LeMans Class Winning Mazda 757::
Following failed LeMans attempts with the 737 C2 and in C1 with
the March 84G dual-rotor turbo combination, Mazda decided to entrust
Nigel Stroud with the design of a new chassis to IMSA specifications.
The advantage of this category was to make it possible for the Japanese
manufacturer to compete both in the world prototype championships
and in IMSA with only the most minor of modifications.
The monocoque was constructed of honeycomb aluminium and carbon
fibre with a carbon fibre body under which housed the very newest
three-rotor powerplant. The five speed transmission was of Porsche
origin and was lightly modified by Mazdaspeed.
For 1986, the program of the 757 was somewhat limited though it
did compete in three different world championships. Running in the
IMSA class, the car finished its first race sixteenth overall at
Silverstone, piloted by Kennedy and Terada. At the 1986 24 hours
of LeMans neither of the Mazda prototypes made it to the halfway
point, both giving up due to transmission difficulties. Later that
year, the two 757s competed at the 1000 km of Fuji, where they finish
thirteenth and fifteenth.
In the JSPC, the two 757s campaigned by Mazdaspeed moved regularly
between the fifth and sixth places. At the last race of the championship,
Katayama and Terada obtained their best result of the season, finishing
fourth.
In 1987, two 757s (nearly identical to the 1986 version) made their
return in the Sarthe. Though the team of Terada, Yorino and Katayama
withdrew after only 4 hours the team of Kennedy, Galvin and Dieudonné
completed the race in a wonderful seventh place, the best result
yet for Mazda at LeMans.
For 1988, Mazdaspeed decided to focus its efforts on a move to
the larger displacement 767 while assigning responsibility for campaigning
the 757 to Team Shizumatsu Racing. In yet another bit of racing
irony, the 757 number 203 (chassis number 104) managed to outlast
the 767 and all other competitors in the IMSA class to bring Mazda
its first ever class victory in the 24 Hours of LeMans.
In 1991, the lessons learned with the 757 program produced the
ultimate result for Mazda with an overall win at the 24 hours of
LeMans with the 787B - still Japan's only victory at the 24 hour
classic.
Specifications:
Engine: 3 rotor Mazda displacing 654cc per rotor
Displacement: 1962 cc
Horsepower: approximately 480 @ 8,500 rpm
Gearbox: Porsche 5 speed synchro maodified by Mazdaspeed
Steering: rack and pinion
Suspension
Front: double wishbone, pushrod operated coilspring/dampner
unit
Rear: double wishbone, pushrod operated coilspring/dampner
unit
Wheels: magnesium alloy; front 16 in. x 11.5in., Rear 16
in. x 14.5 in.
Dimensions: length 4550 mm, width: 1980 mm, height: 1010
mm, wheelbase: 2580 mm
Weight: 795 kgs (with ballast per regulations)
-- SOLD --
|