Before we start this section of our look at what’s new for 2016 here’s the health warning:

There are a LOT of new GT3 car announcements still to come with Audi, Porsche and Mercedes Benz orders into the dozens and Ferrari’s order book notoriously secretive. By the time the European season gets underway there’s every chance that the list below will be three times its current length!

For now we’ll restrict ourselves to announcements made and ‘known knowns’! And there are a couple of very recent ones sprinkled in here.

Aston Martin: V12 Vantage GT3

Amongst the new or revised efforts we now know are:

Aston Martin Racing are set to field a two car effort at the Nurburgring 24 Hours with associated early season VLN outings in preparation.

Beechdean Motorsport have already announced a single GT3 effort for British GT with a potential second to come, plus a possible effort for the new Michelin Le Mans GT3 Challenge.

TF Sport, rather wrong footed by the cessation of a GTC class in the ELMS are also considering the new ACO GT3 Series.

A new name for the 2016 British GT Championship is PFL Motorsport for ex VW Racing Cup racer and military amputee Pete Littler with a full season effort in an unmodified Aston Martin GT3.

And look out for an announcement of a potential significant additional GT3 team in Germany!

Audi: R8 LMS

The new Audi debuted last year and customer cars are now being delivered in numbers with an initial production batch of c.50 cars.

WRT: One arm of the Audi factory supported Customer racing effort, already with racing experience (and success) with the new Audi under their belts return with Vincent Vosse’s outfit looking set for a multi car effort in Blancpain GT, a return to the Nurburgring 24 Hours and a role in whatever programme emerges for the 2016 Intercontinental GT Challenge.

Phoenix Racing: And the other arm! Phoenix Racing though will add programmes in GT Asia and the Audi R8 LMS Cup to their European operations in 2016 with the new Audi.

Stevenson Racing: Long time GM exponents Stevenson Motorsport move into IMSA GTD competition with a pair of new Audis for the full season.

Magnus Racing: Magnus Racing have been Porsche entrants since the beginning of known time but now move over to Audi for a full season of IMSA GTD competition.

Melbourne Performance Centre: No fewer than three new Audis will debut at the Bathurst 12 Hour, two entered under the Jamec Pem banner.

Car Collection: Another squad which has been tempted to make a change, Car Collection’s steadfastly customer based operation exchanges Mercedes SLS for new Audi R8, two cars for a mixed programme of 24H Series and ADAC GT Masters.

JBR Motorsport & Engineering: A single car effort for ADAC GT Masters marks the team’s GT racing debut alongside a TCR Touring car effort.

Absolute Racing: GT Asia, Asian Le Mans Series and Absolute Racing’s Bentley plans in North America are a sign that the team is looking for new horizons. A new spec Audi is entered for the first tim win the last two rounds of the 2-15/ 26 Asian Le Mans Series.

M1 GT: A single car effort from the Floridian team for at least a part season in the Pirelli World Challenge and the Intercontinental GT Challenge too.

ISR: Back to Blancpain GT Competition for ISR who have ordered at least one new Audi.

Optimum Motorsport: A mix of British GT and 24H Series racing for Optimum Motorsport with a second Audi possible later in the 2016 season.

C.Abt: Confirmed with at least one, and possibly up to three new Audis for ADAC GT Masters and some 24H races.

Land Motorsport: VLN beckons for the new Audi for Land Motorsport, likely not the only team to make the switch to a new Audi.

Audi R8 Cup: The 2016 Audi R8 Cup will feature a two class structure, the premier class for the new version of the R8 and a second class for the older, existing cars, with Absolute Racing joined by Phoenix Racing and KCMG as service agents for Series competitors

Bentley: Continental GT3

A topsy turvy close season for Bentley Motorsport sees a new effort, an expanded effort, and two customer teams departing the camp.

Team Parker are set to campaign a pair of cars in British GT and and Blancpain GT after a successful season in their now parked Audi.

Absolute Racing had success in GT Asia but will now expand their Bentley programme to North America with two confirmed, and one potential additional car for a full season in the Pirelli World Challenge.

HTP and Dyson Racing meanwhile have announced the cessation of their Bentley programmes with no replacement marque yet announced for either team.

The factory supported MSport team will return to Blancpain GT with additional efforts in major endurance races with a pair of cars.

BMW: M6 GT3

Rowe Racing: Any major team switching allegiance from one manufacturer to another is newsworthy. Rowe Racing is one of a large number that have done so ahead of the 2016 season, the team replacing their Mercedes Benz SLS AMG GT3s with BMW M6 GT3s.

Rowe start 2016 as a factory supported BMW squad and will campaign a pair of M6 GT3s in Blancpain GT,the Nurburgring 24 Hours and selected VLN rounds.

Schubert: The long-time BMW supported team look set to feature in Blancpain Endurance.

Roal Motorsport: Another long-time BMW factory supported squad – Some Blancpain GT and possibly ADAC GT Masters are amongst the potential 2016 programmes.

Turner Motorsport: Will Turner’s squad replaces their BMW Z4s with a pair of new M6 GT3s for a full season of IMSA Weathertech SportsCar Championship.

Teo Martin: The Spanish International GT Open Championship winning squad switches from McLaren to BMW for 2016 with a 2 car effort planned in defence of the title.

Steve Richards SRM Motorsport: A single car factory supported Australian GT Endurance Championship programme is a welcome addition to the BMW effort worldwide.

Cadillac ATS V

No expanded programme, and no customer cars yet for Cadillac, a two car entry in the Pirelli World Challenge the only confirmed activity for the turbo powered coupe, no customer cars being made available for 2016.

Callaway Corvette C7 GT3

One confirmed Whelen Engineering backed effort in ADAC GT Masters for the new and spectacular looking Callaway Corvette C7.R has been announced with a programme of other races understood to be under consideration with a potential Blancpain GT programme as a potential addition to , or in partial replacement for, the GT Masters effort.

A further pair of chassis are understood to be in build as the team work to develop the car and show its potential ahead of a sales push for 2017.

Dodge Viper GT3R

Not a lot of news from the house of Riley.

One full season IMSA effort and a second car for the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona for the Riley Technologies/ Viper Exchange team and a potential part season for the Dan Knox owned Lone Star Racing.

Ferrari 488 GT3

Notoriously tricky to get a handle on, Ferrari’s customer list will emerge in time. Here are a few of the ‘known knowns’.

AF Corse: The doyen of Ferrari customer teams and there’s no sign of the scale of their worldwide operations abating. Expect multiple 488 GT3s from a selection of their loyal customers in a number of Championships.

Kessel Racing: Customer sources suggest 2-3 hrs being obtained for Blancpain and other programmes.

Rinaldi: Understood to be set to run at least one 488 GT3 in Blancpain, and potentially elsewhere too.

Scuderia Corsa: One car already confirmed for 2016 IMSA Championship, debuts at Daytona.

FF Corse: One car confirmed for Ivor Dunbar/ Johnny Mowlem in Michelin GT3 Le Mans Challenge.

Ginetta G55 GT3

The Nationally Homologated Ginetta is set to see a two car, factory supported effort from Tolman Motorsport in the British GT Championship.

Lamborghini Huracan GT3

THE success story of the GT3 marketplace coming into 2016 with new customers for the Huracan GT3 claims from several other manufacturers and in several Series around the world.

HB Racing: Previously a Porsche team, HB Racing are debuting their new Lamborghini at the 24 H Dubai ahead of a planned full season in the Crevenbtic Run 24 H Series.

AH Competições: Team Brasil switch from BMW for 2016 and will again tackle the Blancpain GT Series, this time with a pair of Lamborghinis and are now regular all Brazilian roster of drivers.

Barwell Motorsport: Another team switching from BMW, The team has obtained three new Lamborghinis in commercial partnership with Mark Poole’s MP Motorsport Mark Lemmer and Chris Needell’s outfit will tackle the British GT championship, plus Blancpain GT and other races under the ‘Barwell Motorsport supported by Lamborghini Squadra Corse’ banner.

ARC Bratislava: Miro Konopka has obtained a new Lamborghini to campaign alongside his current Audi with Blancpain GT, 24H Series and potential Asian Le Mans Series on the todo list.

Konrad Motorsport: Franz Konrad has entered a pair of new Huracans for the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona with several other Championships under active consideration for the cars thereafter both in North America and Europe.

Attempto Racing: Switched from McLarens in 2015 to field a pair of new Lamborghinis in Blancpain GT and ADAC GT Masters.

Grasser Racing Team: The factory backed development team revert to customer status in 2016 but look set to continue in Blancpain GT with a unique year of experience under their belts with the Huracan.

Paul Miller Racing: A surprise switch from Audi to Lamborghini for Paul Miller Racing sees a single car for the highly rated team anchor a potentially impressive squadron of Huracans in IMSA’s newly reformatted GTD class for full GT3 spec machinery.

O’Gara Motorsport: Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America team O’Gara take the step up to IMSA’s GTD class with a single Huracan GT3 for a full season effort.

Change Racing: Ditto for Change Racing, Lamborghini’s ladder system through high level continental and global one-make racing is paying off it seems.

Lexus RC F GT3

After the latest homologation issues for the planned Lexus GT3 effort there’s little to report other than the advancing plans in North America to develop the latest iteration of the car for IMSA competition.

Paul Gentilozzi’s RSR outfit are set to look after the programme under the F Performance banner with a development car looking set to test next month with some racing outings likely later in the year, Scott Pruett having been attracted to the programme. The wider plan is still for an all new GT3 car for 2017.

McLaren 650S GT3

K-PAX with Flying Lizards: The Pirelli World Challenge effort might expand to a third car in 2016 after a year that saw the new McLarens always in contention.

Gainsco/ Bob Stallings: An additional Pirelli World Challenge McLaren effort comes with a single car campaign from the returning Gainsco/ Bob Stallings team, Jon Fogarty bringing the team back to front-line competition for the first time since the horror crash at Daytona two years ago for Memo Gidley.

MRS: Switch from Nissan to McLaren after an unhappy 2015 saw the team show good form in both Blancpain and ADAC GT Masters but fail to deliver on the promise.

Clearwater: The team’s McLaren, rebuilt to full 650S GT3 spec has already scored two wins in two starts in the 2015/ 16 Asian Le Mans Series.

Tekno: V8 Supercar squad Tekno Racing field a pair of factory supported 650S GT3s for the Bathurst 12 Hours in an all out attack on the win.

Objective Racing: After debuting their 650S GT3 last season the Aussie team also tackle the Bathurst 12 Hours.

Mercedes Benz AMG GT3

Lots of unanswered questions here for the successor to one of the most successful customer GT3s of them all.

Black Falcon are early adopters and will enter a pair of AMG GT3s for the Dubai 24 Hours with a third car to follow a little later, this in advance of planned programmes in VLN and Nurburgring 24 plus the Spa 24 Hours and the Blancpain Endurance Series.

Ram Racing: The team’s first car will debut in the Dubai 24 Hours, Paul White’s car than continues with a full season in the 24 H Series. a second car is possible.

AKKA ASP: A very rare switch from Ferrari. Jerome Poland’s squad have bought three AMG GT3s for a mixed programme in Blancpain GT and Michelin Le Mans GT3 Cup.

HTP Motorsport: No news yet from the 2015 Bentley customer who previously consistently ran with Mercedes Benz, though there is another possibility!

Weistec Engineering?: No news for some time from a squad that made early noises of a full season Pirelli World Challenge effort with AMG.

Nissan: GT-R NISMO GT3

Nissan Australia: The national importer has bought their own GT-R GT3 which will contest the 2016 Bathurst 12 Hour. No news yet on plans for any other outings this year.

Always Evolving: The team, run by AIM for Always Evolving, ran a pair of GT-Rs in a full season of Pirelli World Challenge in 2015 and are working hard to add a third for 2016.

JRM: No news yet of which team will take over the Blancpain GT effort handled at the start of 2015 by MRS GT and in later rounds by the AIM/ Always Evolving crew.

Porsche 911 GT3 R

The production run for the first batch of 2016 spec Porsche 911 GT3 Rs was extended so the short list below isn’t even close to a complete roster of customers for 2016.

Manthey Racing: Olaf Manthey may have stepped down from the WEC scene but he’s not done yet with Mission Nurburgring and is set to be tasked with a full tilt Porsche effort at the Nurburgring 24 Hours with a pair of new 911 GT3 – Rs with an associated VLN effort certain to accompany that programme – always assuming the current contretemps with the DMSB can be sorted.

Falken Racing: VLN specialists Falken were one of the first outfits to get their hands on a late development car (below) and are set for a full VLN assault and N24 run.

Frikadelli Racing: Klaus Abbelen will be joined at Daytona by Frank Stippler, Patrick Huisman, Sven Mueller and Connor De Phillippi in the new Frikadelli Porsche – The team looks likely thereafter to return to their VLN roots, but could Spa also be on the agenda?

Black Swan Racing: A switch from a Mercedes SLS to the new Porsche for Tim Pappas was an early call of confidence in the new for 2016 IMSA GTD regulations. It’s a single car full season effort.

Alex Job Racing: Two cars, one for WeatherTech Racing, the other for Team Seattle/ Heart of Racing will contest a full season in the IMSA GTD.

Park Place Motorsport: A single car effort for Patrick Lindsey’s squad for the full IMSA GTD class season completes a quartet of 2016 Porsche contenders.

Effort Racing: Two new Porsche 911 GT3 Rs are en route to Effort Racing for another full season of Pirelli World Challenge.

GMG: Another PWC stalwart, James Sofronas’ outfit is to add at least one new Porsche 911 GT3 R to its current Audi GT3 and Porsche Cup class fleet.

Calvert Dynamics: And a third 2016 PWC entry with a single new 911 GT3 R for the full season alongside a parallel Cup class entry.