Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance Hosts Its First Japanese Motorsport Class
Featuring Iconic Le Mans, Daytona, and IMSA Competitors that Defined Japan’s Racing Heritage
PEBBLE BEACH, CALIFORNIA (August 14, 2026) — Celebrating the profound impact of Japanese competition cars on the global automotive landscape, the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance proudly presents its first-ever Japanese Motorsport class. Spanning decades of innovation and perseverance, the inaugural class brings together landmark competition cars that tell the story of Japan’s evolution from an emerging motorsport nation to a global endurance racing powerhouse.
The class will be made up of racing greats stretching across three decades of endurance racing, from the 1985 Toyota 85C L Longtail Le Mans Coupe through a host of Mazda, Honda and Nissan racing greats to the 2018 Toyota TS050 Hybrid Le Mans Coupe. Together, these automobiles illustrate Japan’s remarkable rise on the world’s greatest racing stages.
“Although we have had the occasional Toyota 2000GT or more recent concepts, the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance has not presented Japanese racing cars in the past,” said Pebble Beach Concours Chief Class Judge and Selection Committee Member Ken Gross. “The highly developed and race-winning competition cars on the lawn on Sunday dramatically demonstrate the knowledge, sophistication, experience and skill of Japanese automakers on a world-beating level.”
Photo Credit: Toyota Motor Europe
For decades, Japanese manufacturers focused primarily on building reliable cars for the masses. Then, in 1985, Toyota introduced the 85C, representing the marque’s first determined step in building some of the world’s fastest machines. Its debut at the 24 Hours of Le Mans launched the manufacturer’s decades-long pursuit of overall victory, a quest ultimately fulfilled by the 2018 Toyota TS050 Hybrid, which delivered Toyota’s first overall win at Le Mans.
“For nearly 70 years, Toyota has pursued ‘ever-better’ motorsports through relentless competition—from our first overall win at Le Mans, to championship milestone victories across IndyCar, IMSA, NASCAR, and WRC,” said Jeff Bal, director of operations at GAZOO Racing. “The TS050 Hybrid stands as a defining chapter in that history, embodying the hybrid technology and endurance that carried us to victory at Le Mans. To see it showcased among the finest automobiles in the world at this year’s Pebble Beach Concours is a tremendous honor, and a reminder that racing has always been the proving ground for the innovations we bring to the road. We’re proud to share this piece of our motorsport legacy with this year’s attendees.”
Eager to also prove their racing potential, other Japanese manufacturers quickly emerged onto the racing scene.
It was Mazda that first won outright at Le Mans. Its 767B Le Mans Coupe was the victor in the GTP class, paving the way for even greater success one year later with the historic victory of the legendary 1991 Mazda 787B Group C Prototype. More than three decades later, the 787B remains one of the most celebrated Japanese racing cars ever built.
“Showcasing the 1990 Mazda 787 and the historic 1991 787B at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance is a profound validation of the innovation and challenger spirit that defines our brand,” said Brad Audet, chief marketing officer of Mazda North American Operations. “Seeing these iconic prototypes on the 18th fairway is an exhilarating reminder of the pure driving joy and emotional connection that continues to inspire our signature driving dynamics today.”
Photo Credit: Honda Motor Co.
While Mazda was bringing its own racing ambitions to the forefront, Honda was pursuing a different path to the track, developing high-performance engines that would power race cars and establish the company as a force in motorsport. Their engines powered Williams and McLaren to dominance in the 1980s. That evolution can be seen in race cars such as the 1996 Honda NSX-GT2 Le Mans Coupe and the 2010 Honda HPD ARX-01a Le Mans Prototype.
“Our founder, Soichiro Honda, believed in competition as a means to improve our company, our engineers and our products, so racing is deeply engrained in the corporate culture of Honda,” said David Salters, president of Honda Racing Corporation USA. “Our cars and bikes have won at the highest levels of motorsports around the world, including pinnacle events like the 24 Hours of Le Mans. We’re honored to bring two of our iconic race cars to the Pebble Beach lawn and share our rich motorsports heritage at this year’s Concours d’Elegance.”
Photo Credit: Katsu Kubota
Also on the show field is Nissan’s landmark Group C Prototype, the overall winner of the 1992 24 Hours of Daytona and the first Japanese car to claim victory in the legendary American endurance classic.
Racing greats such as these, brought by both manufacturers and individual entrants, will make up the first Japanese Motorsport class to line the 18th fairway, offering visitors a rare opportunity to experience the machines that paved Japan’s enduring racing legacy.
For additional information and tickets to the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, visit pebblebeachconcours.net.
# # #
Contact: Camryn Garcia, Kandace Hawkinson or Riley Palshaw
media@pebblebeachconcours.net; 831-622-1700 concours
About Pebble Beach Concours d’ Elegance
First conducted in 1950, Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance® (www.pebblebeachconcours.net) has grown to be the world’s premier celebration of the automobile. Only the most beautiful and historic cars are invited to appear on the famed 18th fairway of Pebble Beach Golf Links®, and connoisseurs of art and style gather to admire these masterpieces. Charitable donations raised by Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance® now total over $45 million. Related events include Pebble Beach Tour d’Elegance® presented by Rolex, Pebble Beach RetroAuto™, Pebble Beach Classic Car Forum™, and Pebble Beach® Auctions presented by Gooding Christie’s. Pebble Beach®, Pebble Beach Golf Links®, Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance®, Pebble Beach Tour d’Elegance®, Pebble Beach RetroAuto™, Pebble Beach Classic Car Forum™, and Pebble Beach® Automotive Week are trademarks, service marks and trade dress of Pebble Beach Company. All rights reserved. For more information, please call 831-622-1700 or visit pebblebeachconcours.net.
About Pebble Beach Company
Pebble Beach Company, headquartered in Pebble Beach, Calif., owns and operates the world-famous Pebble Beach Resorts®, including The Lodge at Pebble Beach™, The Inn at Spanish Bay™, and Casa Palmero®. The company also operates five renowned golf courses: Pebble Beach Golf Links®, Spyglass Hill® Golf Course, The Links at Spanish Bay™, Del Monte™ Golf Course, and The Hay. Its other famed properties include scenic 17-Mile Drive®, The Spa at Pebble Beach™ and Pebble Beach Golf Academy™. It annually hosts premier events such as the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance®, Pebble Beach Food & Wine, TaylorMade Pebble Beach Invitational, and the PURE Insurance Championship Impacting The First Tee. Future site of the 2027, 2032, 2037, and 2044 U.S. Open Championships and the 2035, 2040 and 2048 U.S. Women’s Opens, Pebble Beach Golf Links® has hosted six U.S. Opens, five U.S. Amateurs, one PGA Championship, one U.S. Women’s Open and numerous other tournaments. For reservations or more information, please call 800-654-9300 or visit pebblebeach.com.