"best" Le Mans car of all time

[Welshbeef]

Unfortunatly I've never had the pleasure of seeing the event live but have watched every year on TV the full 24 hours with maybe a little car nap.

Have also been to a number 1000km Le Mans series races in the UK and Silverstone Classic events with Group C


I have to say the Group C cars for me offer the best visually and noise wise they trump anything since and I don't think anything pre group C gets close IMHO.

So I'd say it has to be one of the huge capacity 1970/80's cars for me - don't care that the modern TDIs are faster the noise to me is so important.

[LHD]

Best Le Mans car?

Porsche 917 without question.

[Conian]

LHD said:

Best Le Mans car?

Porsche 917 without question.

^^^^
Bam!

[GrahamG]

Depends how you define 'best'

If its about raw success then you have to look at the Ford GT40 (still a stunning looker 50 years on) the Porsche 956/ 962, and the astounding Audi R8

[Welshbeef]

Best sounding Le a mans car of all time huge V8 or v12's
Best looking Le Mans car - easy Lancia Group C martini

[fatboy69]

917, 956/962 or maybe the Mazda 787B. - if only for the noise & because it remains the only Japanese car to have won the 24 hours.

[greggy50]

Mazda 787b for me the noise my god

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=81zhOQ5PvaE

[otolith]

Yes, the Mazda.

[Tc24]

DBR9 with its beautiful sounding V12.

Wish I'd heard one in the flesh. Quite enjoyed the Rebellion Racing's Toyota V8 this year at Silverstone though, but imagine the Aston would beat it hands down (sound wise).

[Roverload]

That Mazda reeeeeeeeeally does it for me!

[itcaptainslow]

greggy50 said:

Mazda 787b for me the noise my god

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=81zhOQ5PvaE

This. End thread here.

Just for the noise, and the looks (I love the livery which looks like it was done by a bloke in the small hours on LSD).

[Fittster]

ALFA 8C 2300 or the DOME ZERO

[XJ Flyer]

It is really impossible to just pick one and there's no way of having a proper race without a number of different types.Realistically a dream race would at least have to include the 917,Sauber C9,and TWR/Jaguar XJR9 on the pre Mulsanne chicanes circuit.

As for GT cars the comparison is spread across a larger time and performance spectrum from Jaguar D type,Shelby Cobra,Ferrari 250 GTO,Lister Storm,Corvette C5R 7 litre,Aston DBR9.

[DanielSan]

Mclaren F1
Porsche 917
Mazda 787b
Mercedes CLK-GTR
Corvette for sheer noise.

[Coatesy351]

C11 For me.

[MikeT66]

I think in terms of 'success', then the Porsche 956/962 is clearly the winner...

...however, the 917 was, IMHO, the real game-changer - I think it changed the racing of Le Mans, becoming for the first time more of a 'sprint' than an endurance race, due to the sheer capability of the car. The 917 set a distance record in the early 1970's that I think lasted over 20 years.

Having said all that, the 1960's were, for me, the real 'golden age' of Le Mans, specifically the incredible tussle between Ford and Ferrari - so the GT40 remains the best for me, with it's four remarkable victories. The book 'Go Like Hell' by AJ Baime is a fantastic read of racing at Le Mans during this time... and looks like it may finally make it's way onto the screen...
http://www.autoblog.com/2013/12/26/brad-pitt-tom-c...

Edited by MikeT66 on Friday 15th August 06:41

[LP670]

This maybe controversial but im going to say the toyota gt-one. The car had so much bad luck that its best result was second. It also only had a 2 year lifespan due to toyota focusing on f1 but its pace was incredible. I remember watching the last couple of hours of the 99 lemans and it catching the bmw at an alarming rate until it suffered yet another puncture.

[NNH]

D-Type

[bennyboysvuk]

It was always the Porsche 962 which I loved, partly thanks to this:



Though the Merc C11 is very close. I spend ages looking at them in a state of awe at FOS every year.

[0llie]

D-Type or XJR-9.

The noise of the XJR-9 is something else!