Racetrack and car museum
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Race tracks

Stretching south from the outskirts of the city is the car racing circuit (daily 9am–5pm; free), where the world-renowned 24 Heures du Mans car race takes place each year in mid-June, continuing the city's associations with automobiles, begun when local bell-founder Amadée Bollée built his first steam-driven car back in 1873. Le Mans still has a huge Renault factory operating in its southwest suburbs.

The first big race at Le Mans was the Grand Prix de l'Automobile Club de l'Ouest in 1906, initiated by the newly formed automobile club. Two years later Wilbur Wright took off in his prototype aeroplane, alongside what is now the fastest stretch of the racetrack, remaining in the air for a record-breaking 1 hour and 31.5 minutes. The year 1923 saw the first 24-hour car race, run on the present 13.5-kilometre circuit. The distance covered is now over 5000km, with average speeds in excess of 220kph. Entrance to the 24 Heures (www.lemans.org) is fairly pricey at around €30 and up, but practice sessions held throughout the year and the Le Mans Classic in September are much cheaper. The simplest way to get a taste of the track is just to take the main road south of the city towards Tours, which follows the famous Mulsanne straight for a few hundred metres.

The Musée de l'Automobile (June–Sept daily 10am–7pm; Oct–Dec & March–May daily 10am–6pm; €6) is on the edge of the Bugatti and 24-hour circuits. It documents the early history of car racing, automobile anatomy and automated assembly. The display includes a superb collection of 150 cars from as far back as 1885 to recent winners, with all the big names represented and in working order. The visit ends with audiovisual displays examining the world of car racing, including a simulated high-speed track.