The 24 Hours of Le Mans takes place this weekend, one of the highlights of the motorsport season. Plenty of iconic cars have taken part in this event, many of which that Luca believes would make great additions to iRacing.
It is that time of year when the most iconic endurance sportscar race is taking place: The Le Mans 24 Hours are the highlight of the motorsport season for many fans - certainly for sportscar enthusiasts. Last year, the race celebrated the 100th anniversary of its first edition, and plenty of amazing cars have been part of that illustrious history.
With the early access Le Mans Ultimate title set to receive updates pertaining to the future of Le Mans, it will also not be too much of a stretch to suggest it will take advantage of that renowned legacy. With Le Mans having its official sim racing home in LMU, vintage Le Mans machinery in iRacing does not have to be ruled out, thanks to the overlap with the other major endurance racing series.
There is not a huge amount of historic racing cars on iRacing. As far as sportscar content goes, the grid only consists of the Nissan GTP ZX-T and Audi 90 GTO. Neither of those cars competed in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, running in the IMSA GT Championship at events like the 24 Hours of Daytona and 12 Hours of Sebring instead.
But: Plenty of historic cars have raced in those two events and part of IMSA-sanctioned championships as well as at Le Mans. Therefore, you can make a case for many cars that have raced at Le Mans over the years to be added to iRacing, providing they have an IMSA connection. Here are a few we would love to see - some of which are not exactly Le Mans racers, but loosely connected and still incredible sportscars.
In 1966, Ken Miles and Lloyd Ruby took the first ever 24 Hours of Daytona win in a GT40 Mk. II, then followed it up with victory at the 12 Hours of Sebring whilst Ferrari were debuting their 330 P3 in the same race. Then of course, they all went to Le Mans where Miles fought with Lorenzo Bandini throughout the race. 1966 would see Ford finally break their duct of attempting to defeat Ferrari at Le Mans.
The Ferrari's 4.0-litre V12 developed 420 horsepower whilst the Ford was powered by a 7.0-litre V8 which produced 485 horsepower. The Ford may have been more powerful, but the Ferrari was considerably lighter, weighing in at about 0.4 tonnes less. Nevertheless, the Ford managed to run at higher speeds during the race, so it is a real exchange of Top Trumps statistics. A titanic duel at over 200mph between an unstoppable force and an immovable object.
If any two cars from the classic period of this amazing race were to be added to iRacing, it needs to be these two, considering the battle of Ford and Ferrari at Le Mans really transcended the niche and made its way into the mainstream. iRacing could even have a dedicated Ford v Ferrari official 'Endurance Legends' series, maybe even a Special Event with these two icons of motor racing.
When we posted an article about 5 Crazy Cars We Want In Sim Racing, user @hurrydowns1 commented with a choice of their own: the 1983 Ford Mustang GTP. And whilst it did not race at Le Mans, it is most certainly a car that would have fit right in, so we had to include it. The car raced in the GTP class a few years before the Nissan ZX-T, and had its engine mounted all the way at the front.
That front-mounted engine was much smaller than one you would typically expect from a Mustang, a 1.7-litre twinturbo Inline-4. But it packed a considerable punch, developing 600 horsepower in a car that only weighed just over 800 kilograms. Plus, with the engine being mounted at the front, the whole underbody could act as a large wing to press the car into the ground.
The end result? Winning on debut in the 1983 Road America 500, courtesy of drivers Tim Coconis and Klaus Ludwig. Unfortunately, it was plagued by unreliability for the rest of its time racing and was soon replaced. Nevertheless, it had left its mark. It would make for an incredibly interesting alternative to the Nissan in the IMSA Vintage Series.
Plenty of these cars would go on to race in the 24 Hours of Daytona and 12 Hours of Sebring in the GTP class that ran from 1982 to 1993. Therefore it could lend credence to them being able to come to iRacing. Two of the most prominent examples of cars that were present in both Group C and IMSA GTP were the Jaguar XJR-9 and Porsche 962.
The cars were modified to comply with the regulations in both series so whilst not the exact same models, they still retain all the important elements. The XJR-9 won on its competitive debut at the 24 Hours of Daytona in 1988, then it took victory later that year at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. As for the 962? It won over a third of the races it entered in IMSA, including five times at the Daytona 24 Hours and four times at the Sebring 12 Hours. It also of course won Le Mans twice.
Another point for the Jaguar is its engine - you cannot beat the sound of a naturally-aspirated V12. Although on a personal note, another Group C legend I would love to see in iRacing is the Mazda 787B, which won Le Mans in 1991. It is of course because of the amazing sound from its rotary engine, but perhaps it may be trickier to justify adding it since the car - whilst designed to IMSA GTP regulations - did not race in IMSA.
Whilst the 917 K would be great to have, a sprint-based variant of it is perhaps even more of a mouth-watering prospect. This version of the 917 may have never raced Le Mans, but it instead made its mark in the Canadian American Challenge Cup - or Can-Am as most people know it. The cars that raced in this series were wild, but none - not even the Chaparral 2J fan car - were quite as wild as the Porsche 917/30 Spyder.
The car was powered by a 5.4-litre turbocharged Flat-12 engine, which in its qualifying configuration, produced close to 1,600 horsepower. If that was not already sounding incredible, it only weighed 800 kilograms! The end result was complete and utter domination of the 1973 Can-Am season with Mark Donohue piloting it to six wins, only failing to win the first two races of the season.
You can find the 917/30 Spyder in Assetto Corsa as part of the Porsche Pack 1 DLC. Just imagine the chaos that would ensue in the races with this car. Plus, with how ingrained American forms of motorsport are in iRacing, it is odd to comprehend that they have not already got at least one Can-Am car. So if they had to add any, hopefully it ends up being the Porsche 917/30 Spyder.
It very nearly won races overall on multiple occasions against LMP2s and Daytona Prototypes but for one reason or another, it just never happened. Unfortunately, the licencing and copyright disputes between Panoz and Nissan killed any hope of this incredible car ever being in any racing game after it was initially removed from Gran Turismo 6. A real shame, as this car would have been fascinating to drive in officials.
Another car that would have been great to have in iRacing is the Porsche 919 EVO. In the hands of Timo Bernhard, the derestricted version of the 919 LMP1 car lapped the Nürburgring-Nordschleife in 5:19.546 - but never actually competed.
Of course, the issue here is that it would be too fast to run it against any other class-leading prototypes, and the LMP1s were being phased out anyway by that point. It would become the Mercedes W12 of Sports Car, incredibly fast but could not be used in anything.
Which Le Mans cars or other sports cars would you like to drive in iRacing? Let us know your choices on Twitter @OverTake_gg or in the comments below!
It is that time of year when the most iconic endurance sportscar race is taking place: The Le Mans 24 Hours are the highlight of the motorsport season for many fans - certainly for sportscar enthusiasts. Last year, the race celebrated the 100th anniversary of its first edition, and plenty of amazing cars have been part of that illustrious history.
With the early access Le Mans Ultimate title set to receive updates pertaining to the future of Le Mans, it will also not be too much of a stretch to suggest it will take advantage of that renowned legacy. With Le Mans having its official sim racing home in LMU, vintage Le Mans machinery in iRacing does not have to be ruled out, thanks to the overlap with the other major endurance racing series.
There is not a huge amount of historic racing cars on iRacing. As far as sportscar content goes, the grid only consists of the Nissan GTP ZX-T and Audi 90 GTO. Neither of those cars competed in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, running in the IMSA GT Championship at events like the 24 Hours of Daytona and 12 Hours of Sebring instead.
But: Plenty of historic cars have raced in those two events and part of IMSA-sanctioned championships as well as at Le Mans. Therefore, you can make a case for many cars that have raced at Le Mans over the years to be added to iRacing, providing they have an IMSA connection. Here are a few we would love to see - some of which are not exactly Le Mans racers, but loosely connected and still incredible sportscars.
Ford v Ferrari
Most racing fans probably know the story depicted in the 2019 movie Ford v Ferrari (or Le Mans '66 in some European countries), where Ford attempted to acquire Ferrari but was turned down, spurring them on to develop a racing car to defeat Ferrari in the 24Hours of Le Mans. This was truly a landmark era in motorsport, with the Ferrari 330 P3 and Ford GT40 Mk. II becoming some of the most iconic Le Mans cars of all time.In 1966, Ken Miles and Lloyd Ruby took the first ever 24 Hours of Daytona win in a GT40 Mk. II, then followed it up with victory at the 12 Hours of Sebring whilst Ferrari were debuting their 330 P3 in the same race. Then of course, they all went to Le Mans where Miles fought with Lorenzo Bandini throughout the race. 1966 would see Ford finally break their duct of attempting to defeat Ferrari at Le Mans.
The Ferrari's 4.0-litre V12 developed 420 horsepower whilst the Ford was powered by a 7.0-litre V8 which produced 485 horsepower. The Ford may have been more powerful, but the Ferrari was considerably lighter, weighing in at about 0.4 tonnes less. Nevertheless, the Ford managed to run at higher speeds during the race, so it is a real exchange of Top Trumps statistics. A titanic duel at over 200mph between an unstoppable force and an immovable object.
If any two cars from the classic period of this amazing race were to be added to iRacing, it needs to be these two, considering the battle of Ford and Ferrari at Le Mans really transcended the niche and made its way into the mainstream. iRacing could even have a dedicated Ford v Ferrari official 'Endurance Legends' series, maybe even a Special Event with these two icons of motor racing.
Front-Engine Madness
In the IMSA GT Championship, the GTX category housed the Group 5 "Special Production Cars" that raced at Le Mans. Some of these cars included the Porsche 935 "Moby Dick", the Lancia Beta Montecarlo, the Nissan Skyline Super Silhouette and the Ford Zakspeed Mustang. Whilst all very interesting, perhaps if one car from this era would be a great choice for iRacing, it would actually be from the GTX's successor class.When we posted an article about 5 Crazy Cars We Want In Sim Racing, user @hurrydowns1 commented with a choice of their own: the 1983 Ford Mustang GTP. And whilst it did not race at Le Mans, it is most certainly a car that would have fit right in, so we had to include it. The car raced in the GTP class a few years before the Nissan ZX-T, and had its engine mounted all the way at the front.
That front-mounted engine was much smaller than one you would typically expect from a Mustang, a 1.7-litre twinturbo Inline-4. But it packed a considerable punch, developing 600 horsepower in a car that only weighed just over 800 kilograms. Plus, with the engine being mounted at the front, the whole underbody could act as a large wing to press the car into the ground.
The end result? Winning on debut in the 1983 Road America 500, courtesy of drivers Tim Coconis and Klaus Ludwig. Unfortunately, it was plagued by unreliability for the rest of its time racing and was soon replaced. Nevertheless, it had left its mark. It would make for an incredibly interesting alternative to the Nissan in the IMSA Vintage Series.
Group C Legends
Next up is one of the most iconic classes from Le Mans, the Group C era. These were the sports prototypes that were not bound by too much in the way of regulation, instead allowing plenty of diversity in terms of design philosophy and also the engines that powered them.Plenty of these cars would go on to race in the 24 Hours of Daytona and 12 Hours of Sebring in the GTP class that ran from 1982 to 1993. Therefore it could lend credence to them being able to come to iRacing. Two of the most prominent examples of cars that were present in both Group C and IMSA GTP were the Jaguar XJR-9 and Porsche 962.
The cars were modified to comply with the regulations in both series so whilst not the exact same models, they still retain all the important elements. The XJR-9 won on its competitive debut at the 24 Hours of Daytona in 1988, then it took victory later that year at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. As for the 962? It won over a third of the races it entered in IMSA, including five times at the Daytona 24 Hours and four times at the Sebring 12 Hours. It also of course won Le Mans twice.
Another point for the Jaguar is its engine - you cannot beat the sound of a naturally-aspirated V12. Although on a personal note, another Group C legend I would love to see in iRacing is the Mazda 787B, which won Le Mans in 1991. It is of course because of the amazing sound from its rotary engine, but perhaps it may be trickier to justify adding it since the car - whilst designed to IMSA GTP regulations - did not race in IMSA.
Can-Am Convert
Next up is another technicality since like the Mustang GTP, this car did not actually race at Le Mans. The Porsche 917 K was one of the most successful machines in all of sportscar racing, winning both the World Sportscar Championship and 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1970 and 1971, as well as an additional 14 races of the 21 it entered.Whilst the 917 K would be great to have, a sprint-based variant of it is perhaps even more of a mouth-watering prospect. This version of the 917 may have never raced Le Mans, but it instead made its mark in the Canadian American Challenge Cup - or Can-Am as most people know it. The cars that raced in this series were wild, but none - not even the Chaparral 2J fan car - were quite as wild as the Porsche 917/30 Spyder.
The car was powered by a 5.4-litre turbocharged Flat-12 engine, which in its qualifying configuration, produced close to 1,600 horsepower. If that was not already sounding incredible, it only weighed 800 kilograms! The end result was complete and utter domination of the 1973 Can-Am season with Mark Donohue piloting it to six wins, only failing to win the first two races of the season.
You can find the 917/30 Spyder in Assetto Corsa as part of the Porsche Pack 1 DLC. Just imagine the chaos that would ensue in the races with this car. Plus, with how ingrained American forms of motorsport are in iRacing, it is odd to comprehend that they have not already got at least one Can-Am car. So if they had to add any, hopefully it ends up being the Porsche 917/30 Spyder.
Honourable Mentions
There are one or two that I have made peace with the fact that they will never be added to iRacing, the first one being the DeltaWing. If that car was ever going to be added to iRacing, it would have happened in the mid 2010s when it raced in the IMSA SportsCar Championship after debuting as a Garage 56 entry.It very nearly won races overall on multiple occasions against LMP2s and Daytona Prototypes but for one reason or another, it just never happened. Unfortunately, the licencing and copyright disputes between Panoz and Nissan killed any hope of this incredible car ever being in any racing game after it was initially removed from Gran Turismo 6. A real shame, as this car would have been fascinating to drive in officials.
Another car that would have been great to have in iRacing is the Porsche 919 EVO. In the hands of Timo Bernhard, the derestricted version of the 919 LMP1 car lapped the Nürburgring-Nordschleife in 5:19.546 - but never actually competed.
Of course, the issue here is that it would be too fast to run it against any other class-leading prototypes, and the LMP1s were being phased out anyway by that point. It would become the Mercedes W12 of Sports Car, incredibly fast but could not be used in anything.
Modern Breed of Le Mans Cars
That just covers the more classic breed of Le Mans cars but what about the modern day? Over on our YouTube channel, we have put together a list of five cars that have raced Le Mans in recent years that could feasibly be added to iRacing.Which Le Mans cars or other sports cars would you like to drive in iRacing? Let us know your choices on Twitter @OverTake_gg or in the comments below!
