top speed @ le mans

[paulzinho]

What was the quickest Le Mans speed?

[WANHER]

WM Peugeot clocked 405 km/h on the straight ?

[DNQ]

I have a feeling it may have been a Nissan in the late 80's, but I'm not sure, so correct me if I'm wrong...

[Dino IV]

If I stand correct it was the Sauber Group C car who was clocked at 408 or 409 kmh.

That was before they filled up Hunadieres with road blocks.

[Ray Bell]

WMs always went for it big time in the straight line department, they had skinny wheels with disc trims etc.. they did 345kmh in 1981 when I was there with an engine using the block, crank and rods of a 604.

[SL]

Fastest speed was 405 km clocked by Roger Dorchy in a WM during the race. This was bettered the following year by a Merc the following year clocking 410 km in practice. Both pre chicanes of course.

The fastest race was 1971 H Marko and G V Lennop in a Porsche 917 (that they covered the greatest distance in 24hours) 3315.203 miles. 71 also saw the fastest ever pole lap.

Pole position times / speeds

1/ 1971 3.13.9 250.069km/hr J Oliver Porsche 917

2/ 1985 3.14.8 251.815km/hr Stuck Porsche

3/ 1989 3.15.0 249.83km/hr Schlesser Mercedes

4/ 1988 3.15.6 250.16km/hr Stuck Porsche

5/ 1986 3.15.9 248.5km/hr Mass Porsche

6/ 1983 3.16.5 249.56km/hr Ickx Porsche

7/ 1984 3.17.1 248.86km/hr Wollek Lancia

8/ 1970 3.19.08 242.68km/hr Elford Porsche 917

It should be noted that several track layouts have been used, 1971 was the last time the cars went though Maision Blanche hence the slower times. Stucks 85 speed was greater due to the longer track.

Simon

[Morris 1100]

I seem to remember that Roger Dorchy in the WM was trying to break the 400kph/250mph barrier and we all thought they would break the Armco barrier

[djb]

Àm I wrong in recalling an article that mentioned that the fastest Mulsanne speed was set by a team that knew they wouldnt last the race and so trimmed their car etc etc just to get the publicity of the "fastest speed" Seem to remember 40something, got to a calculator to get it in mph.

[Ray Bell]

250mph is 402.25kmh...

Having seen 340kmh, I'm prepared to accept that this is awful fast!

[djb]

seen as in "seen", or seen as in "sitting in the car"-and don't tell us it was one of your beloved pugs...

[Ray Bell]

Seen, as in the photo above, I took that photo, and I saw it on a number of laps... they were the fastest on the straight that year. I feel sure it was 345kmh.

Don't have to tell you it was a Pug... shame I've lost the picture of the spare engine in the tent in the pits... great stuff.

[SL]

Ray, the speed might have been 345 km in '81. The WM's set the 405km speed in '88 with Roger Dorchy. Car number 51, green & white, pug 3.0 V6 turbo engine. They were clocked at 405km/hr 251.65 mph. Unofficially they claimed 407 during practice and 416 km/h on a closed sectoin of Autoroute. This was the first time 400k had been broken at Le Mans.

Simon

[Ray Bell]

My post was in reply to djb, who asked if I had seen that speed or experienced it... sorry that you misunderstood. I accept that higher speeds have been reached in later and earlier years. And I was also answering his question about what the conversion was to mph.

Next thing to ask, of course, is how high the M-B cars would have flown if the chicanes hadn't been there....

[SL]

Ray, So confusing all these posts.

Glad to see that you are another that crept around the back to see the cars on the inside at Mulsanne. I managed it in '78 and '99, we tried other years but were sent back. The cars in '99 seemed to have just about as much speed as '78 despite the chicanes such is progress.

Any plans for 2002 ?

Simon

[Ray Bell]

I only ever went to Europe the once... unlikely that it will happen again in a hurry.

Unless someone's offering?

I was indeed fortunate.. the Porsche these drivers were in had given up early, but they had drivers' passes which took them anywhere, I went in their Kombi with them...

[SL]

Yes, I recall '81 and the fuel chip problem. I was there. If my new business venture goes to plan who knows, you might get a ticket in return for good photo's !

Simon

[Ray Bell]

All offers will be seriously considered...

[economy_waffle]

very very very very very very fast man 400kph is brown pants fast i think.

[Ray Bell]

Trouble at 400kmh would be, I'm sure, but simply driving down the straight that fast would be fairly ordinary... now look at this clump...



And this fast car on one side of the road as it passes a slower one... this is right at the end of Mulsanne, 1981

[economy_waffle]

but theyre still, (a little bit more german humour for you guys)

[Ray Bell]

Just consider that last pic.. the Rondeau is a 200mph car, and it's alongside two slower things... and the car behind it has leapt out into its slipstream ... it's a 170mph car... things are happening there all right.

[DAVID PATERSON]

Ray, Frank Gardner was a guest speaker at a historic racing club meeting one night and he had some great stories to tell. My favourite was the one about the weird aerodynamics of the GT40.

If you drove close enough to the wall, the body shape generated so much turbulence that it was actually impossible to drive into the wall, the air pressure would push you away. Frank once demonstarted this to one of the factory boffins who was so scared he ende up with brown pants!

At LeMans one year, the boss of the Ford team was chatting with the President of France as two works GT40s racing down the pit straight directly in front of them, came up to lap a very small French car. The little French car was in the middle of the track, so the GT40s went either side of it. As they passed, the turbulence coming off both cars, caused the little French car to flip up in the air and land on it's back, right in front of the Fench Presdient. Frank said it was nearly an international incident.

[paulzinho]

Originally posted by DAVID PATERSON


At LeMans one year, the boss of the Ford team was chatting with the President of France as two works GT40s racing down the pit straight directly in front of them, came up to lap a very small French car. The little French car was in the middle of the track, so the GT40s went either side of it. As they passed, the turbulence coming off both cars, caused the little French car to flip up in the air and land on it's back, right in front of the Fench Presdient. Frank said it was nearly an international incident.

What year was that...is it on video?

[Ray Bell]

Originally posted by DAVID PATERSON
Ray, Frank Gardner was a guest speaker at a historic racing club meeting one night and he had some great stories to tell. My favourite was the one about the weird aerodynamics of the GT40.

I have to say, David, that Frank tells a good story, and that there's probably some background to all of them... but some do tend to push the limits of credibility.