The car Aston Martin is hoping will bring them the Le Mans 24 Hours title

Aston Martin Racing has announced it will take part in this year's Le Mans 24 Hours race in June.

It is 50 years since the British-based manufacturer won the top prize at the famous French race.

This year's car is being designed and built by Aston Martin Racing at the Prodrive factory in Banbury.

The team has won the GT class at Le Mans for the past two years but this year will challenge Audi's recent domination of the main race instead.

David Richards, chairman of both Aston Martin and Prodrive, said: "Le Mans 24 Hours is without doubt the greatest motor race in the world.

"It's been 50 years since we last won Le Mans outright and what better opportunity or way of celebrating that anniversary than having another go."

Let's suppose we could be there at the podium at the finish, it would be a magnificent achievement for everybody David Richards

Engineering firm Prodrive is facing more than 180 job losses too after the withdrawal of the Subaru World Rally Team which it prepared.

Richards defended the decision to compete in the world's most famous endurance race.

"Aston Martin, despite the downturn in the market for everybody, has been profitable for the past four years. Sometimes you need to do things like this to corral everyone's enthusiasm," he said.

More than 250,000 motorsport fans normally make the pilgrimage to the track in the Pays de la Loire, to the south west of Paris.

German manufacturer Audi have won the race for the past five years but following rule changes this year's race over 13/14 June is expected to be a much tighter affair.

"A win at Le Mans - well, let's not be totally dreaming here but let's suppose we could be there at the podium at the finish, it would be a magnificent achievement for everybody," added Richards.

The last British team to win the Le Mans 24 Hours race was Bentley back in 2004.

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