Enjoy some iconic 12-cylinder audio from the Le Mans Classic this year


Enjoy some iconic 12-cylinder audio from the Le Mans Classic this year

The late 1960’s and early 1970’s were an interesting transitional period in sports car and open-wheel racing, marking the time during which race car builders started to understand the complex nature of aerodynamics. In previous times, good aero tended to mimic airplane design for minimal drag, but the realization that air could be manipulated to increase grip through downforce was a game-changer. For cars built for the 24 Hours of Le Mans, low-drag design was still crucial with the incredibly long Mulsanne Straight at the Circuit de la Sarthe, but the first downforce-generating elements were being put to use, namely things like rear spoilers, fins, and dive planes. These elements, however, were paired with some of the most absolutely insane naturally aspirated road-racing engines of all time and, thanks to this year’s Le Mans Classic and the HistoricRacingHD YouTube Channel, you can enjoy solid audio and video of the legendary prototype racers.

If you even like 12-cylinder engines a little bit, this video gets some of the great ones: the flat-12 in the Porsche 917, Ferrari’s assorted V12s, and of course the absolutely howling Matra-Simca MS670’s V12. The open-topped French cars, painted in blue and eye-melting green, were impossible to miss with one of the most unmistakable engine sounds ever to grace the roads around Le Mans. Even with the aero, the cars are still clearly a handful to drive, as evidenced by the Porsche 917 driver’s near tank-slapper about five minutes in. Considering that a 917K will easily bring more seven (and maybe eight) figures at auction, the driver was likely seeing dollar signs in the middle of that save.


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