Like all the great auction houses, Bonhams presented a catalog of vintage cars at Monterey Car Week in California, one of the biggest annual gatherings of historic cars in the U.S. Among the jewels, a relatively mysterious 1956 Lotus Eleven...

24H Le Mans

Le Mans Legendes

24 Heures du Mans

Historique

Five years after setting out on its Le Mans adventure, Brembo reached a major milestone in 1989 with its first outright win. Jochen Mass, Manuel Reuter and Stanley Dickens ushered the Sauber-Mercedes home ahead of the field, bringing worldwide recognition to Brembo. This victory marked the beginning of a lasting partnership between the Italian brake supplier and the French endurance classic.

<h2>From steel discs to brake-by-wire &ndash; non-stop evolution</h2>

Since the inaugural 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1923, braking technology&nbsp;has evolved continuously. A&nbsp; major turning point emerged with the introduction of carbon discs, now used in the Hypercar and LMP2 classes. These materials, already used in Formula One, were specially adapted to the constraints of endurance, notably to withstand race distances in excess of 4,000&nbsp;km.

Brake-by-wire&nbsp;systems were introduced for the Centenary race in 2023. With this revolutionary technology, braking pressure is controlled electronically through a solution integrated into the hybrid systems of modern prototypes. Brembo has thus progressed from its role purely as a brake supplier to become a key player in the field of mechatronics.

The Circuit des 24 Heures du Mans is a challenging track for braking systems. Temperature control and wear and tear of the carbon discs and pads are the main issues faced. Overheating calipers or discs can compromise performance &ndash; or even driver safety.

The task is further complicated by the rise in hybrid technology. Regenerative braking, used to recharge the batteries on decelerating, reduces stress on the mechanical brakes which must nonetheless remain fully efficient in the event of a hybrid system failure. The components must therefore be capable of absorbing extreme pressure levels&nbsp;in all situations.

<h2>Transfer of technology &ndash; from the 24 Hours of Le Mans to the production line</h2>

The know-how honed by Brembo at the 24 Hours of Le Mans is making its way into everyday motorcars. Endurance encourages the development of low-wear materials and more durable, environmentally friendly components. For instance, Brembo has designed cleaner, more resistant &ldquo;green&rdquo; disc brakes based on research conducted on the racetrack.

The future-facing company is also working on a new generation of calipers capable of reducing residual braking torque. This innovation would avoid unnecessary friction when the brakes are not applied, thereby cutting fuel consumption. This promising breakthrough could also reduce the number of pit stops and enhance the overall performance of endurance racing cars.

Over the last four decades, Brembo has undoubtedly established itself as a prime innovator in braking technology at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, making vital contributions to prototype safety, performance and sustainability.

Brembo and the 24 Hours of Le Mans – a history of endurance and innovation

On Friday 6 and Saturday 7 June, Place de la République in Le Mans city centre will be the venue for the technical and administrative checks for the 93rd 24 Hours of Le Mans. Check the timetable to see when each of the 62 cars will be examined by the scrutineers.

The 24 Hours of Le Mans race week gets underway with Scrutineering, an event that&rsquo;s always eagerly anticipated by the fans who gather around Place de la R&eacute;publique in the heart of the city to enjoy a close encounter with the Hypercars, LMP2s and LMGT3s, and the chance of a chat or a selfie with the drivers.

The administrative and technical verifications will begin at 10:00 on Friday 6 June with the #99 Porsche 963 entered by Proton Competition in the Hypercar class. The checks will then continue for two days according to a precise schedule&nbsp;until the final car &ndash; RLR M Sport​&#39;s&nbsp;#16 Oreca 07-Gibson&nbsp;racing in the LMP2 class &ndash; is examined at 12:40 on Saturday.

Once Scrutineering is over, don&rsquo;t miss the city centre procession!&nbsp; For only the third time ever, around thirty cars &ndash; including 19 due to compete in the race &ndash; will drive along a 2.1-km route through the city centre. To prolong the crowd&rsquo;s enjoyment, this year the cars will each do two laps, beginning at the Place du Jet d&#39;Eau. 
Over 70 marshals will be on duty to ensure public safety along the route.&nbsp;

Check the times of the administrative and technical checks for each car competing in the 93rd 24 Hours of Le Mans below.

2025 24 Hours of Le Mans scrutineering schedule

Toyota is all set to race in the 93rd 24 Hours of Le Mans (11-15 June 2025) with two GR010 Hybrid Hypercars, one of which will sport a red livery reminiscent of a legendary model: the spectacular, edgy Toyota GT-One (TS020), entered in 1998 and 1999. The car became an icon that symbolises still today the Japanese firm’s obsession with winning Le Mans. We look back at a shooting star that etched an indelible mark in the memory of fans everywhere.

In late 1996, Toyota launched a programme focused solely on winning the 24 Hours of Mans. The GT-One was designed by Toyota Team Europe in Cologne under the guidance of Andr&eacute; de Cortanze, the French engineer behind the Peugeot 905. With just one road-legal version produced to meet homologation requirements, she was in fact a prototype disguised as a GT. 
Her sculpted body concealed a 3.6-litre twin-turbo V8 engine developing 600-650 horsepower. Matched with a six-speed sequential gearbox, the GT-One could reach over 340 kph on the Mulsanne Straight. Her radical, aggressive appearance immediately elevated the car to cult status.

<h2>1998: promise and frustration</h2>

Three GT-Ones were entered in the 1998 24 Hours of Le Mans. They stood up to the Mercedes CLK-LM and Porsche 911 GT1 in qualifying but the race itself was a different matter. The #28 was soon forced to retire, followed by the #29 sister car. Only the #27 driven by Ukyo Katayama, Toshio Suzuki and Keiichi Tsuchiya saw the chequered flag, finishing in ninth place, 25 laps behind the winning Porsche 911 GT1. 
Despite the disappointment, the speed and potential of the GT-One made a strong impression. Its futuristic outline and red livery turned heads. History was in motion.

<h2>1999: high hopes ultimately deflated</h2>

A rule change saw the GT1 class give way to LMGTP closed-cockpit prototypes. Toyota adapted the GT-One which officially became a prototype. Three cars were again entered. 
After the #1 and #2 cars retired, it was left once again to the trio of Katayama, Suzuki and Tsuchiya to fight for victory against a BMW V12 LMR fielded by BMW Motorsport. Sadly, as the race entered its final stages, a high-speed blowout and a long crawl back to the pits deflated all hopes. Toyota finished in second place, one lap in arrears of the BMW. The GT-One gave her all, but the 24 Hours is an unforgiving beast.

Despite the defeat, the GT-One&rsquo;s spectacular looks, powerful performances and tragic history ensured the car became a legend. Thanks to the lasting impression made, the GT-One became a star of video games such as Gran Turismo. 
At the 2023 Le Mans Classic, Emmanuel Collard took the GT-One once again around the Circuit de la Sarthe. The onboard footage of this rare moment brings memories of this outstanding machine flooding back:

<h2>Toyota&rsquo;s living legacy at the 24 Hours of Le Mans</h2>

In 2025, Toyota Gazoo Racing has opted to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/news/toyota-celebrates-40-years-at-the-24-hours-with-standout-liveries-59575" target="_blank">revive the legacy of the GT-One by cloaking one of the two GR010 Hybrids in the&nbsp;emblematic livery</a>&nbsp;and pay tribute to this poignant chapter in the Japanese manufacturer&rsquo;s history at Le Mans, while reasserting its continued quest for victory.

The GT-One never won Le Mans, but she won the heart of many fans. And&nbsp;sometimes, cherished&nbsp;longstanding memories are worth just as much as any trophy.

Toyota GT-One: the legacy of a would-be Le Mans winner

The world’s biggest carmakers and an array of talented racers are gearing up for the 2025 24 Hours of Le Mans, the fourth round of the FIA WEC season, on 14-15 June. With the list of 186 drivers set to take part revealed today (Tuesday 13 May), here’s a rundown of all you need to know.

Hypercar more hotly contested than ever 
&nbsp; 
With no fewer than 21 prototypes, the Hypercar class is taking the race into a new dimension. All eight manufacturers have a fighting chance of winning the race. Last year, nine cars finished on the same lap as the winner &ndash; a record that may well be broken once again next month. Fifteen drivers who have already climbed onto the top step of the Le Mans podium, including the likes of Earl Bamber, S&eacute;bastien Buemi and Antonio Giovinazzi, will again be competing in the top class. Their pedigree makes the outcome all the more uncertain. 
&nbsp; 
Living legends going for the prize 
&nbsp; 
Every year, the 24 Hours of Le Mans attracts some of the biggest names in motorsport and 2025 will be no exception. Jenson Button, 2009 Formula One world champion, will line up for Cadillac Hertz Team Jota while Kevin Magnussen, veteran of 185 Grands Prix, will lead the charge for BMW M Team WRT. Of course, LMGT3 outfit Team WRT will receive lots of popular support with nine-time Grand Prix motorcycle racing world champion Valentino Rossi among their ranks! 
&nbsp; 
The return of an iconic manufacturer 
&nbsp; 
Aston Martin is back racing at the pinnacle of endurance with the V12-powered Valkyrie. The historic British firm first participated in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1928 and has since made several remarkable appearances in both the top class and in GT. In 1959, Carroll Shelby and Roy Salvadori won the race outright in a DBR1 &ndash; a feat that the drivers of the #007 and #009 cars will strive to emulate and add another line to the brand&rsquo;s impressive track record. Aston Martin will be one of ten makes on the grid to have tasted victory in the world&rsquo;s greatest endurance race &ndash; proof of their undisputed expertise. 
&nbsp; 
Five women racers 
&nbsp; 
The Iron Dames&nbsp;are back in 2025, this time at the wheel of a Porsche 911 GT3 R LMGT3 in partnership with Manthey Racing. They will be determined to improve on the fourth place they achieved in the 2024 LMGT3 standings. Team regulars Michelle Gatting and Rahel Frey will be backed up this year by rookie C&eacute;lia Martin. The Le Mans crowd has rooted for the Iron Dames every year since the team&rsquo;s first appearance in 2019 and the Frenchwoman&rsquo;s inclusion will guarantee more of the same. The other two women set to race are Lilou Wadoux in the Ferrari 296 LMGT3 entered by Richard Mille AF Corse and IDEC Sport&rsquo;s Jamie Chadwick, in LMP2. 
&nbsp; 
An astounding LMGT3 grid 
&nbsp; 
LMGT3 will boast an extra-special field with well-loved Le Mans regulars joined by Mercedes-AMG who will supply three models for the Iron Lynx team. The German marque&rsquo;s presence will add an extra touch of spice to a hotly contested class. Five different brands have already reached the podium in the two rounds of the championship raced so far this season! Nine top-notch manufacturers will field 24 cars in their quest for victory &ndash; a record for LMGT3. The driver roster features GT specialists like Richard Lietz and a pack of hungry young wolves, such as Loek Hartog. 
&nbsp; 
LMP2 soars to another level 
&nbsp; 
Year after year, the LMP2 class stages a fascinating spectacle for the fans. The protagonists are cut out for long battles that often go down to the wire. This year, the star of the LMP2 show is undoubtedly Andr&eacute; Lotterer of IDEC Sport. The three-time 24 Hours of Le Mans winner is back to prepare for the arrival of Genesis in the Hypercar class in 2026, but the German master won&rsquo;t have it all his own way! Among his chief rivals are sure to be 2024 Hyperpole winner Louis Del&eacute;traz in the #199 Oreca 07 &ndash; Gibson entered by AO by TF, and former Hypercar racer Renger van der Zande, at the wheel of United Autosports&rsquo; #22 Oreca. Seventeen LMP2s will fight for the class title on 14-15 June. 
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Don&rsquo;t miss the start of the 93rd 24 Hours of Le Mans at 16:00 CET on Saturday 14 June!

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&gt;&gt;&gt;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.24h-lemans.com/en/2025-24hlemans-entry-list">ENTRY LIST</a>&nbsp;&lt;&lt;&lt;

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The 2<a href="https://www.24h-lemans.com/app/24h-experience">4H EXPERIENCE</a> application is now available on the <a href="https://www.24h-lemans.com/app/24h-experience">App Store</a> and <a href="https://www.24h-lemans.com/app/24h-experience">Google Play</a>! Check out the programme and events for the 93rd edition!

Revealed! The 186 drivers set to compete in the 24 Hours of Le Mans!

Indeed, this Lotus may have competed at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and may have also won in its class in 1956 and 1957: without documentation to confirm authenticity, experts are divided (see&nbsp;<a href="http://orig.24h-lemans.oceanet.eu/fr/actualites/apercuenligne_2_1_1707_21661.html" target="_blank">article</a>).

	The mystery surrounding the British car sporting the number 36 did not prevent its sale, but did perhaps preclude the auction bids from going very high. The sale price, 209,000 dollars, failed to reach the inital base estimation of 325,000 dollars. What a great deal for the buyer if the car&#39;s origin is ever proven!

	C&eacute;cile Bonardel / ACO - Translation by Nikki Ehrhardt / ACO

	PHOTO: LE MANS (SARTHE, FRANCE), CIRCUIT DES 24 HEURES, 24 HOURS OF LE MANS, JULY 28-29 1956. The winning No. 36 Lotus Eleven in its class.&nbsp;

24H LE MANS

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Brembo and the 24 Hours of Le Mans – a history of endurance and innovation

2025 24 Hours of Le Mans scrutineering schedule

Toyota GT-One: the legacy of a would-be Le Mans winner

Revealed! The 186 drivers set to compete in the 24 Hours of Le Mans!

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