Mazda Motor Corporation announced that the Le Mans winning Mazda 787B will be conducting a demonstration run1 at the Centenary Anniversary of 24 Hours of Le Mans race. The 91st race is due to be held at Le Mans Sarthe Circuit in France from the 7th to the 11th of June, 2023.
The Mazda 787B, powered by a four-rotor rotary engine, became the first Japanese car to win the 59th 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1991. The ACO (Automobile Club de l’Ouest), the event organiser, invited us to conduct this demonstration run. Taking place on the 9th and 10th of June, the car will be driven by Yojiro Terada, who holds a record of 29 appearances at Le Mans.
To celebrate the 100th anniversary of 24 Hours of Le Mans, the winning race cars from previous years will be displayed at the Le Mans Museum, located close to the Circuit de la Sarthe, from the 1st of June until the 2nd of July. The Mazda 787B will also take part in demonstration runs on the short course in the evenings of the 9th and 10th of June before the 24 Hours race commences, where it will conduct a full-circuit demonstration run with other iconic Japanese Le Mans winning cars from Toyota Motor Corporation/TOYOTA Gazoo Racing. The Mazda 787B is also scheduled to demonstrate at the Le Mans Classic from the 30th of June to the 2nd of July.
During the Le Mans Centennial race week, there will also be a themed exhibition “Japan Endless Discovery”, a collaboration by the JNTO (Japan National Tourism Organization), Toyota and Mazda. In addition to promoting inbound tourism to Japan for spectators of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Japan’s carbon neutrality initiatives will be exhibited, and Mazda will present the MX-30 e-Skyactiv R-EV2 (European specification) equipped with the latest rotary engine technology that functions as an electric generator.
To achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, Mazda will continue research based on the company’s human-centered philosophy, create more stirring experiences for people to enjoy as they move about in their daily lives, and deliver greater enjoyment to everyday life, uplifting and energising people.
1 In case of rain or other poor weather conditions, the demonstration laps by Mazda 787B may be cancelled.
