Iconic Four-Rotor Mazda Catches Fire In MontereyInstagram / per.0.xideEven before the 787B made Mazda the first Japanese manufacturer and second manufacturer from outside of Europe to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the brand's four-rotor prototypes were iconic. Nothing screamed like the first 767 that arrived at Le Mans in 1988, and nothing has screamed like the 13J and R26B engines since.That makes these cars the stars of any historic race they show up to, and unfortunately, historic racing opens up the possibility of damage to the cars. One four-rotor prototype, a 767B owned by Mazda, came dangerously close to a worse-case scenario when it seemingly caught fire on Sunday, as social media posts from Laguna Seca indicate.In a video shared to Instagram, a Mazda prototype with the number 203 can be seen with fire pouring out from what seems like the left side of the engine cover. It appears to be chassis 767B-002, a four-rotor prototype restored over two years before returning to historic racing in 2016, although the number has been changed from the usual 202. The car has been a regular at historic events since, seen in recent years at Road Atlanta and Long Beach as part of Mazda's Heritage Collection.AdvertisementAdvertisementFortunately, the caption of the Instagram post notes that the fire was put out. The extent of the damage may not be known for some time, but the size of the flames are enough to suggest that the Mazda could need some major work to get back on track for the coming weekend's Rolex Motorsports Reunion historic races at Laguna Seca that are a highlight of the Monterey Car Week festivities.The good news for Mazda fans is that this 767B is not the legendary 787B that won the 1991 24 Hours of Le Mans. Mazda announced in June that the exact car that won Le Mans is coming in from Japan for the weekend, but the numbering and the design of the nose of the car on fire both seem to indicate that it is a 767B rather than the later, and more historically significant, 787B. (Road & Track has reached out to Mazda for more information about the incident; we'll update this story if new facts come to light.)You Might Also LikeIf You Can Only Own One Car, Make It One of TheseThese Are the Most Popular Cars by State
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