Amazing road cars inspired by Le Mans 24 Hours

Le Mans 2023 is go

Prepare yourself for one of the greatest events in motorsport, with the 24 Hours of Le Mans taking place this weekend (10-11 June 2023). It marks the 100th anniversary of the famous French endurance race, with 62 cars battling around the clock to take victory on Sunday afternoon.

The premier Hypercar class has a bumper crop of 16 entries, with the first Ferrari factory-backed sports prototype racer to compete at Le Mans for 50 years. Ferrari has claimed pole position for the race, and will be aiming for a historic win. Amongst the field of LMP2, GTE Pro and GTE Am categories will also be a Chevrolet NASCAR, with Jenson Button at the wheel.

Le Mans has a long connection with road cars, being seen as a way to test new technology to the extreme. It has created numerous special editions, too, like the Bentley Continental GT seen here.

Join us for a look at the other amazing road cars inspired by Le Mans:

2023 Bentley Continental GT Le Mans Collection

Bentley is marking 20 years since its sixth victory at the famous French race with a limited run of 48 Le Mans Collection Continental GT and GTCs. Each will have a 6.0-litre W12 engine, Verdant green paint with a Moonbeam racing stripe – and, set into the dashboard, an actual valve from the engine of the 2003 Le Man-winning #7 Bentley Speed 8!

2023 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 Garage 56 Edition

One of the most striking sights of this year’s Le Mans 24 Hours is the amazing Chevy NASCAR Cup Camaro ZL1, that’s racing under the ‘open entry’ Garage 56 regulations. It literally towers over every other racer.

Naturally, Chevy is marking this with a road-going Camaro ZL1 Garage 56 Edition, a run that fittingly is limited to just 56 extra-special cars.

2023 Alpine A110 R Le Mans

French performance brand Alpine is another firm marking the centenary of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, with a limited-to-100 A110 R Le Mans. Costing a heady €140,000 (around £120,000), it is the most radical A110 yet, with honed aerodynamics, a 1,082kg weight, and even a patented ‘Hunadieres’ setting for the stability control. Each car has an exclusive blue and white livery.

1991 Shuppan 962 CR P1

We had to highlight this amazing Shuppan Le Mans racer for the road, which has just won ‘Best in Show’ at the 2023 London Concours. One of just six built, it was based on the chassis of the iconic Porsche 962 Le Mans racer, with a 1,050kg kerbweight combined with a 600hp 3.3-litre twin-turbo flat-six engine. Sadly, the venture didn’t work out – but this prototype, based on a car that raced at Le Mans in 1990, does still exist, with its show-stopping display in London following a full refurbishment.

Morgan Plus Four LM62

Launched in 2022, this special edition Morgan Plus Four commemorated 60 years since the British marque’s class win at Le Mans in 1962. Fittingly, 62 examples of the LM62 were made, available in Jet Green or Tetre Rouge – both with a Heritage White hard-top that mimics the original racer. Other niceties include ‘number 29’ graphics, front spotlights, silver-painted wire wheels and a Le Mans-style fuel filler cap. Tally ho!

Ferrari 488 Pista Piloti

Launched on the eve of Le Mans in 2018, the 488 Pista Piloti is a road-going Ferrari for racing drivers. Only owners involved in Ferrari’s various motorsport programmes were allowed to order one. A bespoke livery in the colours of the Italian flag echoes the 488 GTE racer. Spot the FIA WEC and PRO logos as well – the latter identifying the class the GTE raced in.

Aston Martin DBS Superleggera 59

Special editions such as the Aston Martin DBS Superleggera 59 are always at risk of being a bit half-hearted, but the devil is in the details. This is a gorgeous tribute to Aston’s 1959 triumph at Le Mans, and its subsequent World Sports Car title.

Aston Martin Vantage V600 Le Mans

The DBS 59 isn’t the first Aston Martin to celebrate the 1959 win, though. The 1999 Vantage V600 Le Mans marked 40 years since the event. With Koni suspension, DBR1-style side vents, Dymag lightweight wheels and a map from the car’s Newport Pagnell birthplace to the Le Mans circuit included, just 40 were made.

McLaren F1 LM

The LM was a final iteration of the epochal McLaren F1. Five were built, to honour the five finishing cars in the 1995 race, which came in first, third, fourth, fifth and 13th. To this day, the F1 is the last road-based car to win outright at Le Mans.

McLaren 650S Le Mans

The McLaren 650S Le Mans was built to celebrate 20 years since McLaren’s shock 1995 win with the F1 GTR. It wears five-spoke lightweight wheels that evoke those fitted to the racer, plus an F1-style roof scoop.

McLaren 720S Le Mans

Five years later, the McLaren 720S Le Mans marked the same historic win in much the same way. Along with those alloys and a roof scoop, there are vents above the front wheels, just like the F1 GTR. Fifty lucky buyers also got carbon fibre racing seats and plenty of ‘Le Mans 25’ badges.

Ford Focus RS Le Mans

The Focus RS Le Mans is a curious beast. The rorty five-cylinder hot hatch was decked out in classic racing liveries as a tribute to the marque’s Le Mans heritage in 2010. Inspiration came from the Ford GT40 (obviously) and, of all things, the Capri. The latter won the Touring category at the race in 1972.

Jaguar XJ-S Le Mans

Jaguar’s 1-2-3 triumph at Le Mans in 1988, as well as its victory in 1990, was commemorated by the marque with a special edition XJ-S. The XJ-S Le Mans V12 added special badging, extra leather trim, lattice alloy wheels and a ‘growler’ on the bonnet. A total of 280 were made.

Mazda MX-5 Le Mans 24

The MX-5 Le Mans 24 really wears its pride on its sleeve. After the rotary-powered 787B of Johnny Herbert won the LM24 in 1991, Mazda celebrated with a run of 24 MX-5s in the same Renown livery – and fitted with a BBR Turbo kit. Mazda’s victory was made all the more special because it was the first Japanese marque to win Le Mans.

Porsche 924S Le Mans

The 924S Le Mans isn’t a commemorative model, although Porsche had its fair share of victories to celebrate. Instead, it’s a limited-run special with high specification parts. As a result of its rarity and desirable spec, it’s a highly sought-after variant of the 924 today. Just 100 were brought to the UK.

Bentley Le Mans Editions

In 2013, Bentley decided to celebrate its six Le Mans victories with six Le Mans Edition specifications for its range. Back then, this included the Continental GT, Flying Spur and Mulsanne. Tasteful specifications with ‘Le Mans Edition’ badging and embroidery are a nice nod to the marque’s heritage.

Bentley Mulsanne

The car named after a straight, kink and corner complex on the track surely deserves a mention?

Bentley Arnage

As does the car named after a famous corner. Bentley really knows how to mine its Le Mans heritage.

Ford GT Heritage Editions

The Ford GT40 and GT are famously linked to Le Mans. After winning the GTE category at the race in 2016, special liveried versions of the GT road car were introduced, commemorating the original race winners in original colours.

Audi A6 Le Mans

Clearly, Audi didn’t want to go too overboard with its Le Mans victory celebrations. The Le Mans Edition of 2006 is, at first glance, just another A6. Available in both saloon and Avant (estate) body styles, the 1,000 cars came with different colours, wheels borrowed from the RS4 and a luxury pack.

Audi R8

Audi’s flagship is neither limited, nor named after Le Mans (unlike the concept that previewed it). It was the halo model built to celebrate the marque’s success in the race – named after the R8 race car. Audi will return to Le Mans in 2023 in the Hypercar class, but its R8 supercar is unlikely to be replaced.

Peugeot 207 Le Mans

The Le Mans Edition Peugeot 207 was announced just as the marque took the top three qualifying spots at the 2008 race. The spec was available across most 207s, including the 175hp variant. Sporty styling in shadow chrome and body colour, plus a racing stripe, mark out each of the 2,000 cars built.

Paul Stephens Le Mans Classic Clubsport

This ‘backdated’ Porsche is a tribute to the biennial Le Mans Classic event – and indeed the iconic 911 2.7 RS of 1973. UK-based Paul Stephens will build just 10 examples of this officially licenced special, which combines classic 911 style with contemporary performance. How does 300hp and 970kg grab you?

Porsche 911 British Legends Edition

This selection of 911 Carrera 4 GTS models celebrated British drivers who took Porsches to Le Mans victory. The Richard Attwood car is resplendent in red-striped Salzburg livery. The Derek Bell 911 wears Rothmans colours. And finally, Nick Tandy’s car is white with black and red highlights.

Chevrolet Corvette C5 24 Hours of Le Mans Commemorative Edition

The Corvette has become a legend at Le Mans over the past 20 years. Chevrolet commemorated the famous 24hr race in 2004 during the twilight hours of this C5 generation car. A splash of Le Mans Blue Metallic paint, plenty of badges and, if you were in a Z06, a carbon bonnet with stripes, completed the package.

Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR

These last few are fun. Meet the wild homologation cars, specifically built so the racers could be allowed to compete. First-up, here’s the Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR. Just 20 coupes were made, followed by six examples of the Roadster seen here. Power output was a mighty 612hp.

Porsche 911 GT1

The second (although it’s the car that came first), is the Porsche 911 GT1. The road car was named the ‘Strassenversion’. It was partly a reaction to McLaren’s 1995 victory with the F1, which proved there was Le Mans-winning potential in road cars.

Toyota GT One

And here’s the least roadworthy racer of all. There are only two GT Ones, one of which is still owned by Toyota. Technically, they’re road cars, but just look at it: this is a racer through and through. Like the CLK and 911, this isn’t a celebration or special edition; it’s a car born out of Le Mans racing necessity.

Cadillac Le Mans Concept

And here’s one that could’ve been. Cadillac has made several attempts at Le Mans over the years, most recently with the Northstar LMP project in the early 2000s. Caddy had entered the race as early as 1950, and produced a concept car inspired by the Le Mans race in 1953. Four prototypes of the fiberglass-bodied roadster were built, but series production never came.