► Mazda unveils Goodwood centrepiece
► Celebrates Mazda’s racing heritage
► 787B and LM55 are on top of the show
The 2015 centrepiece sculpture at Goodwood Festival of Speed pays homage to Mazda’s racing heritage.
The steel structure in front of Goodwood House stands 40m tall and features a twisted metal track and, hanging over spectators at its peak, the famous Le Mans-winning 787B racer and virtual – now physical – concept, the LM55.
Mazda’s motorsport spectacular
The sculpture is designed to celebrate Mazda’s victories across a number of endurance races since the late 1960s. These include 100 international Motor Sports Association race wins, a class P1 at Daytona 24 hours, the Spa 24 hours, five class victories at Le Mans, and – most famously – the Le Mans 24 hours in 1991.
Mazda is the only Japanese manufacturer to win at La Sarthe – and the only one with a rotary engine – so the 787B is a landmark car. Following the victory, Wankel engines were banned in 1992 from the historic race, as rivals preferred 3.5-litre Formula 1 engines.
The Gerry Judah sculpture: ‘Kodo design’ in the sky?
The creators of the 2015 Goodwood sculpture say it pays homage to Mazda’s Kodo design philosophy of strength, beauty and tension.
As usual, it was designed by British artist Gerry Judah in association with Mazda design input.
