3 Ferraris at 24 Hours of Le Mans
It all started over an inebriated argument between banker husband and wife essentially covering the topic of how manly escapades were no longer partaken of. Just work and family. A few phone calls later to a once legendary but now ageing crew, myself included, and permission granted from partners (bribed with future promises of luxury spas) and the die was cast.
So International eXcellence Magazine set off for the 24 hrs of Le Mans with some very old friends in three Ferraris for a manly few days of luxury camping and racing!
We set off from London early and all met up around Guildford with a Ferrari 360 Spider V8 convertible with F1 box, a Ferrari 612 Scaglietti with V12 engine and F1 box and a Ferrari 360 Berlinetta V8 manual. I was in the 360 convertible as roof down is the only way to go and we cruised down to the Euro tunnel in record time with no traffic to speak of.
The Ferrari 360 Spider was built in 2005 and is a mid-engined, rear wheel drive 3.6 litre, V8-powered convertible with a new lighter aluminium frame. It has an F1 electro-hydraulic gearbox with coachwork by Pininfarina and does 0 to 60 MPH in 4.4 seconds. It boasts 400 bhp, which is deceptively low for such a fast car, and a glass hood so all can admire the gleaming engine. This car gives great sound too, we were constantly asked by passers by to crank up the revs so they could bask in the aural goodness.
The Ferrari 360 Berlinetta is also a V8 with manual gearbox and rear wheel drive and is the precursor to the F12 Berlinetta which was voted best supercar of the year in 2012 by Top Gear.
Last and certainly not least, the Ferrari 612 Scaglietti is the precursor to the Ferrari F12 and has the same V12 engine as the Ferrari 575M Maranello. It does 0-62 km/h in 4.2 seconds with a top speed of 198 mph or 320 km/h with an F1A semi-automatic paddle shift, an upgrade of the system in the 360. It’s a proper touring car with 4 seats and coachwork by Carrozzeria Scaglietti based on the custom 1954 Ferrari 375 MM Roberto Rossellini commissioned for Ingrid Bergman!
Moving on from the Ferraris, the 24 hrs of Le Mans is probably the most famous endurance race in the world. The car must be a road production car and only three drivers per car are allowed to share the burden of driving for a straight 24 hours with nothing but a brief stop for tyre and fuel checks. There are other 24 hour races but this is surely the most celebrated and has a legion of fans who go every year and are truly dedicated to the event.
We all met up at the Euro tunnel around 12pm and drove the cars onto the train and ‘Voila Bob est ton oncle” half an hour later we were in Calais. All ready to speed down to Le Mans via Rouen. We exited the train in an impressive convoy and once out on the open road we all accelerated rapidly to the speed limit. It’s pretty much straight motorway all the way on some excellent roads so we took full advantage of the cars performance to burn some miles.
Here’s a little heads up for those driving down in supercars. The French police look forward to this time of year as Le Mans attracts a huge audience of over 40,000 Brits and many bring some serious motors. Half way down the A28 a couple of our convoy were waylaid by the French Gendarmes for exceeding the speed limit a tad. They were not the only ones as the boys “en bleu” netted a further 6 cars before retiring for the day back to their Chateau fort and berating the drivers like the little schoolboys they had swiftly become standing before the French authorities. A large contribution to French coffers later and the cars were released to continue their way, suitably chastised and a great deal more respectful of the local limits.
Meanwhile as my friend and I had been warned by a truck flashing its light a good mile before, we cruised past the speed trap at a serene pace (not that we had been speeding as Al and I are grown ups) and continued unmolested on to Le Mans to enjoy a light drink and a Croque Monsieur whilst waiting for the others to catch up.
Our luck on this drive was very much set to continue as upon nearing the race track we took what should have been an ill advised short cut as the queues were hours long. Our sheer frustration forced us down a tiny side road which fed us straight on to the famous track which we then tested with sheer joy and arrived directly to our camp site within minutes. This saved us literally two hours and as we reached the entrance we were also fortunate enough to be escorted by a large band of heavily libated Englishman equipped with deadly water pistols who ruthlessly cleared any and every obstacle from our path.
We took full advantage of the extra time to settle down in the bar and wait for our companions. This traffic jam in the last mile is usually unavoidable but for a small fee we will reveal the short cut on a map for next year, including the drive on the famous track thrown in.
Eventually after a few more refreshments our tardy friends joined us in the other two Ferraris and we rolled gracefully to our camping spot for the three days. Yes, we were camping, why I hear you ask? Well, for many reasons. First off, whilst I had reserved a beautiful Chateau nearby, that had been vetoed as unmanly and not in keeping with the spirit of the thousands of fans who believed the true atmosphere of the race could only be supped by the track for the duration of the 24 hrs. A better reason is that getting in and out of this huge traffic laden event is time consuming and it makes sense to rough it for a couple of days rather than waste an hour each way. Though I can recommend an Airstream luxury camper rather than canvas for those with little or no enthusiasm for camping.
Once installed, I will spare you the pitiful attempts at building the simplest tents, we headed for the restaurant we had wisely booked for lunch and dinner every day of our stay. The restaurant is surprisingly good, inexpensive and not anywhere near as overcrowded as we expected. It overlooks the start and finish of the track so is the prime place to take in the cars as they arrive and are prepped for the race. The whole shebang was due to start the next day at 15 hrs, but many had been here all week and as night fell the atmosphere warmed up as the sponsors, racing crews, corporate guests and fans milled around the numerous bars and clubs.
After a great evening of catching up and a few too many vinos we retired to our luxury tents (sarcasm) and slept as well we could, upside down on a gentle slope, shepherded by the three Ferraris parked western wagon style in a triangle around us. The next morning the entire army of fans rose at dawn as the track livened up with the ear splitting thundering roar of the cars as they practised laps on the track. Imagine your head in the bonnet of the Ferrari 612 Scaglietti as it starts up and you get a small idea of the cacophony.
People bring everything to this event, there were trucks that opened out on the side to form a full living room, exactly like the one at home with flock wallpaper, wall mounted television and drinks bar. I must mention our brilliant neighbours, who had their own speed camera that flashed as anyone walked by and threw in some humorous textual abuse as well, as they were quick to cook up a fantastic barbecue and throw in helpful tips for surviving the camping ordeal.
We explored the venue thoroughly taking in all the fantastic cars on display, from great classics to the latest modern supercars before settling back in the restaurant for a long lunch. Then two of our party decided a seated Bungee jump was in order and the only and best vantage point to properly see the track. Perhaps it was! Finally at 15 hrs the race started amidst great excitement as over 260,000 people made their way quickly to their seats in the stands. The hullabaloo took on new levels of motor madness, mixing engine revs and a crowd roar that would have made the Roman Coliseum at its most vibrant seem like a good place to meditate quietly.
The raw excitement was palpable as the drivers pushed doggedly to make their mark even at the very beginning of the race. This is a extremely demanding competitive race, there is no coasting or cruising at the start. Each driver is racing at full tilt at the very edge of both theirs and the cars capability. These chaps are at the pinnacle of their profession with very little between them in terms of skill and competitiveness. All of which makes for a nail biting test of endurance.
One of the cars that stood out visually was the new Nissan Zeod Electric Hybrid which had to retire early with a broken gearbox, but it did manage to achieve a speed of 300 km/h before retiring.
The race was won by the No. 2 Audi driven by Swiss Marcel Fässler, German André Lotterer, and Frenchman Benoît Tréluyer, who previously won Le Mans as a trio in 2011 and 2012. Not a bad record in a race where anything can happen over such a distance. The No. 7 Toyota lead for half the race but had to pull out, but the No. 8 Toyota came in third after the N01 Audi in second place. The No. 51 AF Corse Ferrari won the LMGTE PRO category with drivers Gianmaria Bruni, Giancarlo Fisichella, and Toni Vilander. Aston Martin’s trio of Danish drivers, David Heinemeier Hansson, Kristian Poulsen, and Nicki Thiim won the LMGTE AM category. It was an extremely exciting 24 hrs of Le Mans!
The race goes on all through the night finishing at 15 hrs the next day and the die hard fans stay up for the full 24 hours to support their car or driver. We made it as late as we could but eventually succumbed and fell deeply asleep only 20 metres from the track despite the incredible roar. It had been a blast but it was a pleasure to rise the next morning and leap back into the Ferrari 360 Spider and do some supercar driving of our own. The French roads are a fantastic, soaring up and down gentle hills past rolling fields of sunflowers, with only the wind and the sound of the V6 Ferrari engine. It was a legendary trip with lots of memorable moments with great companions in Ferrari style. Though next year we stay at the Chateau!
http://www.lemans.org/fr/24-heures-du-mans
