The most spectacular liveries of the 2019 24 Hours of Le Mans

The racing cars wear their finest colours for the race of all races: the 24 Hours of Le Mans

Many of us have embraced the philosophy of life of a mythical figure in both cinema and motor racing, Steve McQueen, who said that “Racing is life. Anything before or after is just waiting.” Indeed, we are legion who believe that between one edition and the next of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, there is only waiting time.

And for 2019 that wait is over, since this is the week of the most anticipated race of the year and, in the days before, they offer us teasers that only manage to raise the hype until the start ceremony of the endurance race par excellence begins.

From the car scrutineering, the free practice sessions and the various qualifying sessions, not forgetting the drivers parade through the streets of Le Mans, these are moments to enjoy, remember and highlight the best liveries of the cars that will battle, at the very least, to finish 24 hours of racing around the circuit located in La Sarthe, because once the race is over, “their skin” will show, at the very least, scars and battle marks.

That is why, now that, with the war paint almost intact, except in cases such as the contact with Ford GT car number 66 with Oliver Pla in its cockpit, or as brutal as the accident of the Porsche number 99 car of the Dempsey-Proton Racing team at the controls of the unusual Tracy Krohn, who gives his name to and always adds a splash of colour to his cars, and, even more surprisingly, the Toyota number 7, one of the two clear favourites for victory which, in the hands of Mike Conway, deserves a mention for the most beautiful cars that will put their four wheels on French tarmac.

The best liveries of the LMP1 and LMP2 cars at Le Mans 2019

With a category almost devoid of official manufacturers, only Toyota maintains its programme in the LMP1 class. Even so, the 24 Hours of Le Mans is much more than a full day of driving, and events on track can lead to almost unexpected situations, so none of the contenders for victory, in any category, can rest on their laurels in theory.

Toyota TS050 – Hybrid

With a cool head, our bet for victory, worth about as much as a strawberry chewing gum, is on one of the two units of the Toyota TS050 – Hybrid from the Toyota Gazoo Racing team. That said, the 24 Hours of Le Mans will be won by whoever crosses the finish line first on Sunday at 15:00. Obvious, but not so predictable.

Even so, the two official Toyota cars at Le Mans display one of the most sober, elegant yet at the same time most powerful liveries in the queen category.

Rebellion Racing – Rebellion R13 Gibson

Meanwhile, the two Rebellion Racing cars, although different, could receive opposite adjectives: eye-catching, cheerful and equally powerful.

Dragonspeed – BR Engineering RB1 – Gibson

As always, the Gulf colour combination suits well. We have seen few cases where a race car looks bad in blue and orange when they dress its bodywork, as is the case with the Dragonspeed car.

The best liveries of the LM GTE Pro and LM GTE Am cars at Le Mans 2019

Without wishing to belittle the others, the colour combinations within the two priority groups give way to the always spectacular GT category. The LM GTE Pro cars of the leading drivers and the LM GTE Am cars of the more modest teams, where the direct or indirect presence of brands gives rise to commemorative or exclusive liveries for the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Such is the case of Ford and Porsche which, through their associated teams run by Chip Ganassi Team USA for the Americans of the Ford GT, and also the American Core Autosport or the German Manthey Racing, field the 911 RSR cars showing a unique livery for this year, while other brands such as Chevrolet, Aston Martin or BMW keep their usual colours in endurance racing.

Ford – Ford GT

As we indicated, the four Ford GT cars each wear an identifying and commemorative image, now that the brand has made official its farewell, at least temporary, from Le Mans.

The #66 replicates the Ford GT40 of Bruce McLaren and Chris Amon from 1966, the number 67 evokes the Ford GT40 of Dan Gurney and A.J. Foyt, while number 68 is based on the car that in 2016 won on the marque’s return to the event with Dirk Müller, Joey Hand and Sébastien Bourdais. The only Ford car that does not wear a winner’s livery is the #69, which takes the livery of the Ford GT that in 1966 finished second in the race.

Porsche – Porsche 911 RSR

Porsche has been providing us with cars with commemorative liveries, and not only in its commercial products, such as the seven options of the fascinating new Porsche 935, but also, for example, at Le Mans, the wider and more powerful Porsche 911 RSR will display golden tones on the cars with numbers 91 and 92, showing the colour of the coveted metal that represents glory, as happened in 2018 when Porsche won the manufacturers’ championship in the GT category.

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In addition, the other two official Porsche cars at Le Mans will take the colours of the defunct Brumos Racing team for the cars with numbers 93 and 94, run by Core Autosport, as a tribute to a team that represented and still represents Porsche for almost five decades, since Brumos remains linked to Porsche in the USA as an official distributor, though under the name Porsche Jacksonville.

Chevrolet – Chevrolet Corvette C7.R

We cannot and do not want to forget the team of the Spaniard Antonio García, the decorated Madrid-born driver returns once again to a circuit where he has experienced every kind of sensation: from the glory of victory to the frustration of retirement.

In a year of farewell to the production Chevrolet Corvette C7, its most radical version, the Corvette C7.R displays its usual livery, no less beautiful and distinctive for that than others. A bodywork bathed in Racing Yellow that clashes with the yellow with greenish tones that, both in its road and racing versions, the Aston Martin Vantage presents.

Aston Martin – Aston Martin Vantage AMR

After years showing Gulf or Racing Green colours, the new Aston Martin Vantage AMR wear the colours that suit its road cars so well and enhance them to the maximum, thanks to a bodywork that widens with the track width and extends incisively through the front and rear spoilers and diffusers.

BMW – BMW M8 GTE

The new flagship of BMW arrives at Le Mans, in its second year in competition, the BMW M8 GTE hopes to stand out on track since, outside, since its presentation in 2018 it has worn the usual colour combination characteristic of the Motorsport department of BMW, better known by the single letter M, and the white background. A look that always suits well, which is why it deserves a mention.

Technical specifications of the cars in this article

CoupePorsche 91119 versions · from 157,835 €

RoadsterAston Martin Vantage4 versions · from 200,000 €