Three-time Pikes Peak winner Robin Shute will return to the famed hillclimb event later this year driving an Aston Martin Vantage GT3.

It will mark the first time a car from the British marque has taken on the hillclimb, with Venture Engineering – a partner team of Aston Martin Racing – running the effort. It will run in the Time Attack 1 class this year before mounting an assault on the top Unlimited class in 2024.

“It’s an honour to be racing this year with Venture Engineering – it’s very special for me to race a car with such storied racing roots back home in the UK,” said Shute, who appropriately was also the first Brit to win Pikes Peak. “I can’t wait to make this Vantage GT3 roar up the mountain.”

The car will undergo a series of changes for the event, including new mapping for its 4.0 liter twin-turbo AMG-derived V8 engine, and bespoke gearing, as well as damper and aerodynamic upgrades.The car’s regulated base weight of 1320 kg will also be reduced.

“We’re excited to push the limits of the incredibly successful Vantage GT3 in a new racing discipline,” said Andy Williamson, commercial director at Venture Engineering. “We also look forward to working with our technical partners over the coming months and years to develop this project into a winning entry.”

Huw Tasker, head of Aston Martin Partner Racing added: “This is an exciting, adventurous and challenging project that Venture are undertaking and we are looking forward to seeing how it progresses, and to assisting them in achieving their ambitions. It will be great to see Venture take on Pikes Peak in an Aston Martin.”

This year’s Pikes Peak International Hillclimb, the 101st running of the event, takes place on Sunday June 25. Other previous winners joining Shute on the entry list include Paul Dallenback, Rhys Millen, and Clint Vahsholtz.