Friday 17th October 2003

Marque Club @ Le Mans

Drive to Le Mans. Drive at Le Mans. Watch the Le Mans race - sounds like a top weekend

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The new Marque Club is off to Le Mans in November and they've come up with a pretty unique proposition for petrolheads.

The Marque Club 1000km Tour includes:

• Drive to Le Mans
• Stay in the region’s finest chateau
• Drive at Le Mans (the Bugatti circuit on Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning before the race)
• VIP hospitality while you watch the inaugural 1000km race, which features the key teams hoping to qualify for Les 24 Heures du Mans 2004

The November race will be on a shorter circuit than the June 24 hour race meaning that the cars will pass more often. The competition is expected to be keener over the shorter distance too (1000km versus 3000km in the 24 hour race). The first twelve finishers will automatically qualify for 2004 making those slots very sought after.

For full details and booking form, see www.marqueclub.com or call 01908 263500.
Marque Club Invited Marque/Model list applies. Until 31 December 2003 there is a Founder Membership offer open to a limited number of applicants.

[DustyC]

Saw them at LM this year.
It was quite a few £K to get in and you must have the right car.

Fortunately any TVR is allowed though.
But Elises aren't, wonder why?

I still think LM wouldnt be quite the same without the camping.

[PetrolTed]

I've spoken to Phil James (ex Tuscan racer) who runs this on a number of occasions. The accepted cars are a guideline as to the sort of people they try to attract. It is not a fixed list so if you're an Elise owner who can eat with the right cutlery they'll let you in

[DustyC]

Just looked at the prices and I was going to post them here as an early warning to people but thats unfair. You'll have to look at their website to find out!

(Im just jealous because I cant afford it.
Do you think they would they let me in for free if I prove I knew which cutlery to use? )

[ian d]

like you, can't afford it, but i still think to do le mans you have got to camp, go unwashed, get trashed, fall over, drive with a certain "spirit", then take the car home and wash all the "sh#t" off and fix the bits that broke. not just sit in a car park.

[PetrolTed]

Yes, Le Mans is very much about living in a war zone for several days but there are plenty of people who'd like to watch the race and stay somewhere nice and enjoy good nosh etc.

[johno]

Beware of men who wear funny shoes ...... and this guy wore the most outrageous winkle picking cowboy boots I have ever seen ... whilst driving his Cerberra ...

He was in our train carriage back form Le Mans this year. Nice enough bloke etc etc but the shoes ...

I think the real giveaway was tat conversation from our convoy was limited to the odd grunt and ackowledgement from the another whereas he and his mate were quite obviously clean as a whistle and full of banter .... definitely hadn't been on a campsite all weekend

[ian d]

please don't get me wrong, i love a la carte gastronome, 1855 classification wines, good company and raconteurs but the £££ is beyond me.

so i just roll about in the dirt like all the others and am happy with my lot.

[hansgerd]

Is that foam nine or cloud nine ?

[DustyC]

PetrolTed said:

Yes, Le Mans is very much about living in a war zone for several days.

The most perfect one line description of the LM experience yet! It even has the noise of a war zone!
(No disrespect to people that have been in a real warzone).

mungo said:

90% of the Le Mans experience is the camping and camp site shenanigans

Camping shite more like

[liszt]

I think they are missing the point aren't they? The thing I like about going to Le Mans is that it doesn't matter who you are or what you drive. You can wander around the campsites, and if you spot something interesting you go over have a chat and are normally offered a beer and what ever is left on the BBQ. And if people wander into your camp you have a chat and offer a beer.

There is no elitism and you get Cortina owners mixing it with Bently and Buggati owners. This is just going some to55er to go there and miss the fun and so the point entirely!

3 days of sweat, beer, suntan lotion, too much red meat and a field full of dust is a great social leveler.

[DustyC]

I understand the marque park entirely and if I owned a Mac F1 or some thing as prestigious (or very old) then I would join them. They get secure parking and are very well looked after.

I would still camp with you lot though!

Infact I think Id leave the superexpensive car at home and enjoy the whole LM experience a lot more.

Looking at the Marque Club website though it looks like they have some other good events.
I doubt I'll ever be able to afford any of them though!

[Don]

I completely understand why people would go on a tour like the one that the Marque Club provide. It means you are pleasantly insulated the whole time...and I've done tours like that with my favourite Wine Merchant around wine regions. Its the same thing just with cars in this case.

Myself I'd go with the PCGB or TVRCC for the actual race day and organise the drive down/hotels meself for me and a few mates...

And this year its what I intend to do...for the first time as I have never been...so chaps - I'm going to need advice!

[DustyC]

Don, you are probably already too late to book a hotel so you had better start looking for a comfy camp bed now!

[Don]

DustyC said:

Don, you are probably already too late to book a hotel so you had better start looking for a comfy camp bed now!

I had a suspicion that might be the case!

Actually the PCGB (who I would probably go with) are planning something at the circuit and I'll probably hook up with that. As to hotel? Well...

Do you think it'd be possible to turn up for raceday/night...stay at the circuit the whole while - basically not worry too much about kip as I believe this to be impossible anyway...

Then after the race drive a reasonable distance to a hotel to clean up etc.

Things I know that are wrong with the plan is how long it takes to get out....my mates who've been advise on having a kip while people try to get out and leave much later on...

How does that sound...

[DustyC]

The campsites really are good.
One year, a few tents down from us, an F40 owner was using their rear spoiler as a towel rail!

Even the extreme Ferrari can become a car built for camping!

>> Edited by DustyC on Friday 17th October 17:49

[Liszt]

That's the point I am making. You don't really need to hide your supercar away. There are loads parked all over the shop.

[chrisgr31]

Don said:

Do you think it'd be possible to turn up for raceday/night...stay at the circuit the whole while - basically not worry too much about kip as I believe this to be impossible anyway... Then after the race drive a reasonable distance to a hotel to clean up etc.

It is! Last year we left after the race and drove to Evreux where we stayed. The other half was suprised that we happened to arrive just in time to catch the Canadian Grand Prix on telly. Not sure why she should have been suprised!

[tony_996hasgone]

Don said:

Do you think it'd be possible to turn up for raceday/night...stay at the circuit the whole while - basically not worry too much about kip as I believe this to be impossible anyway...

.... turning up on raceday means you've missed Thursday and more importantly Friday, which are highly recommended in order to get the full Le Mans experience.

Kip is quite feasible whilst the race is going on as long as you've drunk enough.