Mazda 787B JSPC GTP Mazdaspeed Efini #201 Johnny Herbert/Bertrand Gachot 1991

[JR98]

The Mazda 787B was Mazda's Group C racecar and is to this day the only Japanese (and Rotary engined) car to ever win at Le Mans. It competed in the All Japan Sports Prototype Championship (JSPC) and the World Sportscar Championship (WSC) under Mazdaspeed. The car was built to both the FIA Group C2 regulations as well as the IMSA's GTP regulations. It was the last rotary powered racing car to race in both these championships, powered by the R26B. A total of two 787s were constructed in 1990, while three newer specification 787Bs were built in 1991.

Although the 787B lacked the single lap pace of World Championship competitors such as Mercedes, Jaguar, and Porsche, as well as Japanese Championship competitors Nissan and Toyota, the Mazdas had reliability which allowed them to contend for their respective championships. The reliability of the cars eventually paid off in 1991 when a 787B driven by Johnny Herbert, Volker Weidler, and Bertrand Gachot went on to victory at the 1991 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Team Oreca were in charge of Mazda's WSC campaign. While 2 cars ran in the JSPC like 1990, a third car would be entered for the WSC, driven by David Kennedy, Maurizio Sandro Sala and Pierre Dieudonne. Jacky Ickx (Mazdaspeed Team Consultant) were able to convince the FIA that the 787B's should run a lower weight than the rest of the field, with the car weighing 890KG instead of the 1000KM Requirement for the rest of the C2 class.

In the WSC the 787B ran in the C2 class while it ran in the top GTP class in the JSPC.

This car is not the world famous #55 Renown car that took victory in 1991 (as that car is already in GT), but this is the car that ran 2 races in the JSPC, sporting Efini colours, driven by the same drivers who took the #55 to a win at Le Mans.

Specifications:
Body: Closed Prototype Racing Car
Engine: Mazda "R26B" 4-Rotor 2.6 Rotary
Power: 930HP @ 10500RPM (700HP in Race Spec)
Torque: 610NM @ 6500RPM
Weight: 830KG

JSPC 1991 Finishes:
Fuji 500 Miles - 4th
Fuji 1000KM - 4th

 

[JKgo]

...Voted, but couldn't find a pic that wasn't of a toy?

 

[JR98]

...Voted, but couldn't find a pic that wasn't of a toy?

No. I have searched and have not found a single picture of the real car. RacingSportsCars has the car listed as being in 2 races at Fuji but there's no image of the car anywhere. I've also tried various searches on Google images, but everything is either of a scale model or the wrong livery (either the #55 Renown or the #56 Mazda).

 

[JKgo]

No. I have searched and have not found a single picture of the real car. RacingSportsCars has the car listed as being in 2 races at Fuji but there's no image of the car anywhere. I've also tried various searches on Google images, but everything is either of a scale model or the wrong livery (either the #55 Renown or the #56 Mazda).

...If I remember correctly, someone made a custom livery for this car in Assetto Corsa that looks exactly like this. If all else fails, why not paste that picture instead?

 

[JR98]

...If I remember correctly, someone made a custom livery for this car in Assetto Corsa that looks exactly like this. If all else fails, why not paste that picture instead?

Found it, added screenshots to OP.

Also, in searching for that I did find 1 picture of the real car. It's super small though.

 

[The87Dodge]

This livery is almost as good as the 787B'S. Voted.