Toyota and Nissan invested a fortune in trying to become the first Japanese manufacturer to win Le Mans. They would have to beat Jaguar, which was no easy task as the Tom Walkinshaw Racing-run works team was back in front in 1990, this time claiming a 1-2, with the XJR-12 driven by Martin Brundle, Price Cobb and John Nielsen. Then, while they were having another shot in 1991, smaller Japanese rival Mazda beat them to it. As notable as that win for Bertrand Gachot, Johnny Herbert and Volker Weidler was, history also relates that the drivers had a new challenge thanks to the insertion of two chicanes on the Mulsanne Straight, breaking up the slipstreaming battles and providing opportunities both for overtaking and for spills.

Home glory has been rare at Le Mans and the French finally had something to cheer about in 1992 when Peugeot dominated to take the first win by a major French manufacturer since Matra’s glory days in the 1970s. Peugeot was even more in control in 1993, taking a 1-2-3 with the rest nowhere. With the ACO pledging to stimulate GT racing rather than having fields filled entirely with prototypes, this led to a big swell in applications for entries in 1994. Yet, an anomaly meant that cars entered in the Le Mans GT1 category included a Joest-run Dauer 962LM, a Group C car by any other name that would clearly have the legs on its GT-shaped rivals.

A genuine GT car won in 1995, this time a McLaren F1, a car that designer Gordon Murray had never intended to go racing until badgered into it by road car owners including Ray Bellm and Thomas Bscher. In a very wet race, JJ Lehto’s pace when conditions were at their worst was enough to ensure that it finished clear of the works Courage in which Bob Wollek was denied the home win he had been seeking since 1968. He would be the bridesmaid again in 1996 and 1998.