The endurance race known as the 24 Hours of Le Mans, or 24 Heures du Mans, got its start in France 1923 and is celebrating its centennial this year. Following are some interesting facts about the event with a focus on Porsche’s involvement in the historic competition.
The race, which is held at the Circuit de la Sarthe in Le Mans, takes place over the course of 24 hours. Professional racing teams rotate three drivers during the event, none of whom can be behind the wheel for longer than 14 hours, according to Car and Driver. The race typically occurs in June towards the summer solstice when the days are the longest.
The course is 13.629 kilometers-long (approximately 8.5 miles) and initially took place on local roads. It now consists of a public road and racetrack combined. Racers still drive on the original Mulsanne straight, which is 3.7-miles long. Today’s participants usually drive more than 5,000 kilometers.
The first year that a Porsche 911 entered the race (1966), Jacques Dewes and Jean Kerguen won the two-liter GT class, driving a 911 S, according to the automaker. Two decades later, the fastest average lap speed was recorded at 251.815 km/h. It was set by Hans-Joachim Stuck in a factory Porsche 962 C in 1985. Why hasn’t his lap time been beaten nearly 40 years later? Chicanes were added to the course, resulting in reduced speeds.
A variety of automakers have dominated the field throughout the years. This includes Bentley and Alfa Romeo in the 1930s, Jaguar and Ferrari in the 1950s and 1960s, and Porsche in the 1980s. The German car manufacturer took home seven consecutive wins from 1981 to 1987. In 1983, a banner year for the automaker, the Porsche 956 held nine of the top 10 places in overall rankings. This feat had never occurred up until that point and has not yet been repeated, according to Porsche Oklahoma City.

One of the legendary sections of the race is known as the Porsche Curves. This area is considered by many to be the most difficult to traverse. Drivers blow through this part of the track at staggering speeds as they navigate right and left. “It requires bravery, confidence and trust to really keep the speeds up through the Porsche Curves,” according to Car Throttle.
Actor Steve McQueen never raced in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, but he made a 1971 film about it and drove a Porsche 917K. This model was also used in races such as the Nürburgring 1000 km and the Targa Florio, according to Hot Cars. While most footage for the movie was reenacted, some of it included actual racing. In 2017, the 917K featured in McQueen’s film sold for a whopping $14 million, making it the most expensive Porsche ever sold. Even today, no Porsche has eclipsed its price point.
In 2022, Gianmaria Bruni from Italy, Richard Lietz from Austria, and Frédéric Makowiecki from France drove the No. 91 Porsche 911 RSR to victory in the GTE-Pro class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The team completed more than 350 laps and set a new distance record for GTE vehicles at 4,769 kilometers.
Since the race’s inception 100 years ago, 828 Porsches have hit the track, more than any other automaker.
