New "Porsche Experience Center" at Maison Blanche

[Werner]

This look slike we'll loose more decent campsite pitches at Maison Blanche: http://www.audipassion.com/2014/paris-2014-presentation-de-la-maquette-du-porsche-experience-center-le-mans 

If this is a typical result of more works teams entering the WEC we'll soon all end up on Beausejour. What's next? Nissan-Showrooms along the banks of Tertre Rouge?

[Jason]

http://www.24h-lemans.com/en/news/the-automobile-club-de-l-ouest-welcomes-the-french-porsche-experience-center_2_2_1746_14360.html

Looking at the image in the above, it would appear the construction, is roughly in the area of the hospitality unit on the Ford chicane, where the current driving school unit is. Although, this does not help re Maison Blanche camping, I can't see this being built on the current campsite

[Oldtimer 2]

The new development is clearly very exciting to the photographer but I think he probably should have kept his trousers zipped... that is quite a shadow he is casting 

[Jules G]

As a buyer of a large number of MB tickets over the years from one of the official agencies, this is what I have been informed about.

The ACO do not yet know what area will be lost until later in the year.
Agencies will be informed of any cut backs to allocation later in the year. Certainly the agency I have always used are not taking in more bookings for their "reserve" list.
All the plans and images do seem to show that as Jason states it's at the top end of the MB site.

My hunch is that there will be limited cut backs next year as their is no guarantee that the building will be completed in time. Any issues will happen in 2016 when Porsche could take over the whole site for guests/paying supporters. It will be bloody annoying to us regular attendees, however it does make logical sense with the investment they are making to have a grandstand presence at the exit of the curves and special camping. The down side as well could be loss of the all the camping, they could close off the area totally all general attendees for it to become a special area ticket only area. This would in turn condense the public into a smaller number of viewing areas  with crowd safety/density issues.

[Martini...LB]

Borrowed from PH

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&t=1387749&d=12714.62640&nmt=#seperator

>Martini...LB

[Canada Phil]

Hi Martini,
               Thanks for posting that. I appears to me atleast that the building is somewhere between the MB entrance and the Ford Chicane Tribune so while it may make a bit of a bottle neck for foot traffic to the front straight it should have very little impact on MB camping. As they will be using the MB track the space for camping is not the issue it is weather Porsche will absorb the whole area for 24H week.
Phil

[Kristof]

Looking at this picture and some others at the PH forum, it seems like it's pretty close to T23 (Maison Blanche) next to where the ferris wheel stands.

[Jason]

Having a look at the photos, and Google Maps, I believe the new build is going to be roughly per the attached, doesn't appear to have much to do with the campsite (at the moment)

[Lorry]

It looks like the earth bank is going to be flattened, and the corporate hospitality marquees will have to move, possibly into MB.  Plus if you look at the Silverstone centre there's a 4x4 course and a few other bits that you couldn't erect a tent on.

Keep your fingers crossed

[lynxd67]

Unashamedly, I have copied this from Brian's email today regarding his 1st Tickets company and the future of camping at Le Mans:-

Our preparations for next year’s race are well underway and we have requested a good allocation from the circuit for all campsites.  There are significant changes to Maison Blanche, which have an impact on the amount of camping spaces available. However, the circuit have also introduced a new campsite (Epinettes) which increases the total number of camping spaces available.


The Porsche Experience Centre building work is well underway and is due to open in June 2015.  It is on the site of the Maison Blanche paddock and pit boxes used for driving experience and track days.  The development involves a three storey building and changes to the layout of the 2.9km Maison Blanche track, covering an area of over 3,000m2.


The ACO have formally informed us that the changes to the track layout will have an impact to camping on Maison Blanche and that they are “...obliged to initially cancel about 300 pitches until we know if we are able to use some of the rehabilitated areas. Unfortunately we won’t be able to switch your lost pitches to high level campsites such as Houx, Tertre Rouge”.  This represents about a 30-35% reduction of Maison Blanche. As a consequence, we expect our allocation to be reduced by a similar proportion and may not be able to meet all of our provisional bookings.  Once we receive confirmation of our ticket allocation we will then know the full extent of the impact.


On a positive note, a new campsite called Les Epinettes, will be available in 2015.  This campsite is opposite the Houx Campsite and accessed via Chemin aux Boeufs.  It adds a further 1500 camping spaces to the circuit, amply covering the reduction of spaces on Maison Blanche.

I am sure he won't mind (will you Brian?) This new camp site will be not fa from the little train nor the tram, so I hope it will become a new and vibrant camping for you all.

[enzo]

The last email i received from the ACO stated that 500 spaces on the new les epinettes are reserved for ACO members !!
 

[Lorry]

The last email i received from the ACO stated that 500 spaces on the new les epinettes are reserved for ACO members !!

That leaves 1000 for the rest of us who can't get into the sites we wanted.  Its big then

Latest reports say a large gantry has appeared next to the concrete fence, about halfway from the MB entry to the MB exit

[Kristof]

http://youtu.be/XPrhIPNs8cg

[garyfrogeye]

Simple solution, just book your Porsche in for service at the centre for that weekend and sleep in the car. No need to thank me.

[sceetum]

Had a chat with Paul at Just Tickets the other day about our MB ticket reservation. He said that he doesn't know how many MB plots will be lost until they have their meeting with the ACO on dec 7.