Photo : - Mazda

The Swiss subsidiary of the Japanese manufacturer Mazda is launching a limited edition of its sports convertible to celebrate the twentieth anniversary of winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

The Mazda MX-5 Sport is equipped with a 2 litre engine producing160 hp, mated to a six-speed gearbox and a sport suspension. It also has a commemorative logo specific to this model, and a numbered plaque as a reminder of its exclusive character. Only available in the Swiss market, it is called MX-5 55 Le Mans, with reference to the racing prototype Mazda 787 B, winner at Le Mans in 1991 at the hands of Johnny Herbert, Bertrand Gachot and Volkert Weidler.

Qualified 19th in the 1991 race, they climbed into second position just after the halfway point, behind the Sauber Mercedes of Jean-Louis Schlesser, Jochen Mass and Alain Ferte. The Mercedes had an unscheduled visit to the pit lane at 12:54 on Sunday, the victim of a leak of its cooling system that forced retirement. The Mazda 787 B then took the lead and Japanese television programs were interrupted to broadcast he finish live! On the 23rd June 1991, Mazda made history as the first, and so far the only winning Japanese manufacturer in La Sarthe. What more natural than to celebrate this anniversary with the MX-5? The always appealing sporty convertible that Mazda introduced in 1989, reached a record production of 900,000 in February 2011.

Jean-Philippe Doret