Monday 23rd May 2011

Epic Mazda 787B Rides Again

700hp rotary racer to return for Le Mans demo

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700hp of screaming rotary power will thrill race-fans at Le Mans this year as - twenty years after its famous victory - Mazda has been invited to demonstrate its amazing 787B racer.

In case you weren't there in 1991 to witness the noise 700hp of rotary engine makes, Mazda has provided this video of the 787B racer in shakedown trials at the company's Mine proving ground earlier this month. The trials followed careful restoration of a car that's been on static display at Mazda's museum in Hiroshima for the best part of the last two decades.

As well as being the only rotary-engined car to win at Le Mans, the 787B is also the only Japanese victor to date - a fact which definitely still grates with racing-minded folk at Mazda's domestic rivals.

Jointly developed by Mazda and Mazdaspeed, the 787B had a chassis designed to meet Group C racing car technical regulations and was powered by a four-rotor engine. Due to rule changes, 1991 was the last year that a rotary-engine car could have entered Le Mans, and the victory was the culmination of 17 years of effort.

In preparation for this year's demonstration, restoration work has been carried out by current Mazda employees who participated in the company's original Le Mans challenge. Mazda plans to run the 787B on the Circuit de la Sarthe at 12:30 p.m. on June 11 we're told, and winning driver Johnny Herbert will be in attendance.

[300bhp/ton]

Now that's what a race car should look like

[McSam]

Oh God, I already hated my exam timetable for being perfectly centred around the Le Mans weekend, and now this.. Can't believe I'm missing that

Always loved those things, and the car that won in the year I was born doing its stuff once again? Awesome. Hope you guys enjoy it, and take some bloody good video of it too!

[NotNormal]

Can't wait to see this in the flesh in a few weeks time






....and not forgetting the noise of course which will be immense

[Chris-R]

300bhp/ton said:

Now that's what a race car should look like

More good stuff here!

[Turbobanana]

I was there in '91. Made my ears hurt.

I believe works driver Volker Weidler had to give up racing due to ear problems brought on by the noise in the cockpit.

[Lotus98T]

Cant wait now

[Else]

I was there too, awesome sound track.

[turbo-ww]

I was there too, it was my first - This year will be my 20th

Still remember the noise. You could follow it around the circuit.

Awesome!

[ccr32]

Can't believe that I'm going to miss that this year...

[rhinochopig]

3:10

[The JM]

This will make the Diesel cars of today look very boring.

[gary71]

Fabulous

I remember being at Brands for the 1000km (supporting Aston Martin) and the difference in the exhaust note could not have been more extreme!

Every time this car came past most of the crowd would cover their ears, a truely deafening machine.

[BBS-LM]

Has to be one of the best sounding race cars of all time. Love it.

[Si996]

It was my 1st Le-Mans too!!

Absolutely gutted I cant make it this year. Just to rub salt in the wound I will be stuck working at Paris Airshow a hundred miles or so up the road

I wonder if I will be able to hear it from there!!

[golders]

Possibly the best looking, coolest Le-mans car ever!

[Jw Vw]

300bhp/ton said:

Now that's what a race car should look like

What a fantastic pic. Maybe my new wallpaper!

[Luca Brasi]

rhinochopig said:

3:10

This! Goddamn!

[V8Bart]

Awesome machine, reason to love motorsport.

LOL compare this to the 1.6 F1 cars comming!! lol its men and boys.

[pb63]

i think my speaker on pc has just blown!

What a glorious noise!

Edited by pb63 on Monday 23 May 13:42

[alexpa]

Brilliant! One of my favorite cars on GT

I’ve got my own mini one in the garage, 300cc, 50hp, German made Aixro XR50 rotary engine, 85kg wet kerb weight ready to run, 0-60 in about 3secs, top speed about 100mph depending on circuit gearing, super reliable (250+ hour between engine rebuild), very affordable, low running costs and tons of fun!!!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/40658712@N07/42981843...

Aixro XR50 race series and engine imports run by Richard and Steve at
http://aim-motorsport.co.uk/

Alex

Edited by alexpa on Monday 23 May 13:45