| |
| Mazda 727C | |
|---|---|
| Race Car | |
| Category | Group C2 |
| Constructor | Mazda |
| Designer | Designer (lead designer if it was a team effort) |
| Predecessor | {{{Predecessor}}} |
| Successor | {{{Successor}}} |
| Chassis | |
| Suspension (front) | |
| Suspension (rear) | |
| Engine | 13B, 1.3 litre, 2 Rotary |
| Electric_motor | {{{Electric motor}}} |
| Battery | {{{Battery}}} |
| Power | N/A hp @ N/A rpm N/A lb-ft. of torque @ N/A rpm |
| Transmission | |
| Weight | {{{Weight}}} |
| Fuel | |
| Brakes | {{{Brakes}}} |
| Tyres | |
| Notable entrants | |
| Notable drivers | |
| Debut | pending (if not yet introduced) |
| Races competed | |
| Race victories | |
| Podiums | {{{Podiums}}} |
| Constructors' Championships | |
| Drivers' Championships | |
| Pole positions | |
| Fastest laps | |
The Mazda 727C was a prototype racing car built for Mazdaspeed for the 24 Hours of Le Mans in the Group C2 class. It replaced the 717C in 1984 as an evolution of the Mooncraft-built design, and used the same 2-rotor 13B Wankel engine as the previous model.
Two 727Cs were entered in the 1984 24 Hours of Le Mans, finishing 4th and 6th in the C2 class. However, a pair of Lola T616s using the same Mazda engine were successful in beating both 727Cs, claiming 1st and 3rd.
The 727C was used a few more times in the 1984 World Sportscar Championship season, managing a mere 10th place in the C2 manufacturer's championship, behind two separate teams of privateers. The 727C was then replaced by the 737C in 1985.
24 Hours of Le Mans (1984)[]
At the 1984 Le Mans, four rotary engined cars entered the renamed C2 class (formerly Group C Junior). Two were 727Cs with improved 310 bhp 13B engines that were run by the Mazdaspeed team and two were Lola T616s Mazdas from the American B.F. Goodrich team. The Mazdaspeed cars were beset by troubles.
Car 86 lost three and a half hours due to a collision with another car and transmission problems, while car 87 lost two hours with suspension trouble. In contrast, as morning broke on the second day the Lola T616 Mazdas were racing amongst the C1 class contenders in fifteenth and sixteenth. By midday they had crept up to eleventh and thirteenth. At three o'clock, the lead car passed the checkered flag for tenth place overall and a win in the C2 class.
The other Lola T616 Mazda also had a good race and secured a twelfth place finish. Although the 727Cs finished a disappointing fifteenth and twentieth, all four cars successfully completed the full 24 hours.
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