The 2012 Los Angeles Auto Show was the location for two Mazda6 reveals. First was the North American debut of the new-generation Mazda6, which we all knew was coming. The second was a little less expected, as Mazda also made the official announcement that a racing version of the new Mazda6 will make its motorsports debut at the Rolex 24 endurance race on January 26 and 27, 2013 in Daytona Beach, Fla.

The racing version of the Mazda6 will feature a Mazda SKYACTIV-D clean diesel engine that will deliver more than 400 horsepower. This will mark the first time a diesel-powered vehicle raced at the Rolex 24.

John Doonan, Motorsports Director at Mazda North American Operations, noted that: "We have been eager to announce this car for months, but had to wait until the production car was revealed. The SpeedSource engineering team, working with the Mazda engineers, have been flat out for months on engine development. We’re happy to report that the engine is meeting the performance targets for both power and endurance. That means 400+ hp for over 50 hours, with an engine that includes a very long list of production Mazda parts. This is not a pure race engine; it is a production block SKYACTIV-D. We’re excited about having our newest engine powering our newest car."

We’re sure this will bring much-needed attention to not just the Mazd6, but the entire Mazda brand. We hope the Mazda6 racecar performs well.

2013 Mazda6 Grand-Am GX Class

Specifications
  • Make: Array
  • Model: 2013 Mazda6 Grand-Am GX Class
  • [do not use] Vehicle Model: Array

.