stellar and usually positive presence. As for the show, it’s
excellent: rows and rows of great ‘ev o’ cars from all over
Europe, and a friendly atmosphere of people enjoying
themselves. It’s a good-time vibe that sticks for the
duration of the weekend. Whether it’s just because I’m in
the wrong (or right?) place at the right time, I can’t be sure,
but I don’t really see much of the lager-lout behaviour, or
for that matter, gendarmes in a stroppy mood. In fact, I
don’t see one speed trap the whole weekend, which is odd.
RACEDAYISCLOUDYANDHUMID,BUTSTILL
dry, and some 252,500 people converge on Circuit de la
Sarthe, packing onto the start-finish straight until not a
single square foot of grey asphalt is visible, craning and
jostling and sweating and gasping to catch a glimpse of the
cars proudly, pristinely lined up in a row, like knights in
formation before the inevitable carnage of battle bloodies
them. The grandstands on both sides of the track are
absolutely rammed; no sign that the lack of competition
to Toyota has affected attendance. There is Jean Todt, FIA
president; the two Jackie(y)s, Ickx and Oliver, celebrating
their victory in the Gulf GT40 50 years ago; and Charlene,
Princess of Monaco, who receives the French flag to start
the race from four commandos who have abseiled from a
huge helicopter hovering above. A pair of Rafale fighters
from the Armee de l’Air whoosh overhead, followed by the
AlphaJetsofthePatrouilledeFrance,whonearlyknockthe
flags off the stands, they’re so low. It’s pure razzamatazz,
French style, and by the time the cars appear on the end of
their formation lap, the atmosphere isélectrique.
The initial thunder as the field roars past is enough to
obliterate your hearing, a great cacophony of sound that
reverberates around the top of the stands and distorts
everything for minutes afterwards. Doubtless it’s bad
for you, but what is motor racing without this? I feel the
passion, along with the thousands in close proximity, and
there’s nowhere else in the world quite like it.
The initial stages are a good portent of what’s to come.
The Toyotas streak ahead and look to have little in the
way of competition, as expected, while the GTE Pro battle
is frantically close, lap after lap, with little to separate
Corvette, Porsche and Ferrari. Artificially close? That’ll be
the dreaded Balance of Performance (BoP), and already
dark clouds of excuses and accusations are forming over
the Aston Martin pit and hospitality area. I try not to think
too deeply about it, because nothing puts me off a motor
race more than the thought its contrived ending has been
worked out in advance around a boardroom table. Surely
Above:6.3-litre V12
produces680bhp and
514lb ft of torque to push
the Lusso to 62mphin
3.4sec and onto a top
speed of 208mph
Opposite:glimpses
of the 2019 Le Mans 24
Hours,including Toyota
- lastyear’s winner –
bringing the trophy back
to la Sarthe in a 1987
Celica Convertible(!)
there has to be a better way to go motor racing than this?
Our intention is to use the Lusso as our race transport,
working our way around to different corners to watch the
cars and soak up the atmosphere. Padding around in the
Lusso is effortless, and it has quickly become a bizarre home
fromhome,afamiliarandentirelynaturalwayofgoingabout
our business; not something I ever imagined I’d say about a
£243,191 hyper-GT (make that a staggering £332,395 with
options on this example). However, its thirst has also become
very apparent, now we’re away from the constant light
throttle of the autoroute. It’s a 91-litre tank, but as soon as
the segments on the digital display move away from full they
plummet alarmingly, and it rapidly gets to the stage where I
can’t actually remember how many times I’ve filled it up. My
credit card almost visibly glows red hot, an obvious reminder
that I’m very much not in the Lusso-owning league.
The thing is – and as flippant as this sounds – I just don’t
care. Why? Because I’m going to struggle to express just how
special it is to have a roomy, luxurious four-seater with a V12
naturally aspirated supercar engine at your disposal. It feels
brilliantly decadent. Sure, it doesn’t punch as hard low down
‘I DON’T SEE MUCH
OFTHE LAGER-LOUT
BEHAVIOUR, ORONE
SPEEDTRAP THE
WHOLE WEEKEND’
FERRARI GTC4 LUSSO AT LE MANS