RE: Mazda 787B: Time For Tea?
Thursday 21st May 2015
It has now become pretty easy to predict the country of origin of the team taking the top step at Le Mans. Over the past 25 years, the winners enclosure has been littered with German flags, bar a few exceptions. 1991 was one of those years. It was Mazda's. Fielding the RB26B four-rotor engine in the 787b, it produced 700hp in something that weighed in at less than 850kg and was remarkably reliable over the 24 hours, blown headlight notwithstanding.
Mazda 787B: Time For Tea?
Johnny Herbert and the Mazda 787b reunited for an epic sounding lap of Le Mans
Subsequently ruled out by regulations it remains the only rotary engine to have won Le Mans and the only time in the history of the race a Japanese marque has taken victory.Celebrated in the Mazda MX-5 Le Mans 24 editions it's always one to hunt out at events like Goodwood. Just don't forget your earplugs.
If you weren't lucky to see it in action back in 1991, sit back and listen to this 700hp monster lap of Le Mans in the hands of the driver that took the flag - Johnny Herbert himself.
Watch the vid here.
Discussion
k yes, that thing makes me moist!
The year that 787B appeared back Le Mans was planned as a "not this year" year for me, until I heard that it was actually going to be there, at which point, it quickly became a "no way am I missing that" year...
I ended up driving down solo after work on the Thursday night to meet up with a group of mates already there - it was worth every second of the drive down there, and makes you realise just how quiet the modern P1 cars are in comparison. We were stood at the start of the Porsche curves, heard it leave the pits, and almost every acceleration, gear change for the entire two laps the car did - loud, very loud, but such a great sounding car.
I ended up driving down solo after work on the Thursday night to meet up with a group of mates already there - it was worth every second of the drive down there, and makes you realise just how quiet the modern P1 cars are in comparison. We were stood at the start of the Porsche curves, heard it leave the pits, and almost every acceleration, gear change for the entire two laps the car did - loud, very loud, but such a great sounding car.
I love the gear change sound at 53 seconds. The car seems to only do that sound in the lower gears.
Here's another clip, you can hear the noise I am talking about between 44 and 60 seconds:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AtJbxKVFDNs
Also love this clip
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxXtpMngivM
you can hear the monster coming from a fare distance away.
Here's another clip, you can hear the noise I am talking about between 44 and 60 seconds:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AtJbxKVFDNs
Also love this clip
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxXtpMngivM
you can hear the monster coming from a fare distance away.
Edited by Vyse on Thursday 21st May 19:46
We were there, the engine note on full chat was ear damaging but the thing went round and round for 24 hours, not sure if there were two of them or whether the got the win with a single entry.
Remember Mazda going mad with joy, the car not being cleaned at all and had a display of honour in that condition in Japan.
Is the car in this video the race winner (perhaps doubtful) or another such a practice car from the winning event.
It was the 1991 race winning car - http://www2.mazda.com/en/publicity/release/2011/20...
I have had the opportunity to sit (not drive) in a couple of LMP1 and WEC cars including this exact one.
I can tell you that compared to some of the more recent cars like the Audi, Peugeot or Porsche, this one is quite frightening.
It feels very fragile, almost flimsy and you feel very vulnerable when things should go wrong. You sit very far to the front of the car with nothing much in front of you and you get the impression that it will at least rip both your feet off should you hit anything.
I gained a lot of respect for the guys driving these cars in anger at almost 400km/h down Hunadières. Takes balls made off the finest steel.
The modern carbon tub WEC cars feel like they are indestructable (probably they are if you look at some of the recent accidents).
I can tell you that compared to some of the more recent cars like the Audi, Peugeot or Porsche, this one is quite frightening.
It feels very fragile, almost flimsy and you feel very vulnerable when things should go wrong. You sit very far to the front of the car with nothing much in front of you and you get the impression that it will at least rip both your feet off should you hit anything.
I gained a lot of respect for the guys driving these cars in anger at almost 400km/h down Hunadières. Takes balls made off the finest steel.
The modern carbon tub WEC cars feel like they are indestructable (probably they are if you look at some of the recent accidents).
Superhoop said:
The year that 787B appeared back Le Mans was planned as a "not this year" year for me, until I heard that it was actually going to be there, at which point, it quickly became a "no way am I missing that" year...
I ended up driving down solo after work on the Thursday night to meet up with a group of mates already there - it was worth every second of the drive down there, and makes you realise just how quiet the modern P1 cars are in comparison. We were stood at the start of the Porsche curves, heard it leave the pits, and almost every acceleration, gear change for the entire two laps the car did - loud, very loud, but such a great sounding car.
I ended up driving down solo after work on the Thursday night to meet up with a group of mates already there - it was worth every second of the drive down there, and makes you realise just how quiet the modern P1 cars are in comparison. We were stood at the start of the Porsche curves, heard it leave the pits, and almost every acceleration, gear change for the entire two laps the car did - loud, very loud, but such a great sounding car.
The ones they ran in 1990 were even louder, just an amazing sound from both years.
I remember original TV footage at Le Mans from a car following it. Even from some distance behind it on the Mulsanne straight, all you could hear was that 4 rotor engine screaming. Saw it live at Le Mans in 2012 for its demo laps too. Proper machine. Gives me goosebumps just thinking about it.
I remember original TV footage at Le Mans from a car following it. Even from some distance behind it on the Mulsanne straight, all you could hear was that 4 rotor engine screaming. Saw it live at Le Mans in 2012 for its demo laps too. Proper machine. Gives me goosebumps just thinking about it.
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