Video: The Mazda 787B sings at Le Mans

01st September 2022

James King

What’s the best sounding racing car of all time? No, you’re incorrect. It is in fact the Mazda 787B. Sure, you may think that the BRM V16 or V10 era F1 cars produce engine sounds that are not of this earth, but at full tilt, there is nothing that raises the hairs on the back of our necks more than the howling banshee that is the 1991 Le Mans winner.

There’s a famous shot from the Mulsanne straight as you see all of the Group C cars flooding toward you with the faint sound of a helicopter in the background. It’s utter bliss for any motorsport fan, but as you hear the sounds of the Sauber C9s and the Silk Cut Jaguars whizzing by, a flash of orange appears and you hear the 2.6-litre R26B 4-rotor engine’s high-pitched scream above all the others.

Well, in the video we have for you today, it’s all about the Mazda as it has the track to itself at the Le Mans Classic. Even at low speeds, the engine sounds like it’s on the edge desperate to go flat out. You may have to ignore short moments of Sweet Home Alabama playing over the tannoy, but even Lynyrd Skynyrd can’t steal the thunder of the most successful Japanese Group C car of all time.

Where does the 787B rank on your favourite racing cars of all time? (Because we’ve already established it’s the best sounding, unless you can think of another.)

Welcome to Goodwood Elevenses, a mid-morning helping of motoring-related amusement to help break up your day. Watch the last video: Classic DTM cars absolutely tearing round the Nürburgring

Image courtesy of Motorsport Images.