What’s on your car that was developed in endurance racing?
You probably don’t know this but every single one of us who drives on the roads today is running a little bit of Le Mans technology.
From windscreen wipers to disc brakes, from engine management systems to hybrid powertrain technology: some of the benefits of the fast-paced technical laboratory that is endurance racing has been developed at Le Mans and transferred to the cars we drive.
Windscreen wipers are largely thought to have been influenced by endurance racing in the pioneering days of the Le Mans 24 Hours and other legendary races. The changing weather conditions at the circuits of the world saw manufacturers use race cars as test beds for whatever the conditions.
Reliable and efficient disc brakes were tried and tested by racing in the immediate post-war period and are now an intrinsic part of the automobile. The technology was first seen at Le Mans in 1953 and has since been developed by manufacturers and automotive specialists alike.
The battery-engineered powertrains which have won the last three Le Mans 24 Hours with Porsche are now common place in the company’s Panamera S E-Hybrid and Cayenne S E-hybrid road cars, and LED headlights are now widely seen in racing after first being tried at Le Mans.
