Straight from the race’s official YouTube channel here’s a collection of videos bringing you the highlights from yesterday’s 24 Hours of Le Mans won by the #19 Porsche 919 Hybrid.
The first clip, a 20 minute special, includes podium celebrations from all four classes as well. Everyone’s a winner!
Surprisingly, finding decent onboard footage showing a full lap of the Circuit de la Sarthe is a difficult thing to do. Thankfully for you, we’ve done all the hard work and found three of the best examples on YouTube.
The first clip was filmed onboard the #2 Audi R18 e-tron quattro during the 2012 24 Hours of Le Mans. The second was shot behind the wheel with Jon Lancaster in his Oreca Judd LMP2 machine during the test day for last year’s race. For the third video three-time Le Mans winner and all-round good guy Allan McNish talks us through a lap of the 13.629km circuit.
For extra reference we’ve included a track layout below, along with a link to the track on Google Maps.
When Ferrari threw its bash for the press launch of the 488 GTB they saw fit to throw the keys to more than just Chris Harris. So we’ve had a snoop around and found what a few of the usual suspects had to say…
Jethro Bovingdon, Evo: More impressive still is that the chassis not only copes with the power but actually allows you to exploit all of it whenever you so choose. Traction is staggering (the roads were dry for our test) and like the 458 Italia the GTB’s balance is so responsive and yet so calm that you feel free to really enjoy exploring its massive limits.
Steve Sutcliffe, Auto Express: Bottom line, the 488 might be turbocharged and mightn’t sound just as spine tingling as before, but in all other aspects it represents yet another giant leap forwards for Ferrari. It also make you wonder what on earth they are going to come up with next.
Matt Prior, Autocar: The 488 GTB is among the most docile-handling mid-engined cars I’ve driven. It has an astonishingly forgiving chassis, with hardly a hint of understeer early in a corner, and extremely fast but communicative steering, and when it breaks traction, which it does gladly, it adopts a hopelessly easily controlled attitude and then regains grip cleanly and communicatively.
After the break there’s video reviews from those three plus a clip from James May, remember him! Actually, the picture quality of May’s clip is comically bad. The Evo clip is a highlight, starting with a 458 Speciale and F40 for added context.
So, get ready to sit back and enjoy the 30 minutes of 488 waiting for you below.
Chris Harris has been let loose behind the wheel of the stunning new Ferrari 488 GTB and we’re all the better for it. Watch as Harris talks us though the finer points of the 488 and marvel at how good that turbocharged engine must be. We’re very jel.
Yes, why is the Nissan GT-R LM Nismo front-wheel drive? That’s a very good question and Nissan attempts to justify its batshit crazy idea in this video…
This year marks the 30th anniversary of Toyota’s first appearance at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Back in 1985 its hopes were pinned on the 85C-L, the two-car effort managing a respectable 12th place for the #36 car, while the #38 entry did not finish.
Today, Toyota will fight for the ultimate Le Mans success with the TS040. Again the team will have two cars, carrying the numbers #1 and #2. And with four second place finishes at the Circuit de la Sarthe (1992, 1994, 1999 and 2013) you could say Toyota is due for a win on Sunday afternoon.
You can relive Toyota’s Le Mans history with a very slick short film after the break.
The latest video added to Harry’s Garage is this clip featuring a 1989 Porsche 911 Turbo. Harry Metcalfe once again gives you all the details you never knew you’d find interesting and while there’s no sideways hooning you can’t come away from one of his videos without learning something new.
Harry Metcalfe is a pretty cool dude. Not only was he the original founder of Evo magazine, but he has an extraordinary garage of seriously cool cars. He’s known for his Lamborghini Countach, but he has a lot more to show the world than that.
Which brings us to this wonderful Lanca Delta Integrale Evo II. It’s a rallying and hot hatch icon and Harry raids his old Evo back catalogue to add this clip to his Harry’s Garage Youtube channel.
Metcalfe’s style is calm and full of details. It’s proper car nerd stuff! You’re going to enjoy this.
The mighty McLaren F1 in a road test against the even mightier McLaren P1. Or is it? In some respects the end result doesn’t matter too much. For one thing you’d take either, or both, if you could. And secondly, the fun is in finding out which one is best, don’t you think?
Thank you Evo.
Jari-Matti Latvala won Rally Portugal on the weekend, rounding out a dominant 1-2-3 clean sweep for Volkswagen. We’ll get to that another time. Until then, another Jari made headlines with his spectacular aerial work.
Watch Jari Ketomaa launch his Ford Fiesta high into the sky. That was the good part. It soon turned very bad and very ugly.
Thankfully both Jari and his co-driver, Kaj Lindstrom, emerged without injury.
[Thanks to Julian for the tip]
Suffering from a bit of Mondayitis? Then watch this video, it’s almost six minutes in length and features a Porsche 911 GT3 RS on an otherwise empty circuit. No music. No commentary. Just the purity of machine and track.
[Thanks to John for the tip]
Chris Harris in the new 911 GT3 RS. He wants it. You want it. We all want it!
If this video is not enough you can also read Harris’ words right HERE.