The 24 Hours of Le Mans is referred to by many as the world’s greatest motor race. Indeed, some car manufacturers take it on independent of any championship, just for the honour of winning. It’s also unique by comparison with, say, the Monaco Grand Prix or Indy 500 for its inextricable link with road cars. For decades, this was the arena where you proved your ability to produce a high-performing and reliable car. As such, many marques have paid tribute to the race, be that in the form of a special edition or an entire car dedicated to it.

Aston Martin DBS Superleggera 59

The latest is perhaps one of the coolest. Special editions such as the DBS 59 are always at risk of being a bit half-hearted, but the devil is in the details. This is a gorgeous tribute to Aston’s 1959 triumph at Le Mans, and its subsequent World Sports Car title.

Aston Martin Vantage V600 Le Mans

The DBS 59 isn’t the first Aston to celebrate the 1959 win, though. The 1999 Vantage V600 Le Mans marked 40 years since the event. With Koni suspension, DBR1-style side vents, Dymag lightweight wheels and a map from the car’s Newport Pagnell birthplace to the Le Mans circuit included, just 40 were made.

McLaren F1 LM

The LM was a final iteration of the incredible McLaren F1. Five were built, to honour the five finishing cars in the 1995 race, which came in first, third, fourth, fifth and 13th. To this day, the F1 is the last road-based car to win outright at Le Mans.

McLaren 650S Le Mans

The McLaren 650S Le Mans was built to celebrate 20 years since McLaren’s shock 1995 win with the F1 GTR. The special 650S wears five-spoke lightweight wheels similar to the GTR, plus an F1-style roof scoop.

Ford Focus RS Le Mans

The Focus RS Le Mans is a curious beast. The warbling five-cylinder hot hatch was decked out in classic racing liveries as a tribute to the marque’s Le Mans heritage in 2010. Inspiration came from the Ford GT40 (obviously) and, of all things, the Capri. The latter won the Touring category at the race in 1972.

Jaguar XJS Le Mans

Jaguar’s 1-2-3 triumph at Le Mans in 1988, as well as its victory in 1990, was commemorated by the marque with a special edition XJS. The XJS Le Mans V12 added special badging, extra leather trim, lattice alloy wheels and a ‘growler’ on the bonnet. Although it feels like a bit of a ‘badge job’, it remains a rare beast. Just 280 were made.

Mazda MX-5 Le Mans 24

The MX-5 Le Mans 24 really wears its pride on its sleeve. After the rotary-powered 787B of Johnny Herbert won the LM24 in 1991, Mazda celebrated with a run of 24 MX-5s in the same Renown livery and with a BBR Turbo kit. Mazda’s victory was made all the more special because it was the first Japanese marque to win Le Mans.

Porsche 924S Le Mans

The 924S Le Mans isn’t a commemorative model, although Porsche had its fair share of victories to celebrate. Instead, it’s a limited-run special with high specification parts. As a result of its rarity and desirable spec, it’s a highly sought-after variant of the 924 today. Just 100 were brought to the UK.

Bentley Le Mans Editions

In 2013, Bentley decided to celebrate its six Le Mans victories with six Le Mans Edition specifications for its range. Back then, this included the Continental GT, Flying Spur and Mulsanne. Tasteful specifications with ‘Le Mans Edition’ badging and embroidery are a nice nod to the marque’s heritage.

Bentley Mulsanne

The car named after a straight, kink and corner complex on the track surely deserves a mention?

Bentley Arnage

As does the car named after a famous corner. Bentley really knows how to mine its Le Mans heritage.

Ford GT Heritage Editions

The Ford GT40 and GT are famously linked to Le Mans. After winning the GTE category at the race in 2016, special liveried versions of the GT road car were introduced, commemorating original winners in original colours. The racers taking to La Sarthe this year will be similarly decked-out.

Audi A6 Le Mans

Clearly, Audi didn’t want to go too overboard with its Le Mans victory celebrations. The Le Mans Edition of 2006 is, at first glance, just another A6. Available in both saloon and Avant (estate) body styles, the 1,000 cars came with different colours, wheels borrowed from the RS4 and a luxury pack.

Audi R8

Audi’s flagship is neither limited, nor named after Le Mans (unlike the concept that previewed it). It was the halo model built to celebrate the marque’s success at La Sarthe, though. It was named after the R8 racer, after all. And now, after has Audi abandoned its top-level LMP racing programme, the R8 is rumoured to be on the way out.

Peugeot 207 Le Mans

The Le Mans Edition Peugeot 207 was announced just as the marque took the top three qualifying spots at the 2008 race. The spec was available across most 207s, including the 175hp variant. Sporty styling in shadow chrome and body colour, plus a racing stripe, mark out each of the 2,000 examples built.

Paul Stephens Le Mans Classic Clubsport

Think ‘Singer scaled down’, as a tribute to the biennial Le Mans Classic event. There will be just 10 examples of this officially licenced special, built by Paul Stephens Autoart. The Le Mans Classic Clubsport offers a blend of classic 911 style with contemporary performance.

Porsche 911 British Legends Edition

This selection of 911 Carrera 4 GTS models celebrated British drivers who took Porsches to Le Mans victory. The Richard Attwood car is resplendent in red-striped Salzburg livery. The Derek Bell 911 wears iconic Rothmans colours. And finally, Nick Tandy’s car is white with black and red highlights.

Chevrolet Corvette C5 24 Hours of Le Mans Commemorative Edition

The Corvette, legend as it has become at Le Mans over the past 20 years, commemorated the famous 24hr race in 2004 during the twilight hours of the C5 generation car. A splash of Le Mans Blue Metallic on the bodywork, plenty of badging and if you were in a Z06, a carbon hood with standard striping, completed the package.

Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR

These last few are fun. Meet the homologation cars, specifically built so that the racers could be allowed to compete. First-up, here’s the Mercedes CLK GTR.

Porsche 911 GT1

The second (although it’s the car that came first), is the Porsche 911 GT1. The road car was named the ‘Strassenversion’. It was partly a reaction to McLaren’s 1995 victory with the F1, which proved there was Le Mans-winning potential in road cars.

Toyota GT One

And finally, the least roadworthy racer of all. There are only two GT Ones, one of which is still owned by Toyota. Technically, they’re road cars, but just look at it. It’s a racer through and through. This, like the CLK and 911, isn’t a celebration or special edition; it’s a car born out of Le Mans racing necessity.

OK, cards on the table, that’s a very ‘clickbait’ headline. Apologies in advance, especially if you’re completely aware of the ‘secret’ car features we’re about to reveal. The thing is, ‘Some clever and quite interesting car features your friends might not know about’ was a headline my editor refused to entertain.

If nothing else, you can use a couple of these to ‘wow’ your colleagues at the water cooler.

The little arrow on the fuel gauge

We’ve all been there: arriving at a petrol pump in a moment of mild panic when you forget what side the fuel filler is on FOR THE UMPTEENTH TIME.

Help is at hand thanks to that little arrow that tells you precisely where to find the filler cap. Proof that even in this age of adaptive cruise control, autonomous braking and driverless cars, a humble arrow can make all the difference.

Jim Moylan is credited for inventing the little arrow, although the Mercedes-Benz W123 featured something very similar.

Curry hook

Nissan claims to have invented the in-car ‘curry hook’ when it debuted on the Almera in 1996. It was designed for carrying handbags or shopping bags, but it soon became a must-have accessory for takeaway lovers.

Today, you’ll find a ‘curry hook’ in the Qashqai and X-Trail, but look out for similar hooks in other vehicles. More often than not, you’ll find at least one pop-out hook in the boot.

Dipping rear-view mirror

We thought this one was obvious, but we know of at least one person who was unaware that it’s possible to tilt the rear-view mirror to reduce headlight glare. Simply use the tab below the mirror to switch between ‘day’ and ‘night’ settings.

Automatic dimming rear-view mirrors are becoming commonplace, while rear-view mirrors of the future are likely to use cameras.

Parking ticket holder

If you enjoy the feeling of euphoria if you manage to place a car park ticket on the dashboard and then close the door without it blowing away, the humble plastic holder might not be for you.

The parking ticket holder has been sitting on the inside of Skoda windscreens for years. More useful than an electrically-operated driver’s seat, we reckon.

Colour-coding under the bonnet

Too many motorists are blissfully unaware of what lies below the bonnet, only venturing beneath the ‘hood’ to fill the washer fluid bottle.

Helpfully, many modern engine bays feature colour-coded guides to highlight the fluids and levels that could and should be checked between services. They tend to be yellow or blue, and they make it easier to locate the engine dipstick, oil cap, coolant, brake fluid and washer fluid.

Ice scraper

Open the fuel filler cap on a modern Skoda and you’ll find an ice scraper that doubles up as a tyre tread-depth gauge.

On the new Scala, you’ll even find that the cap for the washer fluid folds out to become a funnel.

Umbrella

Speaking of the new Scala, it also gets a compartment in the driver’s door complete with a free umbrella. Proof that you don’t need a Rolls-Royce to live the rain-dodging dream.

Alternatively, you could opt for a Japanenese-spec Nissan N13/N14 Pulsar to get an aptly-named ‘Umbrella Pocket’.

Japanese-specification Nissan N13/N14 Pulsar models (and derivatives) could be optioned with an Umbrella Pocket, but not the 4-door models (for obvious reasons). pic.twitter.com/kerHHXvVaS

— Hirst (@garagehirst) 28 March 2019

Spiders and sharks

Not all ‘hidden’ features are useful. Some manufacturers like to add so-called ‘Easter eggs’ to their cars – little treats that are akin to wearing brightly-coloured socks with an otherwise sombre suit.

Since 2004, Vauxhall and Opel have been adding small sharks to their interiors, and today they can be found in the likes of the Adam, Corsa, Astra, Insignia, Crossland X and Grandland X.

It all started when Opel designer Dietmar Finger was working on a sketch for the outer panel of the glovebox. It requires ‘ribs’ to maintain stability when the glovebox is opened, so Dietmar’s son suggested drawing a shark. Amazingly, the shark made into series production.

Other examples include a spider’s web on the inside of a storage lid in the Volvo XC90 and countless ‘Easter eggs’ in the Jeep Renegade.

Fancy puddle lights

How long before the fancy puddle light becomes as naff as a pair of Lexus-style rear lamps? We give it a few weeks.

In the meantime, they remain kind of cool and guaranteed to impress your mates. Probably.

Hidden storage

One of the joys of owning an MPV is discovering the seemingly endless array of hidden storage compartments and pockets. In the Seat Alhambra, you’ll find a pair of covered storage compartments in the second-row floor.

In other cars, you find might storage boxes under the front seats, on the top of the dashboard, in the roof and inside the boot. In fact, the one advantage of the absence of a spare wheel is the additional underfloor storage space.

The first Aston Martin DBX SUVs are now rolling off the line in a brand new factory in St Athan, Wales, ahead of the new super-SUV’s launch later in 2019.

Full production will begin in the first half of 2020 – by which time, around 750 new jobs will have been created within the plant, plus a further 3,000 more in the local area.

The investment in the region is being seen as a vote of confidence for South Wales, following Ford’s planned closure of its Bridgend engine plant, located less than 15 miles away, in September 2020.

The Aston factory has been created from three former Ministry of Defence aircraft ‘super hangers’. Aston Martin acquired the giant 90-acre site in 2016 and has been working to transform it ever since.

To mark the start of pilot production, the firm has revealed a new camouflage livery for its DBX prototype vehicles – one suitably Welsh-themed and carrying the hashtag #OGymru, or O Wales: it references the song expressing one man’s love for Wales.

Keen spotters will also notice it gives us our clearest hint yet at the shape of the new Aston Martin super-SUV…

Aston Martin Lagonda President and Group CEO, Andy Palmer said: “This is an exciting time for Aston Martin Lagonda. Our second luxury manufacturing facility is now producing cars and is ready to go into full production in H1 2020.

“Our facilities and manufacturing teams, led by VP and Chief Manufacturing Operations Officer Keith Stanton have done an outstanding job in getting the factory ready almost a year before full production starts, on time and on budget.“

Aston Martin St Athan will also be the home of electric Aston Martins, and will also build the new Lagonda luxury electric car range.

Technicians at North American BMW and Mini dealerships will now have access to futuristic smart glasses to help with complex maintenance and repair work.

BMW of North America has announced that it will roll out the augmented reality glasses, alongside an updated online technical information library.

Both of these enhancements are aimed at making it easier for BMW and Mini technicians to access complex data, and ultimately improve customer service.

The world at your fingertips

The Technical Information System (TIS) 2.0 is BMW’s multimedia database for storing all the information technicians may need when working on a car.

BMW of North America took feedback from workshop technicians as to what information they needed most, and how they wanted to access. Instead of having to use a desktop computer, technicians will now have data at their fingertips by using mobile devices.

This is intended to make service procedures quicker, helping drivers get back behind the wheel sooner.

All-seeing eye

Along with the new information system, BMW has also introduced an improved Technical Support & Research Assistant (TSARA). TSARA is intended to be used for providing extra help on resolving more complicated maintenance problems.

The TSARAvision smart glasses will let technicians in the field share live video footage with BMW engineering experts, allowing them to offer advice and guidance.

Experts can then project step-by-step guides to appear in front of the technician, letting them work through the process without even having to move away from the vehicle.

At present, BMW technicians need to take digital photographs to then send via email to ask experts for help, or have complex procedures explained to them over the phone.

Looking into the future

Claus Eberhart, Vice President, Aftersales, BMW of North America commented that “vehicle technology is becoming more complex” meaning the need to give technicians the “best possible systems and tools with which to work” is vitally important.

BMW’s launch of the high-tech smart glasses follows a similar decision taken by Porsche. In 2018, Porsche began the introduction of the similar Tech Look Live system to dealerships across North America.

All 347 BMW Centers in the United States, plus selected Mini dealerships, will get access to the new systems by the end of June 2019.

Microsoft’s Forza Horizon 4 already has a larger than life approach to the racing game concept, and a new expansion pack seems set to make this continue.

Announced at the Electronic Entertainment Expo 2019 (E3 2019) in Los Angeles, the Lego Speed Champions add-on brings a host of Lego-themed extras to the game.

Whilst the concept may certainly upset some seasoned gamers, it is impossible to fault Forza developers Playground Games intention to inject more fun into the format.

Everything is awesome!

The Lego brand itself has managed to curate interest from car enthusiasts with the Speed Champions series of products.

This has included building life-sized Lego replicas of hypercars such as the Bugatti Chiron and McLaren Senna, along with a range of smaller brick-based recreations of other cars.

In the Horizon 4 expansion, gamers will get the opportunity to drive Lego versions of the Ferrari F40 Competizione, 1967 Mini Cooper S, and the aforementioned McLaren Senna.

Players will be able to pit these Lego creations against the extensive roster of regular real-world cars found within Forza Horizon 4.

All of this can be done in a brand-new Lego environment within the game, which features a city, airport, and a dedicated speedway oval all created from Lego bricks.

Those who have seen the Lego Movie may also have an advantage when racing in the ‘Super Awesome Adventure Stunt Park’, or when taking part in Destruction challenges.

“Pick up the pieces, and build a Lego house”

Also included in the Lego Speed Champions add-on are a series of special challenges developed to test your racing ability and exploring skills.

With an entire Lego-filled valley to investigate, those who travel across every dimpled section of the terrain will be rewarded for completing the Lego Brick Challenge campaign.

This will unlock a special Lego Master Builder’s house when finished, offering somewhere to store your accumulated collection of Lego cars.

Set to be released this week on Thursday, June 13th, Microsoft has announced that Lego Speed Champions expansion will cost £15.99 ($19.99) to purchase.

This places it in line with previous downloadable content offered as part of the Forza Horizon series. Forza Horizon 3 gained a similarly priced Hot Wheels expansion package, whilst Horizon 4 added the Fortune Island pack in late 2018.

Whatever the price, buying the Lego Speed Champions content will certainly be less painful than the experience of stepping on a Lego brick with bare feet.