Aston Martin has one of those cult followings.

Whether you fell in love with the sleek lines of its era-defining sports coupés of the 1950s and ’60s, the rumble of its British-built naturally aspirated engines, or even just admired James Bond’s latest toy on the silver screen. Aston is a brand that resonates far beyond the levels of its production, with the power to thrill, entertain and conjure emotion within almost anybody. It doesn’t matter if you like motorsport, or even cars, Astons usually found a way to entrance.

So, when the Gaydon marque announced in 2004 that it was planning a full-scale comeback to international sportscar racing, and specifically the holy grail of them all – the Le Mans 24 Hours – it was a pivotal moment for fans. Finally we’d see a full-bore Aston, pushing the limits with equal measures of performance and beauty. Of course, Aston had a glorious history at La Sarthe, winning in 1959 with its beautiful DBR1. Now, over four decades after Carroll Shelby and Roy Salvadori took the chequered flag in France, the brand was back with the aim of refreshing the fading memories of its sporting success.