Onboard Ford GT40 at the old Le Mans Circuit de la Sarthe

[LouhanSodre]

Indy and Safe Barrier?

hahahaha... Look at 0:53 - 1:06...

On the left of the pilots there were only trees... If they leave the track in there point... An crash could be fatal...

More courage... More race... More sport...

[slb1987]

lol! I laughed when I saw the driver using sunglasses... was he wearing a suit as well?

[iefnbsdvuyh]

Where is the end?

[Mawerick77]

I know there is a slightly longer version available but I couldn't find it at the time. Sorry.

[FinLumsden]

Vic Elford - what a stunning driver. Possibly the best, most broadly talented racing driver ever? Discuss.....

[WestLAGuy]

Look at this clip and then the 1959 Mike Hawthorne drive around while he comments. I was there in 1964, there were no barriers other than hay bales and you could drive the circuit as I did the night before the race for 2 hours in my then new TR4. Vic Elford verifies what Masten Gregory told me in 1964 that the Fords were doing 240 MPH down Mulsanne and as David Hobbs and Derek Bell would prefer it, WITHOUT the bloody chicanes!

[6V92TA]

if they were doin 240mph in 1964,imagine what our more modern speed demons can do on that same straight without the freggin chicanes! we can see Audi R10s at 280 possibly? 220mph for C5Rs and C6Rs?

[the5thdominion]

The Audis and Peugeots aren't designed for such speed. The Porsche 956/962's and 917LH's were. For example, the Ferrari 333SP wasn't designed with the speed in mind that was put into the Ferrari 512 series.

[the5thdominion]

If your curious about speeds right before the introduction of the chicanes (which would have been the most modern cars tested on the old Mulsanne) the average speed for such cars as the Rothman's Porsche's and the Sauber-Mercedes C9, was around 245-249 mph.

[6V92TA]

good lord!!250 is still blistering fast.That reminds me of the Isdera Commandatore 112i. With it's low drag count,i would love to see that car in Le Mans form take a whack at the old Mulsanne straight.

[the5thdominion]

The Isdera isn't fast enough - top speed of 212 according to conceptcarz . com. Supercars . net says only (Lol) about 205. The Dauer (Porsche) 963 Le Mans roadcar would be one of the best roadcars for such a test. The Veyron and similar cars are fast but take too long to accelerate to such speeds.

[6V92TA]

no i dont mean the stock Commandatore. i ment one with a mooded engine producing like 920hp. With that kinda power,it could easily crack 245mph.

[the5thdominion]

Where did you hear that? Is there a place I can check out that car? After all, only 3 of the Commendatore 112i's were built. Its not really a full-fledged production car. Isdera, after all, builds all their cars by hand - it's a father-son operation. You sure it's not just hype?

[the5thdominion]

BTW - not to say the Isdera that you described couldn't do it, but power has little to do with top speed. It's crucial, but after a certain point (around 600-700hp) more power does little good. It's aerodynamics that matter, as at such speeds the air resistance against the car increases exponentially.

[the5thdominion]

Sorry. I meant Dauer 962 Le Mans, not 963. Typo! :P

[leemyster2]

lol at 1:00 it saying that the drivers feel much safer and that the thought of crashing "isn't there anymore". I think travelling at 200 mph your still going to think about "what if i crash?"

[shooterman619]

@leemyster2 you didnt listen... old comment O.O

[hadleypage]

awesome!

[steenrye]

woooooohaaaa - imagine how fast todays cars could go round the track without the chicanes :)

[cassowaryind]

more pl