Road to Le Mans 2026!
We’re on a roadtrip to Le Mans to find out why the world’s biggest race still matters for the cars we all drive!
Words by: Dan Trent
Published on 14 June 2026 | 0 min read
The 24 Hours of Le Mans is a motor race like no other. Held on a combination of closed public roads and dedicated racetrack on the outskirts of the French town of Le Mans it’s always been the ultimate test of car and driver. First held in 1923, over the years it’s been a proving ground for technologies many of us now take for granted.
Turbocharging, disc brakes, active aero, dual-clutch gearboxes and, in more recent years, high-performance diesels and now hybrids and electrification have all been put to the test over the 24 gruelling hours of racing, the manufacturers taking what they’ve learned and putting it into the cars we all drive. Everyone from Bentley, Bugatti, Porsche, Ferrari, Ford, McLaren, Mercedes-Benz, Alpine, Audi, Toyota, Aston Martin, Jaguar and more have enjoyed moments of glory in the race, the new Hypercar class heralding a new golden era and packed grid.
Le Mans is about more than racing, though. For the fans it’s a roadtrip, a festival, a petrolhead gathering and a massive party all wrapped into one giant event taking over a whole town. And we’re out there, sharing our experiences with regular updates to this story. Stay tuned and keep coming back for the latest!
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Road to Le Mans Part 1 – Party boat to France!
BMW will be there in force, with two M Hybrid V8s fighting for overall honours having taken pole in the Hypercar class ahead of Aston Martin, Toyota and last year’s winners Ferrari. They’re also up against Cadillac, Alpine, Peugeot and newcomers Genesis, the Hypercar class attracting a new crop of players after a period of stalemate where it was basically just Audi and Toyota slugging it out for the top spot. BMW also has a couple of M4s in the LMGT3 class, these more closely related to the road cars we know and love and up against Ford Mustangs, Porsche 911s, a random Lexus, Corvettes and more.
My trip to Le Mans starts in the slightly less glamorous surroundings of Hull, and the overnight ferry to Rotterdam ahead of the 400 miles or so to Le Mans and the glamping ground arranged by my hosts, BMW. Who have also very generously provided my transport for the trip in the shape of this rather fetching M5 Touring. Big, fast, comfy and – most of all – surprisingly efficient thanks to its plug-in hybrid power, I’m hoping it’ll be just the ticket for a big roadtrip.
This isn’t the only reason BMW is making noise this year. But more on that in due course! For now, I’ve got some miles to cover, the M5’s combination of a big V8 petrol engine and fully charged hybrid battery hopefully getting me there in good time!
Road to Le Mans Part 2 – Three countries in one day
But, hey, if you’ve got 400 miles to cover in a hurry I’m not sure there’s a better car to do it in than an M5 Touring. This thing is a proper beast, the 727 horsepower from the combination of V8 power and electric motor meaning it monsters the miles with the cruise set to 130 and European countries flashing by in a blur. 130km/h, I should point out. This having set the speedo to metric while I was queuing for customs. I have no doubt whatsoever the M5 would have been just as effortless at 130mph. But the days of Brits blasting across France in high-speed convoys to Le Mans have long since passed. Instead I behaved myself, enjoying the absolutely banging Bowers & Wilkins stereo and various other creature comforts.
Time was ticking away and I was keen to get to Le Mans with time to pedal a lap of the track with the bike I’d slung in the back of the Touring, for the fact this looked a great way to get a view of the circuit. And so it proved, the track open to the public for the evening before the race and huge crowds taking the opportunity to pedal, jog or just walk around the 8.5-mile lap and enjoy the evening sunshine. A great way to work off seven hours at the wheel and the inevitable road snacks as well!
From there it’s been dump the bike at the glampsite, grab laminates and wristbands and head over to the BMW hospitality at the track, where we’re hopefully going to learn more about the M Concept Neue Klasse announced earlier today. More on this in due course!
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Road to Le Mans Part 3 – An evening with BMW
So, the M5 is now safely parked under a tree for the duration of the race back at the glamping base camp but the BMW action hasn’t stopped. And after my lap on the bike it was into ‘work mode’ for an evening with the M team and a chance to see the M Concept Neue Klasse in the metal. I was also excited to see the M3 Touring race car from the recent Nurburgring 24-hour on display, fresh from its fantastic performance and fifth place overall the other month.
An issue with the PA meant I couldn’t hear much of what BMW M boss Frank van Meel was saying about the concept, but that’s OK because I’ve got a one-to-one chat with him this morning so can get the inside line direct from the man in charge. I can report it does look very cool indeed, though, the more muscular twist on the i3 on which it is clearly based working very nicely with its race-car stance and relatively subtle aero. Geeky, but I like the little nod to the original E30 M3 in the boxy shape to the top of the widened wheelarches. To my eyes it’s a hell of a lot more appealing than the bloated Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door thing, though it’ll be interesting to see how they compare on the stats.
While its arrival onto the tarmac outside the BMW M hospitality at the pit entrance was a little muted (c’mon guys, where was the tyre smoke?) the opportunity for a walk around the car was a real privilege. As was the chance to wander around on the track itself, the chicane into the final straight quiet and peaceful in the evening sun and offering a lovely chance for reflection. It won’t be this quiet and peaceful later today!
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Road to Le Mans Part 4 – A chat with the boss
He’s certainly earning his keep here at Le Mans, going from interview to interview and fielding the same old questions from everyone. Including mine about whether or not they’ll build a Touring version of the M Concept Neue Klasse after the success of the M3. “You’re not the first person to ask me that today!” he laughed.
He had lots of interesting stuff to say about the technology transfer from racing into the road cars, including the roll-out of more sustainable natural fibre in place of the carbon fibre they’ve used previously. This saves 40 per cent in CO2 in the production process while being just as light and strong, even in safety-critical applications like the racing seats in the M4 GT3. It also features in the roof of the M Concept Neue Klasse and is a very visible example of how even performance cars can be built with a nod to environmental issues.
With a car on pole position he’ll be hoping his weekend just gets better from here!
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Road to Le Mans Part 5 – One hour to lift-off
It’s pretty mad to have this much access to the cars and teams just an hour before the race, the mechanics fitting wheels with the clatter of airguns drowning even the cheers and horns in the crowd. I certainly feel privileged to be literally in touching distance of the cars that in less than an hour’s time will be flashing past at the best part of 200mph and the excitement in the pit straight is infectious. It’s also a great endorsement of Le Mans that in walking the length of the grid I’ve passed cars from Corvette, Ford, Ferrari, Aston Martin, Lexus, Mercedes, Cadillac, Toyota Alpine, BMW and Genesis, this the most vibrant entry to the race in years with the racing wide open in all categories.
The BMWs are looking good, though, the number 15 car heading up the grid after taking the Hyperpole and soon to lead the field out onto the track for the first racing laps. Me? I’m trying to stay hydrated and topped up with sunscreen as I pick a prime spot to watch the start.
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Road to Le Mans Part 6 – Who the hell is leading, then?
F1 is easy enough to understand in comparison. The cars all circulate in a gaggle and the one at the front is the leader. But here there are three classes of cars, all going different speeds and now all mixed up in different bits of the track. Throw in the complexities of pit stops and the rest and it all gets very complicated. The speed differential between the Hypercars and the GTs – the more familiar Aston Martins, Ferraris and the rest that look recognisably like their road equivalents – is such that the leaders were lapping them before half an hour was out.
At this stage I’m just enjoying the sunshine, the sights, sounds and smells of the cars and I’ll get a handle on the actual racing once it settles down. One thing I can tell you? If the race were settled on looks and sound the Aston Martin Valkyrie Hypercars have already won. Sadly, the time sheets at the moment suggest they’ve got a mountain to climb if they’re to stand a chance. But the noise of that V12 engine deserves a trophy of its own!
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Road to Le Mans Part 8 – Putting in a night shift
I’d scoped out my spot earlier in the day after pedalling out to the Indianapolis and Arnage corners, this a regular bit of country road between two French villages the rest of the time. Just with race kerbs, catch netting and gravel traps. On a bicycle it’s about a 20-minute ride from the main circuit, the ability to scoot by the traffic a real advantage. And at night really atmospheric ride, the darkness and chirruping grasshoppers strangely restful even if you can hear the roar of race cars through the woods. Shuttle buses also run if this doesn’t appeal.
Out here feels like the real Le Mans, the earth banks by the track packed with people in camping chairs and the cars roaring past just metres away, the adjacent campsites wafting barbecue smoke and pumping music. At night it’s incredible, brake discs glowing red hot as the cars slow for the tight right-hander, blue flames flickering from exhausts as the drivers bang down through the gears and then the engine sound hitting you in the chest as they power off up the next straight.
The only disappointment is how quiet a lot of the cars are now, even the Ford Mustangs relatively muted. Honourable exceptions are the Aston Martins, the Valkyries howling like 90s F1 cars while the Vantages thunder past, exhausts crackling. A shout out to the Cadillacs as well, which are – as I write – going well and giving it the full USA, USA, USA with their unmistakable V8 thunder.
I stayed until 2am but, honestly, could have remained there all night if I didn’t have a long drive back ahead of me. If you ever make it to Le Mans make sure you spend some time in the darkness, though. A truly special experience!
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Road to Le Mans Part 9 – The long road home!
At least I had the guys from the excellent Radio Le Mans to keep me company and keep me up to speed with what was happening in the race, the fact I could picture in my head the events they were describing helping me stay focused after my scant amount of sleep. And it was certainly a thrilling conclusion, with Toyota, BMW and Cadillac all battling for the overall win and separated by mere seconds on the track even after 24 hours of racing. My hosts at the BMW team put a valiant effort in with the #20 M Hybrid V8 but they couldn’t quite catch the leading Toyota and had to settle for second.
Sure, hearing the events unfold on the commentary rather than at the track itself did trigger a bit of FOMO. But was probably a lot more comfortable in my own M V8 Hybrid in the 30-deg heat than the drivers sweating it out to the finish in their race equivalent, the air-con, ventilated seats and banging stereo all perfect company. Also interesting to see how the M5’s geo-fenced self-driving tech automatically adapted to the laws of the different countries I passed through, reflecting the fact some authorities permit more automation than others and the car adjusting the level of autonomous support according to the local laws. Clever stuff.
I’ll stay to the end next time but it was a hell of a trip, and while it’s got a whole lot more corporate and serious the romance of Le Mans is still very much intact and the sight of the those Hypercars scything through the darkness will endure long after the ringing in my ears has faded!
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