Best year ever ?

[Rs2oo]

Someone asked me the other day what was the best year at Le Mans. For me, 2005 because that was the first time I went for the entire weekend and with 5 other first-timers. We had no idea what to expect and It was an increadible experience, and 90 degrees summer weather........ never missed a year since.

If I could turn back the clock, I would go back to 2003 to see the Bentleys historic win

[Bomber Denton]

Rs2oo said:

Someone asked me the other day what was the best year at Le Mans. For me, 2005 because that was the first time I went for the entire weekend and with 5 other first-timers. We had no idea what to expect and It was an increadible experience, and 90 degrees summer weather........ never missed a year since.

If I could turn back the clock, I would go back to 2003 to see the Bentleys historic win

ahem.... Audi's win.

[Mark B]

Bomber Denton said:

ahem.... Audi's win.

2003 was the Bentley win, or is that a comical wit towards the Bentley being an Audi??

The Bentley was a fantastic car, it carried over very little from the Audi, I think the engine block being the only thing. It was a fantastic British win being designed and built in the UK.

For me, the best year was 1995 and the McLaren win, JJ Lehto lapping 28seconds faster than anyone else in the middle of the night, pouring with rain was something I will always remember. He was the only one out there who seemed to be flat out down the Mulsanne...

[Matt Harper]

Best EVER year? So far we've gone back a maximum of 15 years or so - hardly representative of the history of the race.
I'd suggest 1969 and 1983 for close, last lap, hell-for-leather finishes. The Old No 7 Bentley crash and win of 1927 must have been an incredible achievement to witness.
Lammers, Wallace and Dumfries win in 1988 was pretty special too.

[Bomber Denton]

Mark B said:

Bomber Denton said:

ahem.... Audi's win.

2003 was the Bentley win, or is that a comical wit towards the Bentley being an Audi??

The Bentley was a fantastic car, it carried over very little from the Audi, I think the engine block being the only thing. It was a fantastic British win being designed and built in the UK.

For me, the best year was 1995 and the McLaren win, JJ Lehto lapping 28seconds faster than anyone else in the middle of the night, pouring with rain was something I will always remember. He was the only one out there who seemed to be flat out down the Mulsanne...

Ahem....Audi's win.

[joncon]

for me it was 1995, seeing Mario Andretti, my childhood hero, that bloody noisey car going up and down the runway on fri night/sat morning that turned out to be the winnig mclaren testing its gearbox ! seeing the japenese in their skylines/toyotas . the tvrs on the circuit after the race and again on sunday night ... naughty boys ! lol
strippers, go karts stella and no sleep ! priceless.

[iva cosworth]

1995 for me too ,although i only have 3 to choose from [1996 and 2005]

it was only time i went with mates ,though i met with a friend in 2005

completely randomly

Back to 1995 ,loved the McLarens ,my fave being the Harrods car driven by the Bells

[vetteheadracer]

Agree with Bomber Denton the Bentley although undoubtedly beautiful was in fact the 1999 Audi R8 coupe, rebadged, repainted and tweaked a bit

One of my lasting memories of Le Mans was 2003 running down the main straight after the race to get to the podium and being passed by 4 guys dressed in dinner suits and carrying between them 4 chairs, a table, candlesticks etc. so they could setup in the middle of the start / finish straight and sit and toast the Bentley win. I also remember all the Bentley fans opposite in the stand who had been there for the full 24 hours and for some strange reason seemed to have a load of inflatable sheep.

I think 2001 has to be one of the most memorable years for me, it was very wet, but Corvette won the GTS class for the first time (before they renamed it GT1).

[gt6]

For me it has to be 1991, having watched the rotary mazda's for many years doing the best they could with a very limited budget compared to the major teams, it was incredible to see them followed home by all those jag's.

Everyone seemed to be cheering them home and even die hard jags fans like myself feeled they they deserved to win and be the first and ony japanese car to triumph in the greatest race on earth

[Mark B]

vetteheadracer said:

Agree with Bomber Denton the Bentley although undoubtedly beautiful was in fact the 1999 Audi R8 coupe, rebadged, repainted and tweaked a bit

Eh?

The Bentley shared nothing but the engine with the Audi. Ultimately they were both designed and built at the UK based RTN, not within Audi sport. RTN was owned at the time by Audi, but it hardly makes it an Audi.

[Bomber Denton]

Mark B said:

vetteheadracer said:

Agree with Bomber Denton the Bentley although undoubtedly beautiful was in fact the 1999 Audi R8 coupe, rebadged, repainted and tweaked a bit

Eh?

The Bentley shared nothing but the engine with the Audi. Ultimately they were both designed and built at the UK based RTN, not within Audi sport. RTN was owned at the time by Audi, but it hardly makes it an Audi.

[Bomber Denton]

Ahem - AUDI'S WIN!!!

[Nick M]

vetteheadracer said:

Agree with Bomber Denton the Bentley although undoubtedly beautiful was in fact the 1999 Audi R8 coupe, rebadged, repainted and tweaked a bit

Errr, not even close....

http://www.mulsannescorner.com/audir8c.html

http://www.mulsannescorner.com/bentleylmgtp.htm

http://www.mulsannescorner.com/bentleylmgtp03.html

[vetteheadracer]

Mark B said:

vetteheadracer said:

Agree with Bomber Denton the Bentley although undoubtedly beautiful was in fact the 1999 Audi R8 coupe, rebadged, repainted and tweaked a bit

Eh?

The Bentley shared nothing but the engine with the Audi. Ultimately they were both designed and built at the UK based RTN, not within Audi sport. RTN was owned at the time by Audi, but it hardly makes it an Audi.

So, Audi owned RTN, who built both the Audi R8 and the Bentley and it used the Audi engine........but it's a Bentley and not an Audi with a Bentley badge on it.....

[rdjohn]

1990 Brundle / Jaguar, but a tad hollow as the Mercs did not show up.

It also felt like watching a motor race rather than avoiding a Friday pub night brawl in Manchester.

[webby74]

Bomber Denton said:

Rs2oo said:

Someone asked me the other day what was the best year at Le Mans. For me, 2005 because that was the first time I went for the entire weekend and with 5 other first-timers. We had no idea what to expect and It was an increadible experience, and 90 degrees summer weather........ never missed a year since.

If I could turn back the clock, I would go back to 2003 to see the Bentleys historic win

ahem.... Audi's win.

Hope this helps clear things up,taken from sports racing cars book. Sorry for the quality.



Always think the first year you go should be the best year. In my case it was only 2007! Got soaked but what a experience. Been every year since.

[Nick M]

See also:

http://www.mulsannescorner.com/bentleyelleray.html

About a third of the way down where he talks about the lineage of the various Bentleys.

[WhyTwo]

Agree 1995 was a great year! Remember sitting by Esses with a fire going watching JJ Lehto in the black McLaren at night in the drizzle setting stunning lap times. And was also lying next to the runway in the long gass on the Friday night watching the Supra blasting up and down fine tuning - awesome!

[Save Ferris]

webby74 said:

Always think the first year you go should be the best year.

I agree, it was 2006 for me, I didn't have a clue where anything was, or what was going on really! , but it has been my favourite year by far!

[fatboy18]

That's a tough one to call, Ive got good and bad memories of past years.

This year, driving down to Le mans by myself in the Viper That was great
As for the racing 1999 2000, 2001 were good Vipers were on track