N-GT Comes to Project Motor Racing

April 24, 2025

Let’s start at the start—an intro to what many remember fondly as one of the finest racing classes in GT racing history. To start with, the “N” was for National, and the purpose of N-GT was to entice smaller, near-production GT cars (akin to today’s GT2) to enter endurance racing at reduced cost. That formula inspired a handful of “smaller” manufactures to test their mettle against the established big predators (Porsche and Ferrari and BMW): manufacturers like Gillet, Mosler, Morgan, and TVR, each bringing their own unique ideas, colour, and perspectives to GT racing.

These independent also brought the classic underdog spirit to N-GT, and their season-long story in 2004 really is one of passion and perseverance featuring gutsy teams, shoestring budgets, young drivers looking to make a name joining grizzled veterans on their way to retirement, and a lot of jaw-dropping racing action.

The N-GT Battleground

By 2004, the FIA GT’s N-GT class was ticking along nicely. Sure, at the business end of the grid, factory-linked efforts from Porsche and Ferrari continued to dominate, but behind them, Mosler, TVR, Morgan, and Gillet pressed on, alongside the now epic BMW M3 GTR (fans of sideways action, look no further!).

Each of these smaller manufacturers brought unique strengths—and plenty of quirks—to N-GT. From V10 engines to Busso Alfas to conventional ash wood used for frames, one of the delights of N-GT is to find the car that you connect with most and then getting the most out of it … and yourself.

One such example was Gillet’s little warrior that carried national pride into competition. In an era that was beginning to be dominated ever more by large manufacturers with expansive budgets, the Vertigo embodied the spirit of independent innovation.

Nowhere was this narrative more evident than at the Spa 24 Hours 2004, N-GT’s crown jewel event and the Vertigo’s home race. The Vertigo ran in the G2 class (for non-homologated entries), but even if it wasn’t eligible for N-GT points, no one was going to keep that car from competing on home soil.

With Belgian drivers Renaud Kuppens, Bas Leinders, and Sébastien Ugeux sharing the pedal work, the #100 Vertigo set off into the Ardennes summer day on a mission. Not to win. But to survive.

As faster N-GT cars and GT1 machines fell out, the Gillet kept pushing, that Busso V6 never missing a beat, while the pit crew focused on a strategy of calm within the storm—avoiding risks, preserving the car, and running the drivers for as long as possible on each stint. By Sunday afternoon, the plucky Vertigo had not only reached the finish, but crossed the line in an astonishing 13th place—not bad, considering over 50 cars had shown up for the event.

That finish was met with cheers in the paddock and the packed grandstands (100,000 fans were on-hand to watch that race), and that Vertigo was transported to the finish line by the partisan crowd. And no surprise, because on paper, the Vertigo was outclassed—its 3L engine producing around 350bhp, much less than the 450+ of the Porsche and Ferrari N-GTs, and its top speed on Spa’s Kemmel Straight was notably lower. But its light weight and balance was kind on tyres and brakes, which allowed for longer runs between pit stops and fewer stops overall, particularly on that hot and stifling Sunday in August. And with the Vertigo chassis handling like a gem, the performance gap was further reduced.

Though it was never truly in contention for a class win on raw pace, the effort encapsulated the very essence of why we love N-GT: grit, innovation, and a case of the heart conquering real adversity.

Technically, all these various N-GT runners brought something different to the table. The Mosler, with its American V8 muscle and mid-engine balance, the TVR, that charismatic front-engine bruiser with its flame-spitting exhaust and fearless privateer drivers, the Vertigo and it’s bullet-like silhouette and Alfa Romeo engine, the Morgan and its throwback to the ’50s poise and grace ...

In a formal motorsport analysis, it’s easy to measure success in trophies and points. By that metric, N-GT’s underdogs didn’t trouble the official standings. But their impact on the class far exceeded any statistic. They were the embodiment of the notion that GT racing is as much about passion as it is about precision. Each time the Mosler’s V8 bellowed down a straight, or the TVR slid through a chicane on opposite lock, or the Gillet popped into view at Spa with its distinctive silhouette cutting through the night on its determined way to just finish, it reminded everyone why endurance racing is so extraordinary—the diversity, the dare-to-dream attitude, and that most human of traits: the belief that, on any given day, the established order can be defied by a rookie armed with just the right amount of passion, spirit, daring, and luck.

This is the spirit of racing that you’re going to love in Project Motor Racing.

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