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Endurance · Racing

Mazda 787B

Nigel Stroud · 1991

Le Mans wasn’t won on power — it was won on not breaking.

Worth your time?4.5/5Yes.Drive the whole thing.What works, what does not, who it is for ↓
11:12in productionCh. 1 · Dual-regulation machine/ 11:12 · ceiling 15 min
6 chapters · 11:12Ceiling 15:00

The brief is written and checked. The video joins this page when it is cut.6 chapters · 2 min read · 11:12 planned

Read the brief

The Mazda 787B is a Group C sports prototype that won the 1991 24 Hours of Le Mans using a Wankel rotary engine — the only non-reciprocating engine car to do so as of 2026. Built between 1990 and 1991, five units were made: two 787s and three 787Bs. It prioritised reliability and fuel efficiency over outright speed, outlasting faster rivals. It marked the end of rotary power in top-tier endurance racing. It was the first Le Mans win by a Japanese manufacturer — unmatched until Toyota in 2018.

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Chapters & takeaways6
  1. 0:57
    Dual-regulation machine

    It was built to two rulebooks at once — Group C and GTP — and was the last rotary to race under either.

  2. 2:25
    Reliability as weapon

    It lost every qualifying session — then outlasted everyone.

  3. 3:52
    The 1991 Le Mans anomaly

    One win. One manufacturer. One engine type — and no repeat since.

  4. 5:02
    Still alone

    As of 2026, no non-reciprocating engine has won Le Mans again.

  5. 6:22
    Five machines, one mission

    Five cars total. Two 787s. Three 787Bs. All built between 1990 and 1991.

  6. 7:26
    End of the rotor

    The rotary’s final top-tier endurance appearance — and its only Le Mans win.

3 more chaptersFewer chapters
Worth your time?

Yes. Drive the whole thing.

4.5/ 5
What works
  • delivered exceptional reliability
  • proved non-reciprocating engines viable in 24-hour racing
  • redefined endurance success as durability over speed
What does not
  • match single-lap pace of rivals
  • win championships beyond Le Mans
  • continue rotary use in top-tier racing after 1991
Drive it if
  • engineers studying combustion alternatives
  • endurance racers valuing consistency
Skip it if
  • fans of raw acceleration
  • those who equate performance with peak power
Who should drive it, and who should skipHide who it is for
The written brief2 min read

What the car is and where it came from

The Mazda 787B is a Group C sports prototype racing car developed by Mazda between 1990 and 1991. Two 787s were built in 1990. Three 787Bs were built in 1991. It replaced the 767’s 13J Wankel engine with the new R26B.

How it works, in terms someone would actually use

It is a mid-engined Group C sports prototype. It uses a Wankel rotary engine — the R26B — instead of a reciprocating piston engine. Its construction combines carbon and Kevlar composites. It was built to comply with both FISA Group C and IMSA GTP regulations.

What it gets right

It delivered exceptional reliability and fuel efficiency. It solved for endurance over sprinting. It made the R26B rotary engine viable in a full-race, 24-hour context. It used lightweight composite construction to offset the rotary’s thermal and durability challenges.

What it does not

It did not match the single-lap pace of rivals like Mercedes-Benz, Jaguar, Porsche, Nissan or Toyota. It did not sustain rotary powertrains beyond 1991 in Group C or IMSA GTP. It did not win any championship other than the 1991 24 Hours of Le Mans.

What it changed

It ended rotary-powered competition in top-tier endurance racing. It proved a non-reciprocating engine could win Le Mans outright. It redefined what endurance racing success looked like: not fastest lap, but most laps completed without failure.

Who it is for, and who it is not

It is for engineers who study thermal management and combustion alternatives. It is for endurance racers who prioritise consistency over headline speed. It is not for fans of raw acceleration or mechanical drama. It is not for those who equate performance with peak power.

Is it worth your time

Yes. It is the only non-reciprocating engine car to win Le Mans as of 2026. It remains the sole Japanese manufacturer victory at Le Mans until Toyota’s 2018 win. Its engineering logic — reliability and fuel efficiency over peak speed — is legible, specific, and historically consequential.

Same garage · Endurance4 of 16
9:18
Sauber C9Leo Ress · 1987The Sauber C9 is a 1987 Group C prototype. It replaced the C8. It was a development of the C8, retaining its aluminium monocoque but making it stiffer. Six chassis were built. Early engines were prepared by Heini Mader as a cover for Mercedes’ involvement. Later engines came from Untertürkheim under Hermann Hiereth. The engine was semi-stressed and ran a dry sump. Weight reduction came from a new crankshaft, KKK turbochargers, and a liner-less block.
10:00
Toyota GT-OneAndré de Cortanze · 1998The Toyota GT-One (TS020) is a Le Mans-specific racing car designed by André de Cortanze for Toyota Team Europe. It ran under Group GT1 and later LMGTP regulations in 1998 and 1999. Seven chassis were built. Two road-legal versions satisfied homologation. Its twin-turbo 3.6 L R36V V8 was derived from Toyota’s Group C programme. Only two cars finished Le Mans — LM804 in 1999 and LM805 in 1998. The programme ended after 1999.
10:26
Jaguar XJR-9Tony Southgate · 1988The Jaguar XJR-9 is a sports-prototype race car designed by Tony Southgate and built by Tom Walkinshaw Racing (TWR) in 1988. It features a Jaguar 7.0-litre V12 engine, carbon composite body, and mid-mounted, longitudinally oriented, rear-wheel-drive layout. A Le Mans–specific variant, the XJR-9LM, used a low-drag aerodynamic package. It won the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the 24 Hours of Daytona in 1988, and took six victories in the 1988 World Sports Prototype Championship.
9:30
Porsche 956Norbert Singer · 1982The Porsche 956 is a Group C sports-prototype racing car designed by Norbert Singer and built by Porsche in 1982 to comply with new FIA Group C regulations. It replaced the 936. It features Porsche’s first aluminium monocoque chassis and first ground-effect aerodynamics. It uses a 2.65 L turbocharged Flat-6 engine derived from the 936/81. Twenty-eight units were built between 1982 and 1984, including the 956B variant introduced in 1984. It won seven Le Mans titles and contributed to three Manufacturers’ and two Teams’ World Championships between 1982 and 1986.
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