The iconic Mazda 787B that won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1991 will take part in a demonstration run at this year’s event, running from June 7-11 at the famed Circuit de la Sarthe in France.
When the 787B claimed victory at Le Mans in 1991, it became the first Japanese car to ever do so. Driving the 787B in the demonstration run will be Yojiro Terada who has competed at Le Mans 29 times throughout his career.
Demonstration runs featuring the 787B will be conducted on June 9 and June 10. A number of other previous winners from the 24 Hours of Le Mans will complete demonstration runs throughout the course of weekend to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the world’s most famous endurance race. The 787B will also be on display at the Le Mans Museum and will also participate in a demonstration run at the Le Mans Classic event running from June 30 to July 2.
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This year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans will also host a themed exhibition dubbed ‘Japan Endless Discovery’ organized in partnership with the Japan National Tourism Organisation, Toyota, and Mazda. The exhibition will promote inbound tourism to Japan for attendees at the endurance race while also showcasing Japan’s carbon neutrality initiatives and the new Mazda MX-30 e-Skyactiv r-EV that has revived the iconic rotary engine for use as a range extender.
Mazda has a long and proud association with the 24 Hours of Le Mans. It got its first taste of the event in 1970 when it supplied the engine to the Chevron B16. It then provided the engine for the Sigma MC74 at the 1974 edition of the race before Mazda Auto Tokyo raced with its own specially-built RX-7 in 1979. Mazda would go on to compete in Le Mans from 1981 until 1992.