Feeling bored after the excitement of the festive season? Here's the perfect way to kill 24 hours...
Catherine Channon

For the last seven decades, Le Mans has been one of the most coveted motor-sports cups. It's a racing marathon lasting over 350 laps that challenges both drivers and teams alike. It takes months of careful planning, and the right race strategy, fuel consumption, tyre changes and car mechanics all need to be perfected before the ignition switch is flicked. Eutechnyx have translated all of this into a little black disc and, as with the real thing, Le Mans is a game not to be entered into lightly.

For those of you wanting to go all the way, you can race for 24 hours in real-time, but before leaping into such a marathon, preparation is all-important. Le Mans gives you a large variety of vehicles to choose, selected from within three classes: GT2s (off the peg sporty cars), the more advanced Prototypes and the cream of the crop, the GT1s. Initially, you're given two cars in each class to choose from, although others can be unlocked, and choosing the right car to begin with is crucial. You'll also need to carefully consider the aerodynamics and steering.

For those of you who aren't students and may not have 24 solid hours to dedicate to game-playing, you can speed the race up to a more approachable length. Once the race has begun, you'll need to carefully time your pit-stops, keeping a close eye on fuel consumption, tyre wear and weather conditions - overcast skies can change to torrential rain within minutes, and without your wet weather tyres, the pits can seem like an ocean away.