The Mazda

Mazda

is a Japanese automotive manufacturer based in Fuchū, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan.In 2007, Mazda produced almost 1.3 million vehicles for global sales...

 757 was a prototype racing car built by Mazdaspeed

Mazdaspeed

Mazdaspeed is Mazda's in-house race and street car tuning arm. It began in 1968 as "Mazda Sports Corner", a tuning and racing operation run by Takayoshi Ohashi, who also ran Mazda's Tokyo distributor...

 for the 24 Hours of Le Mans

24 Hours of Le Mans

The 24 Hours of Le Mans is the world's oldest sports car race in endurance racing, held annually since near the town of Le Mans, France. Commonly known as the Grand Prix of Endurance and Efficiency, race teams have to balance speed against the cars' ability to run for 24 hours without sustaining...

 running under the IMSA

International Motor Sports Association

The International Motor Sports Association is an American sports car auto racing sanctioning body based in Braselton, Georgia. It was started by John Bishop, a former employee of SCCA , and his wife Peggy in 1969 with help from Bill France, Sr...

-spec GTP

IMSA GT Championship

IMSA GT was a sports car racing series organized by International Motor Sports Association. Races took place primarily in the United States and occasionally in Canada.-History:...

 class. It replaced the previous lineage of Group C2 class cars which ended with the 737C and was the first chassis built entirely by Mazdaspeed and designed by Nigel Stroud. The 757 used a new 3-rotor 13G Wankel engine

Wankel engine

The Wankel engine is a type of internal combustion engine using an eccentric rotary design to convert pressure into a rotating motion instead of using reciprocating pistons. Its four-stroke cycle takes place in a space between the inside of an oval-like epitrochoid-shaped housing and a rotor that...

.

Two 757s entered the 1986 24 Hours of Le Mans

1986 24 Hours of Le Mans

The 1986 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 54th Grand Prix of Endurance as well as the third round of the 1986 World Sports-Prototype Championship. It took place on May 31 and June 1, 1986.-Pre-race:...

, but both failed to finish the race due to gearbox problems, marking the first time Mazdaspeed had failed to finish at Le Mans. In the All Japan Sports Prototype Championship

All Japan Sports Prototype Championship

The , abbreviated as JSPC, formed by the Japanese Automobile Federation, was a domestic championship which took place in Japan for Group C and IMSA GTP prototype cars and also featured cars that were eligible for touring car racing in its earlier years...

 season, Mazda was able to come home 3rd in the manufacturer's championship. For 1987

1987 24 Hours of Le Mans

The 1987 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 55th Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on June 13 and 14 1987. It was also the fifth round of the 1987 World Sports-Prototype Championship.-Track alterations:...

, two 757s were again entered, with one finishing 7th overall while the other suffered engine failure. Along with a good result at the joint World Sportscar Championship

World Sportscar Championship

The World Sportscar Championship was the world series run for sports car racing by the FIA from 1953 to 1992.The championship evolved from a small collection of the most important sportscar, endurance and road racing events in Europe and North America with dozens of gentleman drivers at the grid,...

 and All Japan Sports Prototype Championship

All Japan Sports Prototype Championship

The , abbreviated as JSPC, formed by the Japanese Automobile Federation, was a domestic championship which took place in Japan for Group C and IMSA GTP prototype cars and also featured cars that were eligible for touring car racing in its earlier years...

 event at Fuji

Fuji Speedway

is a race track standing in the foothills of Mount Fuji, in Oyama, Suntō District, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. It was built in the early 1960s and hosted the first Formula One race in Japan in 1976. In the 1980s, Fuji Speedway was used for the FIA World Sportscar Championship and national racing...

, Mazdaspeed

Mazdaspeed

Mazdaspeed is Mazda's in-house race and street car tuning arm. It began in 1968 as "Mazda Sports Corner", a tuning and racing operation run by Takayoshi Ohashi, who also ran Mazda's Tokyo distributor...

 was able to achieve 10th in the teams championship for WSC and 3rd in the manufacturer's championship for JSPC. A lone 757 was brought out again for 1988

1988 24 Hours of Le Mans

The 1988 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 56th Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on June 11 and 12 1988. It was also the fifth round of the World Sports-Prototype Championship season.-Race:...

 alongside two newer 767s

Mazda 767

thumb|300px|right|Mazda 767B Central Circuit, Hyōgo PrefectureThe Mazda 767/767B were prototype racing cars built by Mazdaspeed for the 24 Hours of Le Mans running under the IMSA-spec GTP class...

and was able to beat both 767s to place 15th overall.