Makes › Mazda › 787B · Coachbuilt · 1991 Ultra Rare
Mazda
787B
The Group C Mazda 787B that won the 1991 Le Mans 24 Hours; three cars built.
Still being researched: identification guide, full specifications. Everything shown is checked against the cited sources. Know more? Send us a source.
Photo: Aos.1905 · CC BY 4.0
Contents
01Overview
At a glance
- Built
- 3 Built
- Years
- 1991
- Engine
- Four-rotor rotary, Mazda R26B · 2,600 cc / 2.6 LFactory: 2.6 L
- Power
- Not yet verified
- Top speed
- Not yet verified
- Body
- Not yet verified
- Designer
- Nigel Stroud for Mazdaspeed
- In this archive
- Not yet verified
- Surviving
- Not yet verified
Sources and any conflicting figures are in the sections below.
Why it matters
The 787B is the only Japanese car, and the only car with a non-piston engine, to have won the Le Mans 24 Hours. Its 1991 win was also the first for carbon-ceramic brakes.
How rare is it?
Six separate kinds of rarity – never combined into one number.
Each kind of rarity is rated separately and never combined.
Photos
Exterior, interior and detail photos with their licences.
Mazda 787B (Wikimedia Commons search)
Photo: Aos.1905 · CC BY 4.0
Mazda 787B (Wikimedia Commons search)
Photo: Andrew Basterfield · CC BY-SA 2.0
Mazda 787B (Wikimedia Commons search)
Photo: NAParish · CC BY-SA 2.0
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02Production & history
Production
Every figure says what it counts.
| What is counted | Figure | Basis | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total model productionMazda 787B cars built (a third replaced the Le Mans winner for the remaining rounds) | 31 | Factory production | Independently researched |
Independent counts (e.g. engine and colour) are never combined into a calculated figure. Surviving examples are never presented as original production.
History
Three 787Bs were built. At Le Mans in 1991 the orange and green #55 car, driven by Johnny Herbert, Volker Weidler and Bertrand Gachot, inherited the lead from a delayed Sauber and won, with the other two Mazdas finishing 6th and 8th. The winning car was returned to Japan and disassembled in front of the media, and a third 787B was built to replace it in the remaining championship rounds.
Variants
How each version differs from the standard 787B.
No variants documented yet. Have a source? Contribute it.
03Specifications
Technical specifications
Engine
| Engine family | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| Engine code | R26B2 Independently researched |
| Layout | Four-rotor rotary, Mazda R26B3 Independently researched |
| Displacement | 2,600 cc / 2.6 LFactory: 2.6 L3 Independently researched |
| Bore | Not yet verified |
| Stroke | Not yet verified |
| Compression ratio | Not yet verified |
| Fuel system | Not yet verified |
| Induction | Variable-length intake (multi-step on the R26B)2 Independently researched |
| Power | Not yet verified |
| Power at | Not yet verified |
| Torque | Not yet verified |
Transmission & drivetrain
| Gearbox | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| Gears | Not yet verified |
| Driven wheels | Not yet verified |
Chassis, body & dimensions
| Chassis | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| Front suspension | Not yet verified |
| Rear suspension | Not yet verified |
| Brakes | Carbon-ceramic brakes4 Independently researched |
| Steering | Not yet verified |
| Body construction | Not yet verified |
| Wheelbase | Not yet verified |
| Length | Not yet verified |
| Width | Not yet verified |
| Height | Not yet verified |
| Front track | Not yet verified |
| Rear track | Not yet verified |
| Kerb weight | Not yet verified |
| Dry weight | Not yet verified |
Performance
| Maximum speed | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| 0–100 km/h | Not yet verified |
| Fuel tank | Not yet verified |
“Not yet verified” means no source has been checked for that value yet. Nothing is estimated to fill a gap.
04Colours & options
Factory colours & interiors
Original paint and trim, with the number of cars in each where a source gives it.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Factory options & codes
Codes are shown exactly as written by the manufacturer.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
05Individual cars
Chassis register
Every documented car, with its colours, history and where it is now. Open a row for the full record. Known chassis are not automatically authenticated originals.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Competition history
Every race result of the individual cars, in date order. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Auction & sale history
Documented public sales of the individual cars. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
See one in person
Museums where an example of this car can be seen.
No example is documented on public display yet. Have a source? Contribute it.
06Reference
Identification guide
How to tell an original from a replica or later conversion.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Sources
Each number links to the exact facts it supports.
-
1
1991 Mazda 787B, Ultimatecarpage.com Level C
- 3 Mazda 787B cars built (a third replaced the Le Mans winner for the remaining rounds)
-
2
The Mazda 787B Had a Wild Variable-Length Intake System Level C Road & Track
- a four-rotor engine, the R26B
- upgrading to a multi-step intake for the R26B
-
3
IMSA Mazda reveals Le Mans tribute liveries Level C Racer
- powered by 2.6-liter, four-rotor Mazda R26B rotary engines
- 2.6-liter, four-rotor Mazda R26B rotary engines
-
4
1991 Mazda 787B - Images, Specifications and Information Level C Ultimatecarpage.com
- the first with carbon-ceramic brakes
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