For more info on Hypercar, the new top class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and in the FIA WEC, check out this video!

24H Le Mans

24 Heures du Mans

Rétromobile is currently celebrating its 50th anniversary (28 January to 1 February 2026). As usual, cars from the 24 Hours of Le Mans figure prominently at the Paris show. We’ve picked out nine models you’ll be able to see there.

Aside the ex-Hertz Team JOTA Porsche 963&nbsp;and the 1957 Maserati 250F V12&nbsp;displayed on the M24 &ndash; Museum of Motorsport stand, other cars that have raced at the 24 Hours of Le Mans are waiting to be admired. Strap yourself in for a virtual tour of Pavilion 7.3 at the Porte de Versailles exhibition centre!

As is befitting, we begin our visit with a 24 Hours of Le Mans-winning hypercar: the #51 Ferrari 499P of Ferrari AF Corse. This is the car in which Alessandro Pier Guidi,&nbsp;James Calado&nbsp;and Antonio Giovinazzi scooped the 2025 FIA Hypercar World Endurance Drivers&#39; Championship. It can be viewed on the stand of celebrated watchmaker Richard Mille. A 1970 Ferrari 512 S&nbsp;and a 1972 312 PB&nbsp;are among the models surrounding the hypercar.

A wonderful surprise is in store for visitors to the JMB Classic stand: the BMW V12 Le Mans. This LMP1 competed in the 1998 24 Hours of Le Mans, driven by Hans-Joachim Stuck,&nbsp;Steve Soper&nbsp;and Tom Kristensen. This 66th running of the French endurance classic was the second appearance in the race of the man who went on to win a record nine times. 
The BMW V12 Le Mans had been put together in Didcot (UK) by a select group of 34 specialists employed by BMW Motorsport&nbsp;and Williams Motorsport. The six-litre engine, derived from the V12 that triumphed in 1995, was however built in Munich. Team Rafanelli ran the two cars in 1998. The #1 BMW V12 LM was forced to retire after three hours of the race due to vibration in the front and rear axles.

&nbsp;

The #1 BMW V12 LM is displayed at R&eacute;tromobile alongside the #7 Peugeot 908 HDI&nbsp;of Team Peugeot Total, driven by Nicolas Minassian,&nbsp;Marc Gen&eacute;&nbsp;and&nbsp;Jacques Villeneuve at the 2008 24 Hours of Le Mans. The 1997 Formula One world champion was making his Le Mans d&eacute;but that year for the French carmaker who was Audi&rsquo;s chief rival for the second time. Three 908s were entered following an overhaul of the 2007 model, most notably to the car&rsquo;s aerodynamics. The trio of Minassian-Gen&eacute;-Villeneuve finished second on the same lap as the triumphant Audi R10 TDi.

Fans of the McLaren F1 GTR&nbsp;will be able to feast their eyes on not one, but two magnificent models at R&eacute;tromobile 2026! Firstly, there is the #44 entered in 1997 by Team Lark McLaren.&nbsp;Akihiko Nakaya,&nbsp;Gary Ayles&nbsp;and Keiichi Tshuchiya&nbsp;teamed up in this long-tailed F1 GTR. Sadly, it was forced to retire from the race. The car has since been restored and homologated for the road. Registered in the UK, it will shortly be auctioned by RM Sotheby&rsquo;s.

The other McLaren F1 GTR was chassis 025R that also competed in the 1997 24 Hours of Le Mans. Entered by Gulf Team Davidoff, the #39 car was driven by Ray Bellm,&nbsp;Andrew Gilbert Scott&nbsp;and&nbsp;Masanori Sekiya who, two years earlier, became the first Japanese driver to win at Le Mans. During the race, the car suffered a water leak that caused the engine to overheat, resulting in a spectacular fire on the Mulsanne Straight. It was sent back to the factory for a complete rebuild.

An LMGT1&nbsp;takes pride of place on the Fiskens Historic Automobiles&nbsp;stand: the #007 Aston Martin DBR9&nbsp;that raced in the 2006 24 Hours of Le Mans, driven by a trio of GT specialists:&nbsp;Tomas Enge,&nbsp;Darren Turner&nbsp;and Andrea Piccini. The car was entered under the Aston Martin Racing&nbsp;banner that brought together the British carmaker, Prodrive who designed and prepared the DBR9s, and Fr&eacute;d&eacute;ric Dor, the man behind the Ferrari 550 who got the DBR9 project off the ground. Aston Martin intended to see off the LMGT1 challenge from Corvette Racing, but the Chevrolet Corvette C6.R won the day. The #007 finished second in class and sixth overall.

A few metres away stands the #97 Aston Martin Vantage GTE&nbsp;from the 2015 24 Hours of Le Mans. Darren Turner,&nbsp;Stefan M&uuml;cke&nbsp;and Rob Bell shared the wheel of the LMGTE Pro entry with a special &ldquo;art car&rdquo; livery created by Tobias Rehberger. The unique design gave the illusion of movement and speed even when static.&nbsp;&ldquo;My design for the Aston Martin art car is rooted in my interest in distorted perception and related phenomena like auto moving patterns, optical effects, camouflage and visual confusion,&rdquo; explained the German artist. However the art car did not reach the chequered flag. Interestingly, the same chassis (GTE-002) had already been treated to special artwork&nbsp;job in 2013 when Gulf ran a design competition.

Staying in the LMGT1 era, we now step back a few years to 2010 and the Ford GT&nbsp;of Marc VDS Racing Team&nbsp;that sported the number 70. Matech Concepts, a Swiss engineering consultancy, was the private initiative behind Ford&rsquo;s return to the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The car was driven by three Le Mans rookies who, nonetheless, had forged plenty of endurance experience at the 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps. Unfortunately, Bas Leinders,&nbsp;Markus Palttala&nbsp;and Eric De Doncker did not make the finish line.

Finally, we round off our virtual tour with the #71 Ferrari F458&nbsp;of AF Corse&nbsp;that took part in the 81st 24 Hours of Le Mans (2013). Who recalls that Kamui Kobayashi&nbsp;made his 24 Hours d&eacute;but in the LMGTE Pro class? The Japanese racer who went on to break the lap record at the wheel of the Toyota TS050 Hybrid in 2017 was partnered by two GT specialists in the F458:&nbsp;Toni Vilander&nbsp;and Olivier Beretta. They finished 20th overall and fifth in the LMGTE Pro class.

The R&eacute;tromobile show continues until Sunday 1 February. You can book tickets on the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.retromobile.com/en/box-office/buy-my-ticket" target="_blank">official website</a>.

Rétromobile 2026 – check out our selection of nine cars from the 24 Hours of Le Mans

The Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO) and Richard Mille have taken the wraps off a major transformation: in May, the 24 Hours of Le Mans Museum will become M24 – Museum of Motorsport.

The venue has been completely redesigned as a cultural and emotional experience that tells the story, encapsulates the influence and depicts the future of global motorsport.

Mohammed Ben Sulayem, President of the F&eacute;d&eacute;ration Internationale de l&rsquo;Automobile (FIA), was in attendance as ACO President Pierre Fillon unveiled the project at the R&eacute;tromobile show alongside Richard Mille, ACO Culture &amp; Heritage Director Fabrice Bourrigaud and Fr&eacute;d&eacute;ric Audevard, the M24 architect.

M24 is a response to two facts: our heritage is absolutely unique, and today&rsquo;s visitors expect something different. They no longer come just to see one car after another. They want to understand and feel what it was like. They want to be part of a story. M24 stands at the crossroads between our heritage and our future.&nbsp;&ndash;Pierre Fillon 
&nbsp;

Designed to deliver an experience

M24 has been in gestation since 2022 when the ACO and Richard Mille formed a dedicated company, MACO, with the remit of taking the museum, built in 1961 and redeveloped 30 years later, into a new era.

The newly extended museum aims to become an international benchmark for automotive heritage, enriched by the unique pedigree of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

M24 is underpinned by the strongly held belief that history can only really be passed on through experience. Its purpose is to move from a display case where cars are merely on show to a story that tells us what they are about &ndash; the people involved, the technological challenges, the moments of grace, and the major historical breakthroughs in sport and society.

Le Mans is not just a race. It&rsquo;s a living legend, a unique tale of human and technological endeavour. M24 will not look on the past with nostalgia but with ambition, stimulating communication between our heritage and our future.&nbsp;&ndash;&nbsp;Richard Mille 
&nbsp;

An outstanding legacy brought to life

M24 will be home to one of the richest collections in world motorsport, including iconic cars, unique prototypes, rare objects and precious archives stretching back over a century. Over 120 vehicles will be exhibited alongside remarkable artefacts such as the suit worn by Ayrton Senna, revealed at today&rsquo;s press conference.&nbsp;

The scenography born from the imagination of Rapha&euml;l Daguet takes visitors on an immersive two-stage tour:

&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; firstly, a space devoted to the history of the 24 Hours of Le Mans and Endurance, the backbone of the story;

&bull;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; and, secondly, a space dedicated to other major disciplines: Formula One, rallying, rally-raids, IndyCar and American culture.

Sounds, pictures, interactive features and human accounts whisk the visitor &ldquo;into the race&rdquo;. Each car is an entry point to a different era and adventure: from the 1924 Le Mans-winning Bentley 3 Litre to the 1965 Ford GT40, from the Matra 670B to contemporary Hypercars, from the Ferrari F2002 driven by Michael Schumacher to the Lancia Stratos, icon of the rally world.

The idea is not to amass cars, but to tell stories. To spotlight outstanding pieces in the same way as we exhibit works of art, to arouse emotion, curiosity and awe.&nbsp;&ndash;&nbsp;Richard Mille

 
Architecture to stir emotion

The work of Fr&eacute;d&eacute;ric Audevard combines tradition and innovation. The extension design is influenced by the motor car &ndash; aluminium, sleek lines and visitor flows inspired by racing aerodynamics &ndash; with a strong focus on natural light to allow the collections to show their true value.

Adopting a responsible mindset from the drawing board, the designer has incorporated a green roof, optimised rainwater management and sustainable materials into the building.

The project has involved 23 mainly local firms to showcase the skills available in the area and make a direct contribution to the Sarthe economy.

M24 is one of the very real embodiments of our CSR approach. This project harnesses valuable heritage, economic and human elements and is deeply rooted in our territory.&nbsp;&ndash;&nbsp;Pierre Fillon

 
A living, perpetually evolving museum

Dust will have no time to settle!

M24 will regularly welcome new pieces, focusing on loans from manufacturers and international institutions &ndash; such as the 1986 Dakar rally-winning Porsche 959 borrowed from the Porsche Museum &ndash; and will host around two temporary exhibitions per year.

M24 expects to attract initially over 300,000 visitors per year and become one of Europe&rsquo;s leading cultural and tourist attractions.

With its modular facilities, fully equipped rooms and luminous spaces, M24 is also set to become Le Mans&rsquo; primary venue for hosting seminars, conferences, training days and bespoke events at the heart of the legendary circuit.

M24 is a place where these stories will live on. It&rsquo;s where a kid can fall in love with a car and maybe decide one day to be an engineer, designer or racing driver. If anyone comes out with their eyes sparkling a bit brighter than when they went in, then M24 will have served its purpose.&nbsp;&ndash;&nbsp;Richard Mille

With M24, the ACO and its partners are creating something unique &ndash; a museum that harnesses legacy and innovation, heritage and emotion, the past and the future of motorsport.&nbsp;This ambition is already shared by partners committed to the project from day one. Four such partners of M24 were announced at the press conference: Rolex, Goodyear, CA Mobility and Michelin.&nbsp;

Their involvement illustrates the cultural scope of M24 and the project&rsquo;s ability to bring together motorsport&rsquo;s most emblematic sponsors around a common vision: to transmit and disseminate the history of motorsport to inspire present and future generations.

We look forward to welcoming you to this exceptional venue on 28 May.

M24 – Motorsport Museum set to open on 28 May 2026

From July 2 to 5, 2026, the first edition of Le Mans Classic Legend will take place at the Circuit des 24 Heures du Mans. As in 2025, two evenings of concerts will be organized. Discover the lineup.

At Le Mans Classic, the show goes beyond the track! Once again this year, the village will be buzzing with a host of activities and exhibitions to delight young and old alike. And just like in 2025, spectators can look forward to a program of concerts, with Contrecoeur, Purple Disco Machine and Etienne de Cr&eacute;cy on Friday, July 3 and Baccus, Superbus and Bon Entendeur on Saturday, July 4.

Concert schedule:

Friday, July 3, 2026:

<ul>
	<li>8:00 pm &ndash; 10:00 pm: Contrecoeur</li>
	<li>10:30 pm &ndash; 11:30 pm: Purple Disco Machine</li>
	<li>12:00 am &ndash; 1:30 am: &Eacute;tienne de Cr&eacute;cy</li>
</ul>

Saturday, July 4, 2026:

<ul>
	<li>8:00 pm &ndash; 10:00 pm: Baccus</li>
	<li>10:30 pm &ndash; 11:30 pm: Superbus</li>
	<li>12:00 am &ndash; 1:30 am: Bon Entendeur</li>
</ul>

Book your tickets for Le Mans Classic Legend <a href="https://www.lemansclassic.com/en/ticketing/" target="_blank">HERE</a>.

Le Mans Classic Legend: concerts to keep the excitement going late into the night

Robert Kubica, Phil Hanson and Yifei Ye will once again share the wheel of the #83 Ferrari 499P for AF Corse in the 2026 FIA World Endurance Championship including the flagship event, the 94th 94 Hours of Le Mans (10-14 June 2026).

AF Corse has announced the racers who will drive the #83 Ferrari 499P at this year&rsquo;s 24 Hours of Le Mans and throughout the 2026 FIA WEC campaign. Unsurprisingly, the Italian hypercar will once again be in the capable hands of Robert Kubica, Phil Hanson and Yifei Ye. Last season, the trio won the 93rd 24 Hours of Le Mans and finished as runners-up in the Hypercar World Endurance Drivers&rsquo; Championship.

Kubica and Ye are about to embark on their third consecutive season at the wheel of the #83 Ferrari. Hanson &ndash; the recently appointed Ferrari works driver &ndash; joined them in 2025 after showing his worth in the Hertz Team JOTA Porsche 963. The British racer also has a Le Mans LMP2 class win with United Autosports to his name.

AF Corse will be keen to defend its 24 Hours of Le Mans crown while the illustrious line-up will endeavour to go one better in the Hypercar World Endurance Drivers&rsquo; Championship. Undoubtedly&nbsp;Kubica, Ye and Hanson are already looking forward to the mighty challenge.

AF Corse stick with Le Mans-winning line-up in #83 Ferrari 499P

24 Heures du Mans 2021

The 2021 FIA World Endurance Championship and 89th&nbsp;24 Hours of Le&nbsp;Mans on 12-13 June will mark the arrival of the highly anticipated Hypercar class. These new cars will usher in a new era of&nbsp;motorsport, represent the highest level of endurance racing and will compete for overall wins. This year you will see TOYOTA GAZOO&nbsp;Racing, Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus and&nbsp;Alpine (with a technically modified, non-hybrid LMP1). Peugeot Sport will begin its participation in 2022, and Porsche and Audi have confirmed their involvement for&nbsp;2023.

Find out all about the Hypercar class in this video:

24 Heures du Mans - What is a Hypercar ?

PHOTO (Copyright -&nbsp;Agence Archim&egrave;de)

24H LE MANS

24 Hours of Le Mans – Everything you need to know about the Hypercar class (video)

Related News

Rétromobile 2026 – check out our selection of nine cars from the 24 Hours of Le Mans

M24 – Motorsport Museum set to open on 28 May 2026

Le Mans Classic Legend: concerts to keep the excitement going late into the night

AF Corse stick with Le Mans-winning line-up in #83 Ferrari 499P

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