Mazda Fans Show Love to the Rotary During Festa

If we look back at Mazda’s history, we can see that it was a very different company that was focused on dominating race tracks both domestically and internationally. To celebrate the past and present of Mazda Motor Corporation, the Mazda Fan Festa was held at Fuji Speedway last weekend.

The 1991 24 Hours of Le Mans race is an achievement that cannot be overlooked when commemorating Mazda’s history. This year, Le Mans celebrated its 100th anniversary, making it an extra-special occasion for Mazda to showcase its 1991 race-winning 787B at the Mazda Fan Festa.

In the official centenary celebrations at Circuit de la Sarthe in France, the 787B was part of a special winning cars parade. The R26B-powered sports car also made an appearance at the Mazda Fan Festa, alongside other Mazdas that had previously participated in the greatest endurance race of all time and other significant events around the world. As the only rotary-powered vehicle to ever win Le Mans, the 787B demonstrated just how far Mazda’s engineers pushed the Wankel engine.

Mazda brought together a team of rotary tuners and associated aftermarket parts manufacturers to participate in the celebrations at the Mazda Fan Festa. These included purveyors of wheels, tyres, brakes, suspension, and seats, who set up stalls alongside rotary tuning legends such as RE Amemiya and Fujita Engineering (FEED). In addition to the Le Mans cars on display, this made for an unforgettable experience for Mazda enthusiasts.

It can be easy to miss out on some of the things on display and other activities at events like the Mazda Fan Festa. For those who prefer quieter corners away from the crowds, it’s not uncommon to find some weird and wonderful cars that often go unnoticed by the masses. On hot days like this one, taking a break in the shade with a cold drink in hand can also be a welcome respite. With so much to see and do, it’s no surprise that some displays and activities can be overlooked, such as the display of factory-restored RX-7s, the ‘Become An Engineer Experience’ for kids, the ‘Try!! Mazda RC School’, the ‘Akita Dog Interaction Corner’, and the ‘Clay Modeling Experience’. Nonetheless, those who attended the event were treated to a memorable experience, with plenty of exciting things to see and do.

In addition to the displays and activities, a decent grid of historic Mazda race cars was on show at the Mazda Fan Festa. These cars not only made for an impressive sight on display, but they also had several parade runs and friendly laps around Fuji Speedway, providing an opportunity for attendees to see these legendary machines in action.

During the 1970s, rotary Mazdas were some of the best-looking and best-performing cars in the Japanese Touring Car Championship (JTCC). It was a treat for attendees at the Mazda Fan Festa to see R100s and RX-3s in action, some 50 years after they first competed in the championship, at the original venue where they made their debut.

There’s no better way to celebrate these legendary cars than by letting them loose on the track, with engines revving and drivers grinning from ear to ear as they relive the raw atmosphere of yesteryear. A living, breathing museum like the Mazda Fan Festa is so much better than a static one, providing attendees with an authentic experience that brings Mazda’s motorsport history to life.

The Rotary engine sadly went out of production in 2012, last seen in the RX-8. However, even though it is no longer used in any new models, the Rotary engine never really went away. The factory that built the Mazda Rotary remains largely unchanged, with a small team of skilled machinists still making parts by hand on many of the same machines used to build the original engines. This is a testament to the innovation and ingenuity of the early Mazda Rotary engineers, and a reminder of the impact that their work had on Mazda’s history.

The story of Mazda’s Rotary engine gets even more remarkable, with the engine being resurrected after a 10-year hiatus. True to its slogan of ‘Unrelenting Challenge’, Mazda’s engineers have successfully combined the Rotary engine with an EV powertrain, using the compact Rotary engine as a power generator to recharge the batteries of the new MX-30. While this may seem like a bit of a letdown for the engine that once powered modern classics like the RX-7, and in 4-rotor configuration, the 787B, it is still impressive that the Rotary engine gets to live on in some form, even if it is as a kind of hand servant to an EV motor.

Photo Source: Mazda Newsroom Japan