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Mad Mike's Mazda 787D is the world's first five-rotor

05th December 2023
Ethan Jupp

Mad Mike has revealed his latest absolutely crazy creation at his yearly summer bash. How do you top a drift Lamborghini Huracan? A tribute to the Mazda 787B is a good start. Meet the Mazda 787D with the D presumably standing for ‘drift’.

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Quite unlike most of Mike’s projects, it doesn’t really seem to be ‘based’ on anything. Normally there’s a bit of MX-5, RX-7, Lamborghini or otherwise just about visible under the skin. But this thing. This thing is home-grown. In fact, per Mike’s reveal video, it’s a collaboration with Ken Miura San of Rocket Bunny to create what looks sort of like a miniature Group C car.

The engine too is to the knowledge of all involved, a true world first. It’s a rotary – no surprise there – but where normally you’d see two, three or four rotors, this thing has five rotors, giving a unique rhythm to the typical ‘brap’ sound high-strung rotaries are known for.

A collaboration with PPRE, it’s the result of four years of work and development, with assembly having taken place in 2022. Strange too that even though it certainly has a sports prototype silhouette, the longitudinally-mounted five-rotor seems to be between the front wheels.

The livery is sort of a tribute to the 787B though the classic green and orange is gone. Instead it’s blue and white, and alongside the classic ‘Renown’ sponsor the 787B is, er, renowned for, we see ‘Hot Wheels’. That’s because a 1:64 miniature of Mike’s latest creation can be owned by all, as created by Hot Wheels.

Mike reckons this is his dream project, the “wildest drift car I could think of”, and he’ll get no arguments from us about that. What do you think of Mad Mike’s Mazda 787D?

Images by Omegah Photography.

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