My GT7 Log: Japan's Le Mans heroes

It's Le Mans D-Day and what better way to celebrate this year's endurance racing event than looking back at the Japanese racers that conquered Le Mans; the Mazda 787B and the modern-day defending champion, the Toyota GR010 Hybrid.

Mazda became the first Japanese carmaker to win Le Mans but thirty years later, Toyota became the first Japanese carmaker to win Le Mans four times. As Toyota gunning for its fifth Le Mans win, amid rising tensions against Alpine, let's get to know Japan's Le Mans heroes from the 787B of the Heisei era to the GR010 HYBRID of the Reiwa era, the machines that cemented both Japanese carmakers to the asphalts of Le Mans.

Let's begin with the Mazda 787B, a fan favorite since its appearance in Gran Turismo 3 A-SPEC. Built as an improved version of the 787, it features the same R26B 4-rotor Wankel engine from its predecessor which produces up to 690HP of power. Aside from that, it features carbon-fiber bodywork which resulted in a light, rigid body structure and other improvements. In the 1991 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race, Mazda sent two 787B machines with the race-winning #55 car driven by Bertrand Gachot, Johnny Herbert, and Volker Weider. The 787B not only became the first Japanese-manufactured race car to win Le Mans, but it's also the first-and-only rotary-powered race car to win the said endurance race.

Now, let's get to know the GR010 HYBRID, the defending champion of the FIA WEC's Hypercar class. Following the success of their LMP1-class TS050, which propelled Toyota Gazoo Racing to three straight overall titles at Le Mans, Toyota created this competitor to the new Hypercar class, which replaced the LMP1 class after the 2020 season. Complying with Hypercar regulations, the GR010 is powered by a 3.5L V6 twin-turbo engine mated to an electric motor that powers the front wheels, making it a 4WD machine where the petrol engine powers the rear wheels while the electric motor takes care of the front, a drastic change compared to its LMP1 predecessor. Toyota defended its Le Mans success in the new Hypercar class with the #7 Toyota Gazoo Racing car emerging as the winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, making it its fourth win in a row.

With their quick intro done, it's time to find out which of these Japanese Le Mans heroes is the best. It's the showdown between the Heisei-era racer and the Reiwa-era racer on the most iconic endurance battlefield they've left their marks on. It's a showcase to demonstrate how much Japan has evolved in the world of Le Mans from Mazda's first win at Le Mans to Toyota's four-time winning streak. It's the master versus its associate, whatever it's called. Anyway, no time for words, let's roll the tape.

After a quick lap in Le Mans, here are the results;

787B - 3:43.816

GR010 - 3:40.855

It's a near-three-second gap between them and the GR010 truly is hyper after all.

From the 787B to the GR010 HYBRID, it's proof that Japan is the rising star in Le Mans. As Europe's finest carmakers are coming back stronger and faster than ever, looks like Toyota's position is on the line but no matter the circumstances, I'm glad Toyota made a huge impact at Le Mans since its first win. Although its winning streak doesn't last forever like the rest of the world, at least it left a lasting legacy in the world of endurance racing.

Wishing Toyota Gazoo Racing the best of luck on their Le Mans endeavor today!