In 1984, BFGoodrich decided to prove the capabilities of its road tires in an unusual way. The company entered a Lola T616 prototype with a 1.3-liter Mazda 13B rotary engine into races. The main feature of the project was experimental radial tires, created based on production T/A tires.
Before the starts, they were tested for approximately 3000 miles. The tire design retained the main features of road tires but was adapted for racing wheels that were huge for that time: 13×11 inches at the front and 13×14 at the rear.
The culmination of the season was the "24 Hours of Le Mans". Chassis HU-2 with number 68, driven by John Morton, John O'Steen, and Yoshimi Katayama, completed 319 laps, won the C2 class, and took 10th place overall. The team's second car finished third in class.
However, the success cannot be entirely attributed to the tires. The rotary Mazda was less powerful and less fuel-efficient than many rivals, so the crew had to conserve fuel. But reliability became one of Lola's main advantages.
Now, the historic HU-2 car is being exhibited at Monterey Car Week 2026. Mecum estimates its value at $300,000 (about 24.5 million rubles). The car has retained its original chassis, the 300-hp 13B, and a five-speed Hewland gearbox. The history of the T616 is also notable because it was one of Mazda's steps towards its main victory: seven years later, the rotary 787B won Le Mans overall.