KAWASAKI NINJA 300

                                       KAWASAKI NINJA 300

    

Kawasaki Ninja 300 was the logical upgrade for Kawasaki from the Ninja 250R.

The predecessor was a success world over and even in India it sold in 

numbers for Kawasaki. The Ninja 300 is one of the two products from 

that comes to India in the Completely Knocked Down (CKD) way and is

assembled at Bajaj’s Chakan plant. The new motorcycle has everything

going for it to make it one of the best bikes in its class. The new Ninja

300 brings excellent features and performance for an entry level sportbike.

Kawasaki has added a host of rider and passenger comforts to the 2017 Ninja 300.

It has a more comfortable riding position. Foot pegs are set more to the rear.

offer a sportier riding position. Handlebars are also designed to allow for better.

rider comforts with better grip. Fuel tank is well positioned and of size

dimensions that ensure better knee position. Radiator fan is placed in a 

that diverts heat from the engine and towards the air outlet away from the rider.

Ninja 300 is available at an ex-showroom New Delhi price of 3.5 Lakhs.

For some the price may seem on the higher side but then again it

currently has no competitor and although it could have been priced

lower to improve its sales and appeal price-wise it has still found

decent number of takers at this price point. It also comes with

ABS as standard in India which makes it extremely worthwhile

to own this bike as it improves the safety aspect of riding this bike.

That combined with optional accessories available through Kawasaki

it is certainly one of the best sport bikes in the market today.

2017 Kawasaki Ninja 300 has been launched in India at a starting price of INR 3.64 lakh, ex-showroom. It will sport similar features as seen on its earlier counterpart

while it does get new colour schemes and body graphics to set it apart. Though ABS is being offered as an option in global markets, it will not be offered on the India spec model.

2017 Kawasaki Ninja 300 has a distinctively styled front end seen with twin headlights, a V shaped pointed visor and black coloured rear view mirrors.

Design

It gets a new front fender and sporty alloy wheels. Its integrated engine cowl and side fairings add a more premium appeal. Air inlets have been given a makeover to match the colour scheme. Fel tank gets Ninja 300 embossed on its side. LED tail lamps, rear cowl and side indicators are seen at the back. Rear tyre is enhanced in size and silencer is finished in chrome.

The new Ninja 300 also gets a new dashboard with an analogue tachometer positioned in the center surrounded by other meters and gauges. It gets a digital speedometer, odometer and fuel gage besides a 2 trip metre, digital clock which gets illuminated during night time riding.

Length	2015 mm
Width	715 mm
Height	1110 mm
Ground Clearance	140 mm
Seat Height	785 mm
Wheelbase	1405 mm
Kerb Wt	172 kgs
Fuel Tank	17 liters
Front Tyre	110/70-17 M/C 54W
Rear Tyre	140/70-17 M/C 66S
Front Brake	Single 290 mm petal disc, dual piston caliper
Rear Brake	Single 220 mm petal disc, Dual-piston caliper

2017 Kawasaki Ninja 300 measures 2,015mm in length, 715mm in width, 1,110mm in height and has a wheelbase of 1,405mm. Ground clearance stands at 140mm and seat height at 785mm. it sits on 17” alloy wheels and is presented in two shades of White and Ninja Green.

Price & Competition

Quick handling in city traffic would be the highlight of this bike while highway riding is also said to be efficient. Kawasaki Ninja 300 is offered at a price INR 3.64 lakhs and it will compete with the likes of Yamaha YZF-R3, KTM RC390 and Hyosung GT250R.

Nurburging Nordschleife

                                     Nurburging Nordschleife

The 1971 modifications it was still possible for cars to become airborne off the track. The Nürburgring was also unsuitable for the burgeoning television market; its vast expanse made it almost impossible to effectively cover a race there. As a result, early in the season it was decided that the 1976 race would be the last to be held on the old circuit.

Niki Lauda, the reigning world champion and only person ever to lap the full 22,835-metre (14.189 mi) Nordschleife in under seven minutes (6:58.6, 1975), proposed to the other drivers that they boycott the circuit in 1976. Lauda was not only concerned about the safety arrangements and the lack of marshals around the circuit, but did not like the prospect of running the race in another rainstorm. Usually when that happened, some parts of the circuit were wet and other parts were dry, which is what the conditions of the circuit were for that race. The other drivers voted against the idea and the race went ahead. Lauda crashed in his Ferrari coming out of the left-hand kink before Bergwerk, for causes that were never established. He was badly burned as his car was still loaded with fuel in lap 2. Lauda was saved by the combined actions of fellow drivers Arturo Merzario, Guy Edwards, Brett Lunger, and Harald Ertl, rather than by the ill-equipped track marshals.

The crash also showed that the track's distances were too long for regular fire engines and ambulances, even though the "ONS-Staffel" was equipped with a Porsche 911 rescue car, marked (R). The old Nürburgring never hosted another F1 race again, as the German Grand Prix was moved to the Hockenheimring for 1977. The German motorcycle Grand Prix was held for the last time on the old Nürburgring in 1980, also permanently moving to Hockenheim.

By its very nature, the Nordschleife was impossible to make safe in its old configuration. It soon became apparent that it would have to be completely overhauled if there was any prospect of Formula One returning there. With this in mind, in 1981 work began on a 4.5 km (2.8 mi)-long new circuit, which was built on and around the old pit area.

The new track was completed in 1984 and named GP-Strecke (German: Großer Preis-Strecke: literally, "Grand Prix Course"). It was built to meet the highest safety standards. However, it was considered in character a mere shadow of its older sibling. Some fans, who had to sit much farther away from the track, called it Eifelring, Ersatzring, Grünering or similar nicknames, believing it did not deserve to be called Nürburgring. Like many circuits of the time, it offered few overtaking opportunities.

Prior to the 2013 German Grand Prix both Mark Webber and Lewis Hamilton said they like the track. Webber described the layout as "an old school track" before adding, "It’s a beautiful little circuit for us to still drive on so I think all the guys enjoy driving here." While Hamilton said "It’s a fantastic circuit, one of the classics and it hasn’t lost that feel of an old classic circuit."

To celebrate its opening, an exhibition race was held, on 12 May, featuring an array of notable drivers. Driving identical Mercedes 190E 2.3–16's, the line-up was Elio de Angelis, Jack Brabham (Formula 1 World Champion 1959, 1960, 1966), Phil Hill(1961), Denis Hulme (1967), James Hunt (1976), Alan Jones (1980), Jacques Laffite, Niki Lauda (1975, 1977)*, Stirling Moss, Alain Prost*, Carlos Reutemann, Keke Rosberg (1982), Jody Scheckter (1979), Ayrton Senna*, John Surtees (1964) and John Watson. Senna won ahead of Lauda, Reutemann, Rosberg, Watson, Hulme and Jody Scheckter, being the only one to resist Lauda's overwhelming performance who – having missed the qualifying – had to start from the last row and overtook all the others except Senna.

The asterisk ( * ) in the previous paragraph indicate that titles which were not yet won at the time of the race are not mentioned here, so there were nine former and two future Formula 1 World Champions competing, in a field of 20 cars with 16 Formula 1 drivers; the other four were local drivers: Klaus Ludwig, Manfred Schurti, Udo Schützand Hans Herrmann.

Besides other major international events, the Nürburgring has seen the brief return of Formula One racing, as the 1984 European Grand Prix was held at the track, followed by the 1985 German Grand Prix. As F1 did not stay, other events were the highlights at the new Nürburgring, including the 1000km Nürburgring, DTM, motorcycles, and newer types of events, like truck racing, vintage car racing at the AvD "Oldtimer Grand Prix", and even the "Rock am Ring" concerts.

At the same time, a bypass shortened the Nordschleife to 20,832 m (12.944 mi), and with an additional small pit lane, this version was used for races in 1983, e.g. the 1000km Nürburgring endurance race, while construction work was going on nearby. In training for that race, the late Stefan Bellof set the all-time lap record for the 20.8 km (12.9 mi) Nordschleife in his Porsche 956, which is still unbeaten at 6:11.13, or over 200 km/h (120 mph) on average (partially because no major racing has taken place there since 1984).

Meanwhile, more run-off areas were added at corners like Aremberg and Brünnchen, where originally there were just embankments protected by Armco barriers. The track surface was made safer in some spots where there had been nasty bumps and jumps. Racing line markers were added to the corners all around the track as well. Also, bushes and hedges at the edges of corners were taken out and replaced with Armco and grass

.

The former Südschleife had not been modified in 1970/71 and was abandoned a few years later in favour of the improved Nordschleife. It is now mostly gone (in part due to the construction of the new circuit) or converted to a normal public road, but since 2005 a vintage car event has been hosted on the old track layout, including part of the parking area.

   

Spa-Francorchamps

                                          Spa-Francorchamps

Spa is located in the Belgian Ardennes countryside, and the old circuit was (and still is) used as everyday public road, and there were houses, trees, electric poles, barnyards, fields and other obstacles located right next to the track. Before 1970, there were no safety modifications of any kind done to the circuit and the conditions of the circuit were, aside from a few straw bales, virtually identical to everyday civilian use. Former Formula One racing driver and team owner Jackie Oliver was quoted as saying "if you went off the road, you didn't know what you were going to hit".

Spa was the fastest road circuit in Europe at the time, and it had a nasty reputation for being dangerous and very fast- it was a circuit known to be one for the brave, and most drivers were frightened of it. The old Spa circuit was unique in that speeds were consistently high with hardly any let-up at all for 3–4 minutes. This made it an extraordinarily difficult mental challenge, because most of the corners were taken at 180+ mph and were not quite flat- every corner was as important as the one before it. If a driver lifted just that little bit more, then whole seconds, not tenths- would be lost. Even the slightest error of any kind was punished very harshly in more ways than one. But this reality also worked inversely- huge advantages could be gained if a driver came out of a corner slightly faster.

Like the Nürburgring and Le Mans circuits, Spa became notorious for fatal accidents, as there were many deaths each year at the ultra-fast track, especially at the 1960 Belgian Grand Prix where 2 drivers, Chris Bristow and Alan Stacey were both killed within 15 minutes (although Stacey's accident was caused by a bird hitting him in the face) and Stirling Moss had crashed at Burnenville during practice and was severely injured. When Armco crash barriers were added to the track in 1970, deaths became less frequent there but the track was still notorious for other factors. The Ardennes Forest had very unpredictable weather and there were parts where it was raining and the track was wet, and other parts where the sun was shining and the track was completely dry. This factor was a commonality on long circuits, but the weather at Spa was always more unpredictable than other long circuits, combined with the fact that it was an ultra-high speed track with all but 1 corner (La Source) being extremely high speed made it one of, if not the most dangerous race track in the world. Multiple fatalities during the 1973 and 1975 24 Hours of Spa touring car races more or less sealed the old circuit's fate, and by 1978, the last year Spa was in its original form, the only major races held there were the Belgian motorcycle Grand Prix and the Spa 24 Hours touring car race; the 1000 km World Sportscar Championship race no longer took place after 1975 and did not come back until 1982.

In 1969, the Belgian Grand Prix was boycotted by F1 because of the extreme danger of Spa. There had been 10 racing fatalities in total at the track in the 1960s, including 5 in the 2 years previous. The drivers demanded changes made to Spa which were not possible on short notice, so the Belgian Grand Prix was dropped that year. Armco was added to the track and sections of it were improved (especially the Stavelot and Holowell sections), just like Armco had been added for the 1969 Le Mans race. One last race there the following year on the improved track was still not satisfactory enough (even after a temporary chicane was added at Malmedy just for that race) for the drivers in terms of safety, and even with the chicane, the drivers averaged 150+ mph (240 km/h) during the race. For the 1971 race, the track owners and authorities had not brought the track up to date with mandatory safety measures, and the race was cancelled. Formula One would not return to Spa until 1983 on the modern track.

Spa is located in the Belgian Ardennes countryside, and the old circuit was (and still is) used as everyday public road, and there were houses, trees, electric poles, barnyards, fields and other obstacles located right next to the track. Before 1970, there were no safety modifications of any kind done to the circuit and the conditions of the circuit were, aside from a few straw bales, virtually identical to everyday civilian use. Former Formula One racing driver and team owner Jackie Oliver was quoted as saying "if you went off the road, you didn't know what you were going to hit".

Spa was the fastest road circuit in Europe at the time, and it had a nasty reputation for being dangerous and very fast- it was a circuit known to be one for the brave, and most drivers were frightened of it. The old Spa circuit was unique in that speeds were consistently high with hardly any let-up at all for 3–4 minutes. This made it an extraordinarily difficult mental challenge, because most of the corners were taken at 180+ mph and were not quite flat- every corner was as important as the one before it. If a driver lifted just that little bit more, then whole seconds, not tenths- would be lost. Even the slightest error of any kind was punished very harshly in more ways than one. But this reality also worked inversely- huge advantages could be gained if a driver came out of a corner slightly faster

.

 Blanchimont high-speed left-hand turn, present in both the old 14 km circuit and the new, shorter, 7 km track, is the final sweeping corner of the track before the chicane, which leads to the pit straight.

This turn and the approach to it have caused serious accidents over time, the most recent being in 2001, when Luciano Burti lost the front wing of his Prost due to a clash with Eddie Irvine's Jaguar, losing front downforce and steering, leaving the track at 185 mph (298 km/h) and piling into the tyre wall, the impact knocking him out and burying the car into a mound of tyres. Problems have also occurred in lower classes of racing with Tom Kristensen having a very violent crash in a Formula 3000 car in 1997 after running wide on the entry to the Blanchimont turn and subsequently hitting the wall effectively throwing the monocoque back out in the middle of the track, where it was hit by numerous cars before coming to a complete half..

BAJAJ PLATINA

                                          BAJAJ PLATINA 

Bajaj Platina is a 100 cc motorcycle manufactured by Bajaj Auto. The Platina was launched in April 2006 at an ex-showroom price of Rs 35,000 and crossed sales of 500,000 units within eight months of its launch.A 125 DTS-Si variant with the same engine as the XCD was introduced in September 2008 with sales of more than 30,000 units per month but subsequently discontinue

The Platina's design is the same as Bajaj Kawasaki Wind 125,which was launched in late 2003. It is much more relaxed and upright than its rivals in the 100cc segment. Bajaj Platina's front end might feel lighter when a pillion is on the bike. A new model of the same bike was recently launched named Bajaj Platina ES Comfortec.

^{The engine of Platina is from another 100 cc bike from Bajaj, the Bajaj CT 100 but with a new Bajaj technology, ExhausTec. It has one of the best 100cc engines which is very frugal and feels less stressed on high speeds than other bikes in the segment. The bike is capable of a top speed of around 91 km/h and does 0–60 km/h in 7.89 seconds. In city traffic the bike returns 72 kmpl, while on the highway it returns more than 80 kmpl if ridden in economy speeds.}

Platina has been one of the best seller products for Bajaj Auto Ltd, the company has recently given makeover to the bike and called it ComforTec. The heart and soul of the Platina Comfortec remain same but the company has emphasized on the comfort quotient of the bike. Let’s find out what changes Bajaj has brought to the age old brand Platina.

Design & Style:

Design wise the new Platina retains almost every bit from its previous model, except few things as 3D Platina emblem on the fuel tank, black colored sleek grab rail (it used to be body colored in previous model) and a conventional steel gray color alloy wheels along with silver color clutch cover panels breaking the monotony of the previous all black theme.

Features:

Bajaj has targeted the mass population using commuter motorcycles for their daily commute and suffer the hardships of the road conditions. Generally it has been seen that due to bad roads and extensive usage of motorcycles the rider suffers back pain and other related problem associated with the same. Now Bajaj has tried to address this problem in their Platina by incorporating bigger and better suspension at both the ends.

The front telescopic suspension at the new Platina ComforTec is now been increased by 28%, the longer travel front suspension now able to soak the potholes better than ever, resulting better ride experience and enhance comfort. On the other hand the new Platina Comfortec is also featured with claimed 22% longer rear dual shock absorbers, which are now beefier SNS spring suspension than before. The rear bigger dual shock absorbers will be a boon for both rider and pillion in all sorts of riding conditions.

In addition to the suspension front the company has also introduced better and softer “Spring Soft” seat. Platina which already has the longest seat in the segment is now become more comfortable too, the spring soft seat is nothing but improved cushion used for making the seat. Thanks to the new cushioning the ride of the Platina is expected to be plusher than before. The seat cover is also seems better both in quality and in aesthetics, there is colored piping used on the granulated fabric used on the seat cover of the Platina Comfortec. 

Apart from these above mentioned features, the new Platina is featured with bigger, grippier and flat foot pegs at both the ends. Even the new Saari guard is provided with flat rubber footrest onboard.

Engine & Transmission:

The new Platina Comfortec is equipped with same 102cc dtsi engine featured on previous generation Platina including the Platina 100 ES/KS. However, the engine is now tuned to return better fuel efficiency. The company claims ARAI figure of fuel economy of 104 Kmpl, which is best economy figure in its class. The frugal nature of the engine comes at the cost of a little decrease in performance; the engine of Platina Comfortec churns out 7.9 Ps of power and 8.3 Nm of torque at 7500 and 5500 Rpm respectively. The 102cc engine is mated to 4-speed transmission gear and electronic starter comes optional.

Price & Verdict:

The new Platina ComforTec with inclusion of thoughtful feature like improved suspension system not only makes it more comfortable but also safer than before. Due to the use of long travel suspensions at both the ends the Ground Clearance of the bike has increased to 200mm which is highest in its category. High ground clearance makes the bike easier to ride on bad roads or off the roads.

At a price tag of Rs 45, 252 with Electric Starter and 43,241 without it, the Platina Comfortec makes a sense for someone who is looking for an entry level commuter with all bells & whistles to be termed as most comfortable commuter. Stay tuned to BikesIndia as we will bring you an extensive test ride review testing out the mettle of new Platina ComforTec soon.

Suzuka

                                                     

                                                 

                                                     Suzuka

Soichiro Honda decided to develop a new permanent circuit in Mie prefecture in the late 1950s. Designed as a Honda test track in 1962 by Dutchman John "Hans" Hugenholtz, Suzuka is one of few circuits in the world to have a "figure eight" layout, with the 1.2 km back straight passing over the front section by means of an overpass.

The circuit has been modified four times:

In 1983 a chicane was put at the last curve to slow the cars into the pit straight and the Degner curve was made into two corners instead of one long curve; the circuit was also made considerably safer in 1983 by adding more crash barriers, more run-off areas and removing straw bales leading into vegetation;

In 2002, the chicane was slightly modified, 130R (marked as 15 on the diagram) was also modified and some of the snake curves were made a bit straighter and faster;

In 2003, the chicane was made slightly faster and closer to the 130R.

Following the fatality at the 2003 MotoGP round, Suzuka reconfigured the motorcycle variant of what is now known as the Hitachi Automotive Systems Chicane before the final turn, and added a second chicane, between the hairpin and 200R.

The circuit can be used in five configurations; the car full circuit, the motorcycle full circuit, the "Suzuka east," "Suzuka west car," and "Suzuka west motorcycle" configurations. The "east" portion of the course consists of the pit straight to the first half of the Dunlop curve (turn seven), before leading back to the pit straight via a tight right-hander. The "west" course is made up of the other part of the full circuit, including the crossover bridge; the straight leading to the overpass is used for the start/finish line and the grid. The chicane between the hairpin and 200R separates the west and full course sections between cars and motorcycles.

The Degner curve was named in honour of Ernst Degner after he crashed his factory Suzuki 50 there during Suzuka's inaugural All Japan Championship Road Race meeting on 3 November 1962

suzuka was dropped from the Formula One calendar for the 2007 and 2008 seasons in favour of the Toyota-owned Fuji Speedway, after the latter underwent a transformation and redesign by circuit designer Hermann Tilke. Suzuka and Fuji were to alternate hosting the Japanese Grand Prix from 2009. However, after Fuji announced on July 2009 that it would no longer be part of the F1 calendar,Suzuka signed a deal to host the Japanese Grand Prix in 2009, 2010 and 2011.

The circuit closed for a year in order for the renovation to make it F1-compliant for 2009, with the last major event held on November 18, 2007, although some annual events (for instance, the Suzuka 8 Hours and Suzuka 1000km) were still held. The track held a re-opening day on April 12, 2009.

Suzuka also hosts other motorsport events including the Suzuka 1000km endurance race. Previously a part of multiple GT racing series including the now defunct group Cclass of the All Japan Sports Prototype Championship, the Suzuka 1000 km as of 2006 is now a points round of the Super GTSeries, and is the only race of such length in that series. In 2010, the GT500 pole position time was 1:55.237. In 2007, the GT300 pole position time was 2:06.838.

Another major motorsport event is the Suzuka 8 Hours for motorcycles, which has been run since 1978. This event usually attracts big name riders and with the exception of 2005, due to the importance of the major manufacturers' involvement, the FIM ensures that no motorcycle races clash on the date

.

NASCAR organized the NASCAR Thunder 100, a pair of exhibition 100-lap races on the east circuit, a 1.4 miles (2.3 km) layout which utilizes the pit straight and esses, before rejoining the main circuit near the Casio triangle. The cars were Sprint Cup Series and Camping World West Series cars and the field was by invitation for the two races, run after the 1996 and 1997 seasons. The 1996 event was marred by tragedy when during practice, pace car driver Elmo Langley died of a heart attack in the Chevrolet Corvette pace car at the esses during an evaluation run. The pole position speed was 83.079 miles per hour (133.703 km/h).During qualifying for the 1997 race, rain caused Goodyear to use rain tires on Sprint Cup cars for the first time in the modern era.

It was announced on June 21, 2010 that the east section of the Suzuka Circuit would host the Japan round of the 2011 WTCCseason instead of the Okayama International Circuit.At the 2012 event, the pole position time was 52.885 seconds, for an average speed of 94.875 miles per hour (152.687 km/h)

Following two tremendous accidents in 2002 and 2003, safety has been a concern at the 130 metres (427 ft) radius turn starting past the crossover which has been compared to Spa's Blanchimont, by Sky Sports commentator David Croft during the 2015 race. In 2002, Toyota F1 driver Allan McNish suffered a high-speed crash through the bump, which sent him through a metal fence; he was not seriously injured.

Track officials revised the 130R, redesigning it as a double-apex section, one with an 85 metres (279 ft) radius, and then a second featuring a 340 metres (1,115 ft) radius, leading to a much closer Casio triangle (chicane), with the chicane becoming a "bus stop" type for motorcycles.

However, the problem continued for the new revised section. During the 2003 MotoGP Grand Prix of Japan, the track's first major event since the revisions, MotoGP rider Daijiro Kato was killed when he crashed in the new section, on his way to the braking zone for the Casio triangle. MotoGP has not returned to Suzuka since the incident.

Amato Akitsuki, the main protagonist of the series, has moved from his home in the Hiroshima Prefecture to stay at his aunt's dormitory in Tokyo. Yamato falls in love with his new next-door neighbor, Suzuka Asahina, a girl from Yokohama who was scouted by a local high school because of her high jump athletic ability.While the main female lead remains Suzuka throughout the series, Yamoto later meets several other girls: Honoka Sakurai, a girl whose family are caretakers of a local Shinto shrine, Miki Hashiba, a sprinter and friend of Suzuka, and others. Yamato also develops a friendship with Yasunobu Hattori, a perverted young man who dreams about polygamy and often gives relationship advice to Yamato

 .

Circuit de la Sarthe

                                           Circuit de la Sarthe

The track, which was a triangle from Le Mans down south to Mulsanne, northwest to Arnage, and back north to Le Mans, has undergone many modifications over the years, with CIRCUIT N° 15 being in use since 2014. Even with the modifications put in place over the years, the Sarthe circuit is still known for being very fast, with prototype cars achieving average speeds in excess of 230 km/h (140 mph).

In the 1920s, the cars drove from the present pits on Rue de Laigné straight into the city, and after a sharp right-hand corner near the river Sarthe Pontlieue bridge (a hairpin permanently removed from the circuit in 1929), before exiting the city again on the rather straight section now named Avenue Georges Durand after the race's founder. Then 17.261 kilometres (10.725 mi) long and unpaved, a bypass within the city shortened the track in 1929, but only in 1932 the city was bypassed when the section from the pits via the Dunlop Bridge and the Esses to Tertre Rouge was added. This classic configuration was 8.369 miles (13.469 km) long and remained almost unaltered even after the 1955 tragedy. Its frighteningly narrow pit straight was narrowed off to make room for the pits and was part of the road itself, without the road becoming wider just for the pits. The pit straight was about 12 feet (3.7 m) wide (the pit straight was widened in 1956) and the race track and pits were not separated for another 15 years. The pit area was modified at a cost of 300 million francs, the signalling area was even moved to the exit of the slow Mulsanne corner, and the track was resurfaced.

Car speeds increased dramatically in the 1960s, pushing the limits of the "classic circuit" and sparking criticism of the track as being unsafe, after several trials related fatalities occurred. Since 1965, a smaller but permanent Bugatti CircuitFord chicane was added before the pits to slow down the cars. The circuit was fitted with Armco for the 1969 race. The "Maison Blanche" kink was particularly harrowing, claiming many cars over the years (including three Ferrari 512 variants) and several lives, including the legendary John Woolfe in 1969 behind the wheel of a 917 Porsche .

The circuit was modified ten more times—in 1971 (a year where the prototypes were averaging over 240 km/h (150 mph), and was also the last year the classic circuit was used). Armco was added to the pit straight to separate the track from the pits, and in 1972, the last part of the race track was revamped considerably with the addition of the quick Porsche curves bypassing "Maison Blanche" and part of the first straight and all of the second straight between the pits and Maison Blanche

In 1979, due to the construction of a new public road, the profile of "Tertre Rouge" had to be changed. This redesign led to a faster double-apex corner and saw the removal of the second Dunlop Bridge. In 1986, construction of a new roundabout at the Mulsanne corner demanded the addition a new portion of track in order to avoid the roundabout. This created a right hand kink prior to Mulsanne corner. In 1987, a chicane was added to the very fast Dunlop curve where cars would go under the Dunlop bridge at 180 mph (290 km/h), now they would be slowed to 110 mph (180 km/h).

In 1990, two chicanes were added onto the Mulsanne Straight (explained in more detail below), and in 1994, the Dunlop chicane was tightened. In 2002, the run to the Esses was reconfigured in the wake of renovations to the Bugatti Circuit. The Le Mans circuit was changed between the Dunlop Bridge and Esses, with the straight now becoming a set of fast sweeping turns. This layout allowed for a better transition from the Le Mans circuit to the Bugatti circuit. This layout change would also require the track's infamous carnival to be relocated near the Porsche curves, and in 2006, the ACO redeveloped the area around the Dunlop Curve and Dunlop Chicane, moving the Dunlop Curve in tighter to create more run-off area, while also turning the Dunlop Chicane into a larger set of turns. As part of the development, a new extended pit lane exit was created for the Bugatti Circuit. This second pit exit re-enters the track just beyond the Dunlop Chicane and before the Dunlop Bridge.

Following the fatal crash of Danish driver Allan Simonsen at the 2013 race at the exit of Tertre Rouge into D338, Tertre Rouge was re-profiled again. The radius will be moved in approximately 200m for safety reasons with new tyre barriers at the exit

Le Mans was most famous for its 6 km (3.7 mi) long straight, called Ligne Droite des Hunaudières, a part of the route départementale (for the Sarthe département) D338 (formerly Route NationaleN138). As the Hunaudières leads to the village of Mulsanne, it is often called the Mulsanne Straight in English, even though the proper Route du Mulsanne is the one from or to Arnage.

 

After exiting the Tertre Rouge corner, cars spent almost half of the lap at full throttle, before braking for Mulsanne Corner. The Porsche 917 long tail, used from 1969 to 1971, had reached 362 km/h (225 mph),.^[4] After engine size was limited, the top speed dropped until powerful turbo engines were allowed, like in the 1978 Porsche 935 which was clocked at 367 km/h (228 mph).Speeds on the straight by the Group C prototypes reached over 400 km/h (250 mph) during the late 1980s. At the beginning of the 1988 24 Hours of Le Mans race, Roger Dorchy driving for Welter Racing in a "Project 400" car, which sacrificed reliability for speed, was clocked by radar travelling at 405 kilometres per hour (252 mph). Fatal high speed accidents in the 1980s happened to Jean-Louis Lafosse in 1981 and to Jo Gartner in 1986.

As the combination of high speed and high downforce caused tyre and engine failures, two roughly equally spaced chicaneswere consequently added to the straight before the 1990 race to limit the achievable maximum speed.The chicanes were added also because the FIA decreed it would no longer sanction a circuit which had a straight longer than 2 kilometres (1.2 mi).,which is roughly the length of the Döttinger Höhe straight at the Nürburgring Nordschleife.

The fastest qualifying lap average speed dropped only from 249.826 to 243.329 km/h (155.235 to 151.198 mph) in 1992, and it rose up to a record 251.882 km/h (156.512 mph) in 2017, beating the previous all-time of 250.069 and 251.815 km/h (155.386 and 156.471 mph) set by the Porsche 917 and 962, respectively. Regarding the lap record in the race itself, 2015saw the fastest ever, thanks to turbos and hybrid power.

Bugatti Circuit is a permanent race track located within Circuit des 24 Heures, named after Ettore Bugatti. The circuit uses a part of the larger circuit and a separate, purpose-built section. The sections of track on the Bugatti Circuit that are on the Circuit des 24 Heures include the Ford Chicane at the end of the lap, the pit complex, and the straight where the Dunlop Tyres bridge is located.

At this point in the overlapping section of the tracks there is a left right sweep that was added for motorcycle safety in 2002. Vehicles turning to the left continue onto the Circuit des 24 Heures, toward Tertre Rouge and Mulsanne, vehicles turning to the right at La Chapelle will continue the Bugatti Circuit. The infield section features Garage Vert, a back straight, the 'S' du Garage Bleu, and Raccordement, which joins back at the Ford chacane.

The track was home base for Pescarolo Sport, founded by famous French driver Henri Pescarolo. The circuit also hosts the 24 Hours of Le Mans motorcycle race, and a round of the MotoGP Championship. The circuit also holds French motor club races and in the past has hosted rounds of the International Formula 3000 Championship and DTM (German Touring Car series).

As well as motor racing it is the venue for the 24 rollers, a 24h race on inline skates or quads.

The Bugatti Circuit was used for the 1967 French Grand Prix, though it would prove to be the only time the Formula OneWorld Championship would use the circuit, and is the current host of the French motorcycle Grand Prix. It also forms the final round of the FIA European Truck Racing Championship, and was part of the World Series by Renault and 1988 Superbike World Championship seasons.