Tag Archives: 24 Hours of Le Mans
Why SuperGT team owner Masahiro Kondo bought a first-gen Nissan March
To petrolheads Masahiko Kondo is best known as a racing driver and team manager. However, long before his motorsports career he was a teen heartthrob with his debut single Sneaker Blues shooting to number one in 1980 when Matchy, as … Continue reading
Toyota’s Le Mans livery pays homage to the legendary GT-One
Toyota has unveiled its liveries for the two cars it will enter in this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans. As it happens, 2025 marks Toyota’s 40th anniversary of Le Mans competition, which started with the Toyota 85C in 1985. … Continue reading
Lexus digital gauges mimics that of classic Toyota 2000GT, AE86, and more
At the Japan Mobility Show last year Lexus unveiled the LF-LZ, an electric flagship concept. We didn’t pay much attention to it at the time because looked like any number of EV concepts developed by various automakers over the last … Continue reading
Posted in News
Tagged 2000gt, 24 Hours of Le Mans, ae86, century, concepts, corolla levin, fj40, GR010, land cruiser, lexus, lfa, sprinter trueno, toyota
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Toyota GT-One arrives in Gran Turismo 7
Gran Turismo 7‘s latest update packs some serious horsepower. Notably, it marks the return of the Toyota GT-One, among the most beautiful and the most tragic Le Mans racers of the last 25 years. The 780-horsepower monster was a force … Continue reading
Watch a Toyota 85C Le Mans racer take on a touge road
The Toyota 85C was built for flying down the Mulsanne straight at 180 mph, not for slinging around winding roads in the Japanese mountains. The wild, 500-horsepower prototype is a rolling aero wedge. But there’s something exhilarating in watching a … Continue reading
Posted in motorsport
Tagged 24 Hours of Le Mans, 85C, advan, JSPC, Maniwa Speed Festival, Nob Taniguchi, porsche, Porsche 962, toyota
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Japan Automotive Hall of Fame welcomes Nissan 510 Bluebird, Mitsubishi Pajero, Mazda 787B, and more
The Japan Automotive Hall of Fame has announced the inductees that will honored in its Historic & Heritage Vehicles category. The vehicles chosen have each determined to have contributed to the development of Japan’s automobile industry and car culture, and … Continue reading
Posted in News
Tagged 24 Hours of Le Mans, 510, 787b, bluebird, datsun, japan automotive hall of fame, mazda, mitsubishi, nissan, otomo, pajero, prius, toyota
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Nissan R90CK that set “the greatest lap at Le Mans” is for sale
At the peak of Group C racing, this Nissan R90CK set what is considered one of the greatest laps in modern racing. At the qualifying session of the 1990 running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, newcomer Mark Blundell … Continue reading
Building a tiny Mazda 787B model in 1/87 scale
The 1991 Mazda 787B needs no introduction. Its iconic orange and green paint scheme is one of the most recognizable liveries ever to grace a Le Mans winner. Due to its historic nature countless models of this car have been … Continue reading
Toyota 85C back in action at the 2022 Le Mans Classic
Over the weekend the No.36 Toyota 85C raced again at Le Mans after first setting tire to asphalt there in 1985. As Toyota’s first factory entry for the famed 24-hour endurance race, the 85C is a pivotal car for the … Continue reading
Posted in motorsport
Tagged 24 Hours of Le Mans, 85C, group c, Kazuki Nakajima, Masanori Sekiya, Satoru Nakajima, toyota
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Toyota 85C at Le Mans links father-son racing dynasty
Over the weekend, Toyota won its fifth consecutive victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Just before the race, Le Mans tradition requires that the previous year’s winner bring back their trophy so it can be passed on to … Continue reading
Posted in motorsport
Tagged 24 Hours of Le Mans, dome, Kaoru Hoshino, Kazuki Nakajima, Masanori Sekiya, Satoru Nakajima, tom's, toyota
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Amazingly detailed Mazda 787B rotary engine model released for 30th anniversary of Le Mans win
This year marked the 30th anniversary of Mazda’s historic win at the 1991 24 Hours of Le Mans. To commemorate the 787B race car’s victory, Mazda aftermarket parts company MZ Racing has developed a highly detailed 1:6 scale model of … Continue reading
There’s now a Mazda 787B easter egg in the Mazda 2
It’s kind of a shame Americans don’t buy small, zippy hatchbacks anymore because the Mazda 2 by all accounts is an affordable car that is still pretty fun to drive. Even if it hadn’t been discontinued already, it was offered … Continue reading
Kunio Matsuura, Mr. Rotary Racing, led Mazda motorsports for 27 years to its 1991 Le Mans victory
Today marks the 30th anniversary of Mazda’s historic win at Le Mans with the iconic rotary-powered 787B. We have explored Mazda’s journey in this and other endurance racing events over the years, yet were only scratching the surface. The people … Continue reading
Posted in motorsport
Tagged 24 Hours of Daytona, 24 Hours of Le Mans, 787b, Fuji Grand Champion, Kenichi Yamamoto, Kunio Matsuura, mazda, rx-3, rx-7, sa22c, toyota 7
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VIDEO: A virtual tour of Toyota’s Motorsports Biography exhibit
The Toyota Automobile Museum’s excellent “Toyota Motorsport Biography: Everlasting Challenge Spirit” exhibit is scheduled to end on April 11. Sadly, travel restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic have prevented most overseas travelers from seeing it in person. However, the museum … Continue reading
Posted in museums
Tagged 2000gt, 24 Hours of Le Mans, 89C, celica, crown, imsa, mobilgas trial, s30, T165, TF109, toyota, toyota 7, Toyota Automobile Muesum, TS020
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Restoration of the Mazda 737C Le Mans race car has begun
This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Mazda 787B’s historic win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. To commemorate the occasion one of its predecessors, the 1985 737C, is undergoing restoration. Last week in Hiroshima, technicians began disassembling … Continue reading
Posted in motorsport
Tagged 24 Hours of Le Mans, 737C, mazda, Takashi Yorino, yojiro terada, Yoshimi Katayama
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100 YEAR CLUB: Mazda, Part 03
Among automotive journalists, including many of us here at JNC, Mazda has long occupied a special place in our hearts. To this day, their cars just tick for us. Why? As we near the end of the year that marks … Continue reading
Posted in 100 Year Club
Tagged 24 Hours of Daytona, 24 Hours of Le Mans, 787b, autozam, az-1, cosmo, Cosmo JC, eunos roadster, fd3s, kei, mazda, mazda 3, miata, Miata NA, Miata ND, Millenia, mx-5, rotary engine, rx-7, rx-8, RX-Vision
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The Toyota Automobile Museum has opened a “Motorsport Biography” exhibit
“A harsh environment of competition toughens our people and cars,” said Toyota Motor founder Kiichiro Toyoda once said. It’s a quote framing the Toyota Automobile Museum in Aichi, Japan’s newly opened an exhibit highlighting some of the company’s historic race … Continue reading
Posted in Galleries
Tagged 2000gt, 24 Hours of Le Mans, 89C, celica, crown, imsa, mobilgas trial, s30, T165, TF109, toyota, toyota 7, Toyota Automobile Muesum, TS020
7 Comments
Toyota sees the new Z and would like to remind you about the GR Super Sport
You might have heard that over the weekend, Toyota won the 24 Hours of Le Mans for the third time in a row. It’s a tremendous feat, even if it ran largely unopposed by any other automaker. Toyota also took … Continue reading
VIDEO: Mazda racing liveries, animated
Mazda UK has released a new video called “Our Greatest Motorsport Liveries” to honor its 100th Anniversary. The short animated movie goes through several of the company’s famous racing colorways, varying from the Group B RX-7 to the renowned (ha!) … Continue reading
Posted in motorsport
Tagged 24 Hours of Le Mans, 323 GTX, 787b, familia, fc3s, imsa, mazda, mazda 6, RT24-P, rx-7, rx-792p, sa22c, Xedos 6
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100 YEAR CLUB: Mazda, Part 01
Exactly 100 years ago today, on January 30, 1920, Toyo Cork Kogyo was founded. This company, whose name translates to Oriental Cork Industries, would go on to build cars under the name Mazda. Thus, today marks the 100th anniversary of … Continue reading
