On June 16 and 17, 2012, the Automobile Club de l'Ouest will celebrate the 80th edition of its 24 Hours of Le Mans, the biggest endurance race in the world. A global event that attracts the world's largest manufacturers. Audi, Toyota, General Motors, Porsche, Ferrari, Aston Martin, Honda, Nissan are all present with the same goal: victory.

And in this period of change, the ACO is proud to see all these manufacturers making great efforts to promote new energies. 2012 is placed under the sign of the Audi-Toyota duel with one thing in common: a hybrid engine, capable of save energy by recovering part of that stored during each braking to restore it on each acceleration. A new, daring concept which could find its application tomorrow in the car of Mr. Everyone. And what about this astonishing DeltaWing project which will put on track a machine with half-car, half-rocket shapes? A first supported by Michelin and Nissan which could surprise the world of motorsport. The notoriety of the 24 Hours of Le Mans is now reaching the whole world with competitors coming from France of course, but also from all over Europe, the United States, Japan but also Venezuela, China and Brazil. This is why the event is the cornerstone of the new FIA World Endurance Championship. Since 1978, the annual of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, through the same editorial team, has proposed to revive through text but above all through images the race but also its preparations and the fever that seizes the Prefecture of La Sarthe throughout the week before departure. Each car and their drivers are presented there. From the preliminary practice to the explosion of joy following the checkered flag, through the weigh-in, the pilots' parade and above all the highlights of each hour, nothing is missing. For the more passionate, a technical chapter with tables and statistics completes the set. And by calling on renowned photographers, the atmosphere which is constantly changing between late afternoon, night and sunrise in a setting different from that of a traditional circuit is perfectly reproduced. This official annual is therefore an essential book for those who want to keep track of one of today's biggest annual sporting events.