These Cars Kicked Some Serious Arse

Mazda 787B

Many cars have won Le Mans over the years and a few have done it multiple times. So what makes the 787B so special? Well, it’s a classic underdog story no one thought possible. First of all, the 787B is the only Japanese car to ever take the overall victory at the 24 hours of Le Mans. To this day, much larger Japanese manufacturers like Toyota, Nissan and Honda have never been able to accomplish that feat.

Second, and arguably more importantly, the 787B is the only rotary-powered car to win overall at Le Mans. Using a four-rotor motor that may well be the best sounding race engine in history when at top speed, the 787B wasn’t the fastest car in the 1991 running of Le Mans, but it won due to reliability and superior fuel consumption. Yes, a rotary won because it was more reliable and used less gas – just another tidbit in the folklore of the 787B.

Suzuki Escudo Dirt Trail

The Pikes Peak hill climb is a wondrous thing. The climb is essentially a no holds barred regulation-free racing competition that allows drivers, engineers and fabricators to push the limits of automotive technology. From 1992 until 2011, the hill climb was the domain of Nobuhiro “Monster” Tajima who won the event nine times, including six straight from 2004 until 2011. Although his success during the six-year winning streak came driving a radical Suzuki XL-7 that was later rebodied as a SX4, it was the car he drove to victory in 1998 that really captured the world’s attention.

As an idea first conceived in 1995, the car was called the Escudo Dirt Trail and featured two turbocharged 2.5-liter V6 engines – one mounted in the front and one mounted in the back. Combined, they made 981 hp and sent power to all four wheels. With aerodynamics that created all of the downforces known to man, the Escudo was a monster fit to driven by the monster. It may not be the quickest car to ever attack the hill, but it’s easily one of the craziest.

Cementing the cars legacy was its frequent inclusion in the Gran Turismo franchise of video games.

Complete list (AutoGuide.com)