Circuit de la Sarthe

The Circuit de la Sarthe is a real world circuit in Gran Turismo 4, Gran Turismo (PSP), Gran Turismo 5 and Gran Turismo 6. It is an exact replica of the Circuit Le Mans in France, the home of the 24 Heures du Mans motor race.

The circuit is available in 5 layouts/variants, with the 2013 variant featured in GT6.

The circuit is based on a closed section of the track just south of the town of Le Mans in northern France.

Circuit I
Circuit de la Sarthe I is a recreation of the Le Mans Circuit from between 2002 and 2005. The 13.88 km course featured, among its 21 corners, the newly added L'Arche Chicane and Le Florandiere Chicane on the Mulsanne Straight. These chicanes were designed to slow the cars from the 400 km/h+ speeds that were acheived on the old straight section. It also features a slightly modified infield section and flattened Mulsanne Kink at the third section of the mulsanne where Peter Dumbreck, among Mark Webber on the same weekend, managed to flip his Mercedes CLR on the bumpy track. it has appeared in a Demo in the Tokyo Game Show 2010.

The Circuit appears in:

In GT4

 * Circuit de la Sarthe 24h I
 * Pan-Euro Championship
 * Tous France Championnat
 * Gran Turismo All Stars
 * Polyphony Digital Cup
 * Formula Gran Turismo World Championship
 * World Circuit Tours
 * Saleen S7 Club
 * Gran Turismo World Championship

Circuit II
Circuit de la Sarthe II is a replica of the Le Mans Circuit from 2002-2005 but without the chicanes on the mulsanne straight as. The 13.53 km circuit features a flat-out 6 km section commonly known as the 'Mulsanne Straight' (Ligne Droite des Hunaudieres) where race speeds can reach in excess of 400 km/h.

The Circuit appears in the following events:

In GT4

 * Circuit de la Sarthe 24h II
 * 1000 miles!
 * Dream Car Championship

Circuit de la Sarthe 2005 + No Chicane (GT5)
This layout is featured in Gran Tursimo 4 as Circuit de la Sarthe I. It is the 2005 version of Sarthe. The "no chicane" version is labeled Circuit de la Sarthe II in Gran Turismo 4. The 2005 version of the track has larger turns at the Dunlop Curves and less run-off area.

The lap record is 3:29.905 set by Rinaldo "Dindo" Capello in 2002 while driving an Audi R8.

Circuit de la Sarthe 2009 + No Chicane (GT5)
This layout is featured in Gran Turismo 5. It is the newest version of Sarthe.

The lap record is 3:18:513 set by Stephan Sarrizin in 2009 while driving a Peugeot 908 HDi FAP.

Circuit de la Sarthe 2013 (GT6)
A 2013 variant of the track used in the real 2013 24 Hours of Le Mans race. The track variant appears in Gran Turismo 6.

Sector 1 & 2
From the start/finish line, the circuit follows a gentle right-hand turn on approach to the Dunlop chicane, a tight right-left-right complex, as it passes under the famous "Dunlop Bridge". The 2009 version has tighter corners at the Dunlop Curve to create more run-off area. This is followed by a short straight, leading into sweeping left then right hand corners at the northernmost point on the course.

From this follows the most important corner on the circuit, Tertre Rouge, a fast right hand turn with gravel on the outside to punish mistakes.

Sector 3 to Mulsanne Corner
A good exit speed from Tertre Rouge is crucial, as it leads to a 2 km flat out straight on Layout I/6 km flat section on Circuit II. This straight, run on public roads, is punctuated on Circuit de la Sarthe I by two chicanes, a right-left then a left-right approximately 2 km apart. Speeds on this section can top 400 km/h in some cars.

At the end of this section lies a very tight right-hand hairpin corner, Mulsanne.

Route to Arnage
From Mulsanne, the road narrows dramatically into a fast, fairly straight section. The run down to Indianapolis has two right hand cinks. At the end of the long stretch is a quick right hand bend followed by a sharp left hand turn (Indianapolis). The next corner is a slow right hand corner (Arnage). After Arnage, the track has a 1 km straight heading to the Porsche Curves. This marks the final section before the track returns to the non-public stadium section.

Stadium section
This section begins with a fast, uphill, right-hand turn followed by the tricky left-right-left Porsche Curves and a short straight. As the pit lane entry approaches on the right, the track follows a pair of slow, left-right chicanes (Ford Chicanes) into the shadow of the large grandstand, and across the finish line.

Easter Eggs

 * In GT4, at the start during replay (when your car crosses the start/finish line at the start of the race), you can see jet fighter planes on the top left corner.