Road cars indebted to Le Mans | Six of the best

There are more prestigious things a manufacturer can win than Le Mans. But not much. There’s a reason it’s considered part of motorsport’s ‘Triple Crown’ (alongside the Monaco GP and the Indy 500); it is steeped not only in 100 years of history, but also in myths and legends. Romantically speaking it is special. And while there are countless stories to tickle people’s hearts, the most famous is undeniably Ford’s late victory over Ferrari, making the GT40 perhaps the car most associated with the race. This example isn’t quite that, of course, but when it comes to road machines built in tribute to race winners, the Superformance MkII is certainly worth a cry for, especially when it’s right-hand drive and powered by a 7.0-litre engine. Roush V8 and in ’66 color scheme. Just to die for, right?

When it comes to modern recreations, more than one company has attempted to replicate the curvaceous wonder (and outright Le Mans winner, of course) that is the Jaguar C-Type. But few have been at it as long as Proteus, who started building what we would now call a restomod in 1980. The concept is familiar: modern(ish) underpinnings with a 1950s heaven-sent body on top. We already drove one in 2019 and the combination of 260bhp from a 4.2-litre six-cylinder from Jaguar and a curb weight of 1,000kg certainly impressed Matt B. Expect it to impress passers-by too – and your bank manager. Seven years and five thousand kilometers of presumably careful use have taken away from this car’s competitive price, but it is not cheap. Yet it is downright beautiful.

Okay, we cheated a little here. Strictly speaking, no Ultima has ever raced at Le Mans (we think). But we allowed it partly on the basis that Le Mans-style prototypes were among the inspiration for Lee Noble’s original vision (and imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, after all) and partly because this is chassis number one is of the factory-built RS models – the same car that the manufacturer unveiled to the world in 2019. This is important not only because of its provenance, but also because it gets the 6.2-liter supercharged V8 from the Corvette ZR1, which could be pushed to develop to 1,200 horsepower. In a car that weighed less than a ton. Suffice to say, even with just 800 horsepower, this is the only car we’ve selected that could still put in a useful lap of Circuit de la Sarthe this weekend. And what a way to get there.

From ridiculous to sublime. Ferrari’s record at Le Mans is known for its lengthy dry spell: it was a dominant force in the 1950s and 1960s and then remained absent from the top step of the podium until its spectacular return (and unexpected triumph) in 2023 This car is a glorious tribute to the Dino 246 GT that NART raced in ’72. The one show wasn’t a success, but it did produce a cool looking Ferrari. Built from a standard 246 GT of the period, it has been raced extensively over the last 20 years (accumulating 71,000 miles in that time) but is now in a condition suitable for road use and which is a very appears to be in nice condition. Which is of course necessary if the dealer asks half a million pounds for it. But honestly, who doesn’t have a secret for competition-spec Ferraris? Especially if they are one-on-one and drive on the right.

What is also very nice is the fact that Morgan raced at Le Mans. Quite famous even when it comes to his class-winning ’62 Plus Four. But it was still that way 20 years ago with the Aero 8, and this is one of the race cars that inspired the dramatic Plus 8 GTR introduced in 2022. Frighteningly rare – Morgan built just nine examples from surviving chassis – and a fitting tribute to his This GTR, with 400bhp from BMW’s V8, is said to be one of only two to come in right-hand drive, alongside the manual gearbox which the car certainly deserved. It’s the only one we’ve ever seen for sale on the second-hand market, which explains the £230,000 asking price. A lightly used LM62 of the same year is a lot less. But we couldn’t resist the blue-on-blue theme or the chin-protruding atmosphere.

A two-on-one to wrap up. Hard to leave out Porsche when it comes to anything Le Mans based, given its record 19 outright wins, and only fair to include anything under six figures in the asking price. So take a good look at this 924 Le Mans, a festive special edition from the decade that gave Porsche seven consecutive victories. Probably a 911 would have been more appropriate based on class wins, but let’s not forget that the company brought the 924 to Le Mans in GTR format, and while the road model makes far less power than the 380 hp, the racing version was . equipped, it still makes for a very charming classic Porsche – especially when it costs just £17,995 for a near-perfect example.