1990 1000 km of Fuji (787) 1991 430km of Suzuka (787B)
First win
1991 24 Hours of Le Mans
Last win
1991 24 Hours of Le Mans
Last event
1991 430 km of Autopolis
Races
Wins
Poles
F/Laps
21
1
0
0
Constructors' Championships
0
Drivers' Championships
0
The Mazda 787 and its derivative 787B are Group C sports prototype racing cars that were developed by Japanese automobile manufacturer Mazda for use in the World Sportscar Championship, All Japan Sports Prototype Championship, and the 24 Hours of Le Mans from 1990 to 1991. Designed to combine a mixture of the Fédération Internationale du Sport Automobile (FISA) Group C regulations with the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) GTP regulations, the 787s were the last Wankel rotary-powered racing cars to compete in the World and Japanese championships, using Mazda's R26B engine.
Although the 787 and 787B lacked the single lap pace of World Championship competitors such as Mercedes-Benz, Jaguar, and Porsche, as well as Japanese Championship competitors Nissan and Toyota, the 787s had reliability that allowed them to contend for their respective championships. The reliability of the cars eventually paid off in 1991 when a 787B driven by Johnny Herbert, Volker Weidler, and Bertrand Gachot went on to victory in the 1991 24 Hours of Le Mans. As of 2023, this remains the only victory by a car not using a reciprocating engine design. It was the first victory by a Japanese manufacturer, and the only such victory until Toyota won the 2018 24 Hours of Le Mans.
A total of two 787s were built in 1990, while three newer specification 787Bs were built in 1991.[2]
^Shimizu, Ritsuharu; Tadokoro, Tomoo; Nakanishi, Toru; Funamoto, Junichi, "Mazda 4-Rotor Rotary Engine for the Le Mans 24-Hour Endurance Race" (PDF), SAE Technical Paper Series 920309, Warrendale, PA: SAE International, p. 3
^"Mazda Chassis Numbers". World Sports Prototype Racing. Archived from the original on September 27, 2007. Retrieved 2008-03-29.
The Mazda 787 and its derivative 787B are Group C sports prototype racing cars that were developed by Japanese automobile manufacturer Mazda for use in...
2020. "1991 Mazda787B @ Top Speed". 30 November 2005. "Mulsanne's Corner: Mazda R26B answering service". "The History of the Mazda787B - A le Mans Legend"...
rotary-powered Mazda787B. Mazda has several alliances and partnerships with other automakers, such as Toyota, Nissan, Isuzu, Suzuki and Ford. Mazda began as...
The Mazda Familia (Japanese: マツダ ファミリア, Matsuda Famiria), also marketed prominently as the Mazda 323, Mazda Protegé and Mazda Allegro, is a small family...
in 20th overall. "1989 Mazda 767B @ Top Speed". Top Speed. October 9, 2017. "Mazda787B". Retrieved 19 June 2022. "1989 Mazda 767B - Images, Specifications...
also raced sports cars, winning the Le Mans 24 Hours in 1991 driving a Mazda787B. Winning the Formula Ford Festival at Brands Hatch in 1985, Herbert caught...
the number 55, that of its 1991 24 Hours of Le Mans-winning ancestor, the 787B. Unlike many concept cars, the Furai was fully functional and was tested...
ISBN 0-253-19021-5. OCLC 59790157. Chin, Joshua (2021-08-22). "The Rotary Mazda787B Won At Le Mans 30 Years Ago". automacha.com. Retrieved 2022-05-14. Tare...
Mazda of youngsters Johnny Herbert, Bertrand Gachot and Volker Weidler. Mazda had not been viewed as victory contenders before the race, their 787B having...
6 km (3.7 mi) long straight. Mazda would be the first Japanese manufacturer to succeed, with their unique rotary-powered 787B winning in 1991. In 1992 and...
[citation needed] Mazda brought the racing team to Hiroshima in 1983, where the name became Mazdaspeed. In 1991 Mazdaspeed's 787B won at Le Mans a feat...
Bertrand Gachot to win Le Mans behind the wheel of the Wankel engine-powered Mazda787B, marking also the first win of the legendary French race by both a Japanese...
Prix performances, and also won the 1991 24 Hours of Le Mans driving a Mazda787B. He then set the fastest lap at the Hungarian Grand Prix after a late...
Monster Energy VR46 Rally Team 1 1 0 0 1 25 1st Goodwood Festival of Speed Mazda787B Renown Mazdaspeed Autocar event 2016 Monza Rally Show Ford Focus RS WRC...
convoluted history of the Porsche LMP1-98, which has also been a Jaguar and a Mazda". Fox Sports Australia. Archived from the original on 29 August 2021. Retrieved...
Japanese car manufacturer to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans after Mazda in 1991 with the Mazda787B, Toyota scoring another 1–2 finish. In Silverstone, the Toyotas...
Retrieved 6 June 2014. "Gerry Judah Creates A Twisted Steel Beam Sculpture For Mazda At The Goodwood Festival Of Speed". Contemporist. 29 June 2015. "BMW heads...
Japanese publisher, the game marked a debut for the 1991 winner, the Mazda787B, before appearing in subsequent driving games including the later Gran...
Hours in the GT2 class with a Chrysler Viper GTS-R and overall with a Mazda787B in 1991, on their second attempt and first after a decade. Also, the team...
new parts 24351 Toyota GR Supra 2019 Yes 24352 Mazda787B 2019 No Rebox from X with new decals 24353 Mazda Roadster RF 2020 Yes Rebox from X with new parts...
exhaust. High SPL mics were used on the loudest of cars, notably the Mazda787B, to reduce distortion. The audio channels were mixed, sliced, and recombined...
Walter Brun 2–6 Oscar Larrauri 4 Bernard Santal 8 Mazdaspeed Mazda 787 Mazda787BMazda R26B 2.6 L 4-Rotor D 18 Maurizio Sandro Sala 1–6, 8 David Kennedy...
Global Information
Mazdaspeed
