Mazda 787B

The Mazda 787B was developed in 1990 by the Japanese company Mazda Speed ​​sports car prototype with a 4- rotor rotary engine. The weight of the vehicle was 830 kg. The Wankel engine with the designation 26B and special sealing strips of silicon nitride brought a capacity of over 515 kW ( 700 hp) at 9,000 min -1 from 2.6 liters chamber volume.

The car won the 1991 24 Hours of Le Mans with drivers Volker Weidler, Johnny Herbert and Bertrand Gachot after a running distance of 4922.81 km with an average speed of 205.333 km / h It was so far the only total victory of Japanese cars and the only success with a driven rotary engine car in this race and thus has historical value, but was never used by Mazda significantly to enhance brand image or engine concept.

Precursor of 787B were from 1983 different types, starting at 717C (as successor to current Mazda RX -7 racing versions ); all with Wankel engines and inserts in Le Mans, some with class wins. After the FIA the Regulations for 1992 to be continuously changed that vehicles with rotary engine like the Mazda 787B no longer allowed to compete in this class of motorsports, Mazda discontinued the development and bought at TWR the 1991's Jaguar XJR -14 chassis, which were slightly modified as group C sports cars were now called to Mazda MXR -01. This Mazda took a less than successful year participating in the World Sportscar Championship before officially retired the end of 1992 from motorsport.