Top 10 ways to get around Le Mans
High-tech hybrid prototype sports cars reach 340km/h at Le Mans, but the pace is much slower for puntersThe Le Mans 24 Hours endurance race is about getting blotto for three days straight, for a lot of people. For others it's a motorsport icon, an historic narration now in its 83rd year that chronicles not only race technology, but the characters who take part, their courage, mental toughness and pride.
But whichever camp you fall into, the epic 24-hour event is widely accepted to be the world's most prestigious sports car race and is an amazing spectacle in so many ways.
There's the racing element, which includes feats like the stunning 407km/h top speed by the Peugeot WM P88 in 1988 (before the chicanes were introduced to slow the racers down!) and who could forget Mark Webber's ill-fated airborne crashes in 1999, piloting the Mercedes-Benz CLR race car which was subsequently withdrawn from racing altogether.
Yep, it's that kind of race.
And then there's the human element, which is just as fascinating.
The 2015 running of the gruelling 24 hour race, which traditionally starts 3pm Saturday and concludes 3pm Sunday, attracted around a quarter of a million spectators to the epic 13.6km Circuit de la Sarthe.
My second time at the race, I can categorically say it's an absolute dream event to attend, up there with Pikes Peak, but with so many people swanning around – of which about half are blind drunk before the race starts at 3pm on the Saturday – getting around is easier said than done.
But not all is lost.
If you're well prepared – or just well connected – there are options galore for getting around the race that feels like a festival. Here's motoring.com.au's Top 10 ways to get around Le Mans 24 Hours.
This is the coolest way to get around the massive Le Mans race track, Circuit de la Sarthe, no question. The micro motorcycle's noisy single-cylinder engine sees civilians diving out of the way, assuming it's a kamikaze death-bike from the latest Mad Max flick. It's also nimble enough to be ridden one-handed too – a crucial factor at Le Mans.
Only the best connected people get to ride one of these bad boys around, such as Porsche works driver Patrick Dempsey (aka McDreamy). The Hollywood star finished second in the GTE Amateur class, and understandably he has a driver shuttling him around which allows him more time to groom his impeccable five o'clock shadow.
Pedal power is a very popular option at Le Mans, favoured by the Japanese engineers from the Nissan and Toyota teams. It allows them to silently glide up behind Audi staffers and drop pencils into their coin slots. It's also the most efficient mode of transport, particularly in the joules per kilometre sense.
Although they have far less cachet than the hipster-friendly monkey bikes, the scooter is loud and fast. They also have more suspension travel, allowing them to deftly traverse over the hundreds of inebriated English spectators lying prone in pools of their own excreta on busy thoroughfares.
These vehicles excel at transporting large groups of people – up to half a dozen in some cases – but their size sees them struggle to navigate the throngs of pedestrian traffic.
Designed to convey spectators between parking areas and the grandstands, these terrifying mini trains are often full of shirtless, sunburnt, sleep-deprived Germans seeking shade from the sun and looking for beer – and little else. As such they are more like the Ghost Train ride at a carnival, popping out from nowhere and scaring the bejesus out of all and sundry.
Electric minicars, such as the Twizy, are arguably one of the more high-tech modes of transport at the Le Mans 24 Hour race and are favoured by the French. Their silent operation and rapid acceleration allow drivers to bark obscenities 'en Francais' at anyone within earshot, while arrogantly averting eye contact mid-cigarette drag.
This odd supercar-inspired quad can only be used once a year, at one event, but by Jove the bloke who sits in the saddle rides it well.
Like any tip-top motorsport event, Le Mans brings out some very, very desirable cars, and if you've got a Ferrari F40, why not show off – even if it means overheating the engine in the slow-moving traffic and having to spend thousands replacing a blocked radiator.
Every self-respecting billionaire needs to be able to park their Rolls-Royce Ghost at the race – in the paddock area. It's well-suited to mowing down pedestrians at the conclusion of the race, the owner caterwauling "out of my way peasants!" on his/her way to the private jet.
Honorouble mention: Walking
Please see our Editorial Guidelines & Code of Ethics (including for more information about sponsored content and paid events). The information published on this website is of a general nature only and doesn’t consider your particular circumstances or needs.
If the price does not contain the notation that it is "Drive Away", the price may not include additional costs, such as stamp duty and other government charges.
