. A G56 GTA alone will set you back £85,000 plus tax, while entry into next year’s championship is another £66,000 plus VAT on top. With that, you’ll gain entry to 17 rounds spread across six circuits in the UK, including three 30-minute practice sessions on the run-up to each event. Alternatively, there’s a ‘rent a race’ package for £88,000 plus VAT, inclusive of the car, entry, tyres, fuel, serviceable parts, a driver coach and a load more. There are cheaper ways into motorsport, much like the EnduraKa series PH’s RacingPete has been competing in this year, but it’s hard to think of a more complete or accessible package than the one Ginetta has cooked up here. Now if they'll just give me a full season to double-check that's true...
SPECIFICATION | GINETTA G56 GTA
Engine: 3,498cc V6
Transmission: six-speed sequential, rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 274
Torque (lb ft): 299
0-62mph: N/A
Top speed: 140mph
Weight: 1,230kg
MPG: N/A
CO2: N/A
Price: £85,000 plus VAT
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