Mazda 787B Rotary Engined 1991 Le Mans Winner Video. Listen To The Noise.

The Mazda 787B rotary engined Le Mans winner was the first Asian manufactured car to take the title. Not only that, it was the first non piston powered car to win too.

The noise this car makes is highly distinctive. If you’ve ever heard one you’ll know what I mean. If you haven’t then there is an opportunity courtesty of Mazda with two videos of the restored 787B. One in testing at the Mine proving ground following it’s restoration.

Then, twenty years after the Le Mans win, in 2011 Johnny Herbert was re-united with the car and took it for a spin around the Circuit de la Sarthe.

The Mazda 787B was unique with it’s 2.6L 4 rotor engine. This engine developed around 700bhp at 9000rpm. That was in race trim as 900bhp was possible, but not for long periods. The reduced output was suitable for the 24 hour race.

Being of Kevlar and Carbon Fibre construction the car weighed only 830kg, or 1830lb. However, this didn’t make the car quite as quick as the cars from Mercedes or Jaguar. But the car was reliable. Consistently putting in the laps the car finished some 2 laps ahead of the second placed Jaguar.

Volker Weidler, Johnny Herbert and Bertrand Gachot made Le Mans history on the 23 June 1991.