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Le Mans 24 Hours gallery

It was a weekend of thrills and spills at the Le Mans 24 Hours and Auto Express was there to soak up the atmosphere.

June 2011

With over 50 cars on the grid, plenty of high-speed crashes and a winning margin of just 13 seconds, the 24 Heures Du Mans 2011 was one of the best yet. 

Audi eventually came out on top – despite two of its cars crashing out – to take a 10th victory in the famous endurance race. Take a look at our picture round-up of the weekend below or read a full race report here. 

 
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The start   Dunlop esses   Audi e-tron Spyder   Peugeot 3008 HYbrid4
1. The start

And their off! A packed grid begins the 24 hour slog with the Audis leading at the front, followed by the Peugeots.



  
2. Dunlop esses

Peugeot's 908s take on the famous Dunlop esses as they work hard to hunt down the Audis.



  
3. Audi e-tron Spyder

As well as their diesel R18 racer, Audi showcased this diesel-electric e-tron in an alternative fuel procession which also featured the Nissan LEAF RC Nismo race-car. 



  
4. Peugeot 3008 HYbrid4

Peugeot were keen to show off their hybrid technology with the 3008 HYbrid4, a diesel-electric model with 200bhp and CO2 emissions under 100g/km.
 
Audi R8 GT Spyder   Audi Clubsport quattro   Ferrari 458 pit-stop   Aston's Gulf-buggies
5. Audi R8 GT Spyder

The R8 GT Spyder made its debut on the Audi stand. The matt grey paint job and 552bhp 5.2-litre V10 ensured it got plenty of attention.



  
6. Audi Clubsport quattro

This hot A1 concept gets the same turbocharged 2.5-litre engine from the TT RS, tuned to develop 496bhp. Acceleration from 0-62mph takes just 3.7 seconds.



  
7. Ferrari 458 pit-stop

A 458 pulls in for re-fuelling, new tyres and a thorough windscreen wash. Pit-stops were happening around every 10 laps. 



  
8. Aston's Gulf-buggies

It's a long way around the 8.4-mile circuit so Aston Martin supplied these Gulf-liveried golf-buggies for their VIPs.
 
Getting a good view...   The crowds...   Audi's winning R18 TDI   Celebrations begin...
9. Getting a good view...

Thick crowds made it hard to get a glimpse of the action but Deputy Motoring Editor, Jack Rix found a solution.



  
10. The crowds...

Even as night fell the crowds showed no signs of thinning out. This is the view we got crossing the famous Dunlop bridge. 



  
11. Audi's winning R18 TDI

The 900kgs carbon-fibre racer is powered by a 3.7-litre V6 turbodiesel which produces around 575bhp. 



  
12. Celebrations begin...

The Audi team celebrate their win in the pit-lane just before the crowds rushed the home-straight for the podium ceremony.
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