Video: Incredible high-speed onboard at Le Mans in a Porsche 956

17th October 2023

Simon Ostler

What an experience it must have been to be a spectator at the Le Mans 24 Hours during the 1980s, particularly as we see it here, for the 1984 running of the world’s greatest motor race. The sun was shining, and the circuit was packed with a field of spectacular Group C racing cars.

The circuit itself was on another level back in the ‘80s. The Mulsanne Straight was still in its original and uninterrupted 3.7-mile form and the Dunlop Curve was perilously high speed through a corridor of fans.

And here we get to ride onboard for one spellbinding lap with Richard Lloyd at the wheel of his Canon Porsche 956, one of several entered into the race that year. The 956 was a truly dominant force in endurance racing during this period, and here we can enjoy Lloyd’s efforts to mix it with his Porsche rivals.

You get a true sense here of how incredible the Mulsanne Straight must have been to race on. The speeds are astonishing, and yet there is so much room for variation, as we first fly by one car on the left, only for another 956 to come steaming past just before the Kink.

We can even hear Lloyd’s comment that the “brakes are appalling” as he tries to get the car stopped for Mulsanne Corner. It’s then a case of enjoying the ride as he threads his way through Indianapolis, Arnage and the Porsche Curves. And enjoy it we will, many times over.

Welcome to Goodwood Elevenses, a helping of motoring-related amusement to help break up your day. Watch the last video: Edwardian fire‑spitters on the road is pure insanity

Image courtesy of Motorsport Images.