The Immortal Mazda 787B

"-Amateur" (amateur) 08/19/2013 at 01:45 • Filed to: None

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Defying all odds, Mazda was the first and only Japanese car manufacturer to win Le Mans. The very heart that powered the 787B was going to be banned in 1992, making the 1991 Le Mans race, Mazda's only shot to win it all or lose everything. “ Heroes get remembered, but legends never die ” –Babe Ruth

Mazda stepped up their game into the big leagues with the 1990 Le Mans race. They were in it to win it and were running three deep with their newly developed 787s. Came game day, Mazda’s all-star line-up had injured themselves in the game...it was a fiasco. Two 787s were forced to retire with less than 150 laps in the race. The lone survivor went at it alone, but it was plagued with issues that put it in 20 th place for the finish, a whole 50 laps behind the winner, Jaguar.

“Rise and rise again, until lambs become lions”

Mazda was more determined than ever to prove itself that it can build a race car that can go toe to toe with the world’s best. They gave the 787 more power while tweaking the chassis and the aerodynamics. This 787 became the 787B. Mazda caught whim of the impending rotary engine ban that would take effect in 1992…so the 1991 Le Mans was all or nothing for Mazda.

What You Need to Know

The 787B weighed 831 kg. It had a 2622 ccm 4-rotor 26B Wankel engine, mid-mounted with RWD and a 5 speed manual transmission. The Wankel had a whopping 700 HP@ 9000 RPM with 620 LB FT of torque. They fielded 3 cars again for the 1991 Le Mans run. Two of them were in Mazda’s traditional white and blue livery (#56 and #18). The third #55 car was a trendsetter with fluorescent orange and green to promote their long time sponsor, Japanese clothing maker Renown.

Mazda had an uphill battle the entire way. From the get-go, the 787s managed to only qualify in 19 th , 23 rd , and 30 th place. They were way over their heads as the competition was as brutal as ever.

The 1991 24 hours of Le Mans started at 4pm on a Saturday evening. The three F1 powered Peugeots used its overwhelming raw power to take the lead. All three would fall silent before nightfall. Peugeot 1 suffered fire damage in the pits, Peugeot 2’s transmission gave out, and Peugeot 3 crumbled under a misfiring engine problem. With the heavyweights out of action, Mazda got the lucky break they needed. But there was no time to breathe a sigh of relief as Mercedes took the mantle with a 1-2-3 formation.

The Mercedes were outright faster than the Mazdas, but they weren’t as light or nimble as them. The #55 Mazda pushed and shoved its way into striking distance of the Sauber-Mercedes team by seizing 4 th place. This became personal and the Mazda was not one to back down from a fight. The #55 car kept the pressure on throughout the night, determined not to let the Mercedes slip away.

This rivalry became a race of attrition to see who gave out first. One of the Mercedes received substantial damage from debris and suffered from a lengthy repair in the pits. The second Mercedes spun out and suffered from unrelenting transmission issues. Then there was one…Mazda stood in second place with a full 4 laps behind the leader. Mercedes had throttled back their attack as they were running low on their fuel allotments for the race. Mazda seized this chance to light them up. The #55 car raced as if it was possessed, managing to close the gap to a mere 1 lap. The Mercedes suddenly had smoke spewing from it. The Mazda had become the lion and the Mercedes was a wounded gazelle . The lead car had water pump issues and the car was getting hot, quick. Mercedes had no choice but to hit the pits for 35 minutes to fix this issue.

Mazda secured the lead and was pulling away from the competitors…it was untouchable.

Mercedes pulled the plug on its sole remaining car to risk further engine damage, guaranteeing the victory to Mazda’s #55 car. Johnny Herbert took the Mazda across the finish line and after getting out of the car, he collapsed of heat exhaustion and dehydration. Mazda sought and conquered. They proved that they had what it takes and now, the whole world knows it.

“ The important thing in life is not to triumph, but to compete ” –Pierre de Coubertin

The 787B at the 2011 Le Mans

Special thanks to Scorpiocars.net, Car Guy Dad, and Top Speed

rad_mike > -Amateur 08/19/2013 at 02:03

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Great stuff. Thanks.

Blunion05 drives a pink S2000 (USER WAS BANNED FOR THIS POST) > -Amateur 08/19/2013 at 02:16

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So if the Peugeots and Mercedes never suffered in that race this thing's two pages in history would have been non-existent?

WankelWoeter > -Amateur 08/19/2013 at 03:19

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I am Wankelwoeter, and I approve this post.

Seriously, nice write-up.

Fred Smith > Blunion05 drives a pink S2000 (USER WAS BANNED FOR THIS POST) 08/19/2013 at 04:16

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Yes. In the end of the day, it was a terrible car for a factory effort, but an undeniably badass and gorgeous one. Mazda's ever slow factory program only ever really had one lucky break, but that one lucky break was on the biggest stage in sports car racing.

Sparf > -Amateur 08/19/2013 at 04:33

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I've mentioned this before, but it bears repeating: My dad worked at Mazda at the time, and my parents were there at Le Mans in '91 (having driven down there all the way from Sweden with some friends/colleagues in four red Miatas) to see the 787B win. About a year later my dad got the opportunity to ride shotgun in the one that placed sixth (the blue and white #18 visible to the far left in the third pic and in the background of the fifth pic). He says he didn't see much due to the weird seating position and mostly remembers the extreme noise levels and incredibly stiff suspension/chassis, but it must have been one hell of a ride.

Anyways, great write-up! Always cool to see hi-res images of past racing legends.

That said, I really wish they'd lift the rotary ban from Le Mans so that Mazda can create another 787B, but with a 4-rotor derived from the upcoming 16X .

Oh well, at least Porsche might have a chance against Audi next year. I'll actually be there to see it (possibly with an all-access press pass too if all goes as planned), so let's hope Audi doesn't win yet another time.

Sparf > Fred Smith 08/19/2013 at 06:05

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That's part of the reason why I can't understand the Le Mans rotary ban. As far as I understand it didn't really have any great advantages over regular engines.

Fingers crossed for the ban getting lifted and Mazda returning with a 16X-powered LMP car.

Axel-Ripper > Sparf 08/19/2013 at 08:20

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They never really banned them (at least initially), they simply regulated them out of existence. It all comes down to (I believe, as it does in nearly every race series/internet argument) the displacement classification of a rotary. In 1992 the ACO changed prototypes to an engine volume regulation rather than the previously used maximum fuel consumption (Group C) regulation.

Also, the 787B did have a successor, the unbelievably gorgeous Rx-792P. It failed even more miserably than the 787B did if you ignore the one lucky win a LeMans.

Fred Smith > Sparf 08/19/2013 at 15:44

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The rotary ban is a myth. All big engines used in original Group C cars were banned, 1991 was the first year of a new Group C class restricted to only 3.5 liter F1 style engines (earlier versions of the class were restricted by fuel consumption, not displacement), and older cars were grandfathered in for that year only. 1992 was just the end of the grandfathering period.

Fred Smith > Sparf 08/19/2013 at 15:46

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There is no rotary ban and there never has been. Open engine regulations for Group C simply ended in 1991 (with '91 being a grandfathering year). Mazda didn't run rotaries in their LMP2 return because they're terrible engines for endurance racing.

Sparf > Fred Smith 08/19/2013 at 15:49

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Apart from fuel consumption, I've been told that the rotary actually works best when revved a lot for longer durations. What it doesn't like are short trips at low revs.

MrGuy > -Amateur 08/19/2013 at 22:50

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After a case of "one of these things is not like the others," I had to look up the header image. Apparently it is a Mazda MXR-01, which was their car for 1992 in the World Sportscar Series. It was also based on the Jaguar XJR-14 and used a Judd V10. GTPlanet - What is this Mazda Racecar?

http://www.mulsannescorner.com/JaguarXJR-14.h…

Fezzasus > Blunion05 drives a pink S2000 (USER WAS BANNED FOR THIS POST) 08/20/2013 at 05:35

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But not exactly the point. Le Mans is a race of attrition, it's not the fastest car that wins.

thielepr > Fred Smith 08/20/2013 at 08:34

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You're kidding right??? Terrible engines for endurance racing??? Where did you get you facts?

Fred Smith > thielepr 08/20/2013 at 13:33

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History...

thielepr > Fred Smith 08/20/2013 at 15:15

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Do you know how many races Mazda won with the rotary engine. Inluding 22 races in Daytona 24 since 1975 to 2008

Fred Smith > thielepr 08/20/2013 at 16:39

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You know who they were competing against in GA GT, right? Nothing but tube framed Pontiacs badged as G6s and all-amateur Carrera Cup cars run by Kevin Buckler?

ThiagoM > -Amateur 08/20/2013 at 19:53

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Beautiful film grain

thielepr > Fred Smith 08/21/2013 at 07:34

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Yeah V8 pontiacs G6, GTO and Vettes too. FerrarF430 and more than 20 Porsche GT3. Plus, your first argument was about realibility of the engine which I prove you you just were worng. But I know you won't change your mind so Haters gone to hate right?

Fred Smith > thielepr 08/21/2013 at 12:44

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The G6, GTO and Corvette (and the current Stevenson Camaro, for that matter) are all the same car underneath and the 430s were useless. The Porsches were always fast at Daytona but two professionals to a TRG car of five was stretching it back then.

If you'd like to defend the engine, please use anything but Grand-Am results and I'll listen.

thielepr > Fred Smith 08/22/2013 at 08:01

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What about the other 21 races won on daytona?? So to defend the engine I have to use the type of race that you like??? I mean it doesn't even have to win to prove it's reliable, right? Haters...

JDIGGS > -Amateur 04/18/2014 at 23:18

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Saw these whip up on a few 962's at Laguna Seca last year, it was purely amazing.

JDIGGS > -Amateur 04/18/2014 at 23:27

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JDIGGS > -Amateur 04/18/2014 at 23:31

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rotorhead > -Amateur 05/22/2015 at 12:09

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To be fair the rotary is a race engine and all racing engines are not reliable they only last so long before they need rebuilds . The rotary engine is a reliable engine for racing this winnof le mans in 1991 proves it. Yes the peugeots and the mercedes had mechanical faliures and had to pull back . But look who didnt the rotary. And it pushed on full throttle for the win. Yes for street cars they arent reliable but as race engines there perfectly fine. Im a rotary lover so im probably biased but everyone has there right to there opinion .

v12mind > -Amateur 06/16/2015 at 10:51

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This is not a 787B. This is an MXR-01 that Mazda used after the changes in regulation. Pretty quick car, though.

zepplin > Axel-Ripper 08/11/2017 at 21:01

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Have to disagree. Where I recall the 787b was not a fast car compared the the best prototypes of the day, small, lightweight, reliable sports cars have been winning 24 hr races for decades. Many well known sports cars, such as ford gt40, porsche 917 were fast but unreliable early in their development. Which of course meant somebody else went on to win those races. Porsche really established their reputation with this approach. And those engine formulas you mention are hugely impactful if youre a manufacturer.