99 Spec Rx7

RX7-modellen designades och implementerades i serieproduktion för att utöka det kommersiella utbudet av Mazda Motor Corporation och för att ersätta RX3-modellen i den. Jämfört med sin föregångare skiljde sig den nya bilen i många delar. Först och främst hade den en helt annan stil av kaross och passagerarutrymme. Andra kraftenheter användes också, även om de fortfarande skapades i ett mycket sällsynt Wankel-arrangemang. De aerodynamiska egenskaperna har också förfinats. RX7-modellen fick se sina tre generationer under produktionen. Den erbjöds på marknaderna i flera karossversioner, bland annat som en 2-dörrars coupé eller en 2-dörrars cabriolet. Företagets erbjudande ersattes av modellen RX8.Mazda RX7 (ett annat namn: Savanna RX7) är en japansk passagerarsportbil som presenterades för allmänheten 1978. Dess serietillverkning startade samma år och varade till 2002 – cirka 810 000 bilar av denna modell tillverkades under den. Produktionen utfördes främst i staden Hiroshima, Japan. The sequential twin turbocharging system, introduced in 1992, was extremely complex and was developed with the aid of Hitachi. It was previously used on the exclusive-to-Japan Cosmo JC Series. The system used two turbochargers, one to provide 10 psi (0.69 bar) of boost from 1,800 rpm. The second turbocharger activated in the upper half of the rpm range, during full-throttle acceleration – at 4,000 rpm to maintain 10 psi (0.69 bar) until redline. The changeover process occurred at 4,500 rpm, with a momentary dip in pressure to 8 psi (0.55 bar), and provided semi-linear acceleration from a wide torque curve throughout the entire rev range under normal operation. Mazda has made several references to a revival of the RX-7 in various forms over the years since the RX-8 was discontinued. In November 2012, MX-5 program manager Nobuhiro Yamamoto indicated that Mazda was working on a 16X based RX-7, with 300 horsepower.

In Europe, only 1,152 examples of the FD were sold through the official Mazda network, due to a high price and a fairly short time span. Only one model was available and it included twin oil-coolers, electric sunroof, cruise control and the rear storage bins in place of the back seats. It also has the stiffer suspension and strut braces from the R models. Germany topped the sales with 446 cars, while UK is second at 210 and Greece third with 168 (thanks to that country’s tax structure which favored the rotary engine). The European models also received the 1994 interior facelift, with a passenger air bag. Sales in most of Europe ended after 1995 as it would have been too expensive to reengineer the car to meet the new Euro 2 emissions regulations.

The RX-7 even made an appearance in the World Rally Championship. The car finished 11th on its debut at the RAC Rally in Wales in 1981. Group B received much of the focus for the first part of the 1980s, but Mazda did manage to place third at the 1985 Acropolis Rally, and when the Group B was folded, its Group A-based replacement, the 323 4WD claimed the victory at Swedish Rally in both 1987 and 1989.

Racing versions of the first-generation RX-7 were entered at the prestigious 24 hours of Le Mans endurance race. The first outing for the car, equipped with a 13B engine, failed by less than one second to qualify in 1979. The next year, a 12A-equipped RX-7 not only qualified, it placed 21st overall. That same car did not finish in 1981, along with two more 13B cars. Those two cars were back for 1982, with one 14th-place finish and another DNF. The RX-7 Le Mans effort was replaced by the 717C prototype for 1983.

Series 7 included minor changes to the car. Updates included a simplified vacuum routing manifold and a 16-bit ECU which combined with an improved intake system netted an extra 10 PS (7 kW). This additional horsepower was only available on manual transmission cars as the increase in power was only seen above 7,000 rpm, which was the redline for automatic transmission equipped cars. The rear spoiler and tail lights were also redesigned. The Type RZ model was now equipped with larger brake rotors as well as 17-inch BBS wheels. In Japan, the Series 7 RX-7 was marketed under the Mazda and ɛ̃fini brand name.The RX-7 FD’s chief designer was Yoichi Sato (佐藤 洋一, Satō Yōichi). Another key designer was Wu-huang Chin (秦無荒), a Taiwanese automotive artist who also worked on the Mazda MX-5 Miata.The Mazda RX-7 is a front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, rotary engine-powered sports car that was manufactured and marketed by Mazda from 1978 until 2002 across three generations, all of which made use of a compact, lightweight Wankel rotary engine.

The FD RX-7 also made Car and Driver’s Ten Best list for 1993 through 1995 – all three years in which it was sold in the United States. In June 2007, Road & Track proclaimed: ”The ace in Mazda’s sleeve is the RX-7, a car once touted as the purest, most exhilarating sports car in the world.” After its introduction in 1991, it won the Automotive Researchers’ and Journalists’ Conference Car of the Year award in Japan.In 1994, the interior received a small update to include a passenger-side air bag, and a PEG (popular equipment group) package was offered. The PEG package featured leather seats, a rear cargo cover and a power steel sunroof. It did not include the fog lights or Bose stereo of the touring package.

Australian Motors Mazda introduced a limited run of 250 ’Sports’ model Series 4 RX-7s; each with no power steering, power windows or rear wiper as an attempt to reduce the weight of the car.

Though about 363 kg (800 lb) heavier and more insulated than its predecessor, the FC continued to win accolades from the press. The RX-7 FC was Motor Trend’s Import Car of the Year for 1986, and the Turbo II was on Car and Driver magazine’s 10 Best list for a second time in 1987.

The FD RX-7 was Motor Trend’s Import Car of the Year. When Playboy first reviewed the FD RX-7 in 1993, they tested it in the same issue as the [then] new Dodge Viper. In that issue, Playboy declared the RX-7 to be the better of the two cars. It went on to win Playboy’s Car of the Year for 1993.The 1984 RX-7 GSL has an estimated 29 MPG (8.11 litres/100 km) highway/19 MPG (12.37 L/100 km) city. According to Mazda, its rotary engine, licensed by NSU-Wankel allowed the RX-7 GSL to accelerate from 0 to 80 km/h (50 mph) in 6.3 seconds.

The second generation of the RX-7 (”FC”, VIN begins JM1FC3 or JMZFC1), still known as the Mazda Savanna RX-7 in Japan, featured a complete restyling much like similar sports cars of the era such as the Nissan 300ZX. Mazda’s development team, led by Chief Project Engineer Akio Uchiyama (内山 昭朗), chose to focus on the American market when designing the FC, where the majority of first-generation of the RX-7 models had been sold. The team drew inspiration from successful sports cars that were popular at the time, such as studying the suspension design of the Porsche 928.

The third-generation RX-7, sometimes referred to as the FD, was offered a 2+2-seater coupé with a limited run of a 2-seater option. It featured a sequentially-turbocharged 13B REW engine. Easily the most collectible of all the RX-7s was the last model limited to 1,500 units. Dubbed the ”Spirit R”, they combined all the extra features Mazda had used on previous limited-run specials with new exclusive features like cross-drilled brake rotors. Sticker prices when new were 3,998,000 yen for Type-A and B and 3,398,000 yen for Type-C. Mazda’s press release said ”The Type-A Spirit R model is the ultimate RX-7, boasting the most outstanding driving performance in its history.” The Series 4 (produced for the 1986 through the 1988 model years) was available with a naturally aspirated, fuel injected 13B-VDEI producing 146 hp (109 kW; 148 PS) in North American spec. An optional turbocharged model, known as the Turbo II in the American market, was rated at 182 hp (136 kW; 185 PS) and 183 lb⋅ft (248 N⋅m) of torque at 3,500 rpm. The turbo model was introduced at the Chicago Auto Show in February 1986, with a target of 20 percent of overall RX-7 sales. Production ceased in 1991 after Mazda marketed a limited run of 500 examples for 1992 for the domestic market only. In markets outside the US, only the turbocharged version of the convertible was available. The RX-7 also fared well at the Spa 24 Hours race. Three Savanna/RX-7s were entered in 1981 by Tom Walkinshaw Racing. After hours of battling with several BMW 530is and Ford Capris, the RX-7 driven by Pierre Dieudonné and Tom Walkinshaw won the event. Mazda had turned the tables on BMW, who had beaten Mazda’s Familia Rotary to the podium eleven years earlier at the same event. TWR’s prepared RX-7s also won the British Touring Car Championship in 1980 and 1981, driven by Win Percy.The high-end ”Type RS” came equipped with Bilstein suspension and 17-inch wheels as standard equipment, and reduced weight to 1,280 kg (2,822 lb). Power was increased with the addition of a less restrictive muffler and more efficient turbochargers which featured abradable compressor seals, 280 PS (206 kW; 276 hp) at 6,500 rpm and 314 N⋅m (232 lb⋅ft) of torque at 5000 rpm as per the maximum Japanese limit. The Type RS had a brake upgrade by increasing rotor diameter front and rear to 314 mm (12.4 in) and front rotor thickness from 22 mm (0.9 in) to 32 mm (1.3 in). The Type RS version also sported a 4.30 final drive ratio, providing a significant reduction in its 0–100 km/h (62 mph) time. The gearbox was also modified, 5th gear was made longer to reduce cruising rpm and improve fuel efficiency. The very limited edition Type RZ version included all the features of the Type RS, but at a lighter weight, at 1,270 kg (2,800 lb). It also featured gun-metal colored BBS wheels and a red racing themed interior. An improved ABS system worked by braking differently on each wheel, allowing the car better turning during braking. The effective result made for safer driving for the average buyer.

The Turbo II model uses a turbocharger with a twin scroll design. The smaller primary chamber is engineered to cancel the turbo lag at low engine speeds. At higher revolutions, the secondary chamber is opened, pumping out 33 percent more power than the naturally aspirated counterpart. The Turbo II also has an air-to-air intercooler which has a dedicated intake on the hood. The intake is slightly offset toward the left side of the hood. In the Japanese market, only the turbocharged engine was available; the naturally-aspirated version was only available for select export markets. This can be attributed to insurance companies in many Western nations penalizing turbocharged cars (thus restricting potential sales). The Japanese market car produces 185 PS (136 kW) in the original version; this engine was upgraded to 205 PS (151 kW) in April 1989 as part of the Series 5 facelift. The limited edition, two-seater Infini model received a 215 PS (158 kW) version beginning in June 1990, thanks to an upgraded exhaust system and high-octane fuel.In the United Kingdom, for 1992, customers were offered only one version of the FD, which was based on a combination of the US touring and the base model. For the following year, in a bid to speed up sales, Mazda reduced the price of the RX-7 to £25,000, down from £32,000, and refunded the difference to those who bought the car before that was announced. From 1992 to 1995, only 210 FD RX-7s were officially sold in the UK. The FD continued to be imported to the UK until 1996. In 1998, for a car that had suffered from slow sales when it was officially sold, with a surge of interest and the benefit of a newly introduced SVA scheme, the FD would become so popular that there were more parallel and grey imported models brought into the country than Mazda UK had ever imported.In Japan, sales were enhanced by the fact that the RX-7 complied with the Japanese Government dimension regulations: thus Japanese buyers were not liable for yearly taxes for driving a larger car. The rotary engine had financial advantages to Japanese consumers in that the engine displacement remained below 1,500 cc (1.5 L), a significant determination when pa
ying the Japanese annual road tax; this kept the obligation affordable to most buyers while having more power than the traditional engines having a straight cylinder configuration.The Series 5 (1989–1992) featured updated styling and better engine management, as well as lighter rotors and a higher compression ratio 9.7:1 for the naturally aspirated model, and 9.0:1 for the turbo model. The naturally aspirated Series 5’s 13B-DEI engine was rated at 160 hp (119 kW; 162 PS), while the Series 5 Turbo was rated at 200 hp (149 kW; 203 PS) at 6,500 rpm and 195 lb⋅ft (264 N⋅m) of torque at 3,500 rpm.

In 1995, the Touring package was replaced by the PEP (popular equipment package). The PEP included a rear wing, leather seats, sunroof and fog lights, but didn’t have the Bose Stereo nor the rear window wiper. An estimated 500 RX-7s were produced for the 1995 model year. This would be the final year of RX-7 production for North America.

In October 2015, Mazda unveiled the RX-Vision concept car at the Tokyo Motor Show, powered by a new rotary engine and featured design cues reminiscent of the third generation RX-7. A production-ready concept could have followed suit by 2017, marking 50 years since the revealing of Mazda’s first rotary-powered sports car, the Cosmo. As of Mar 2023, there has been no revival of any kind.The lead designer at Mazda was Matasaburo Maeda (前田 又三郎, Maeda Matasaburō), whose son, Ikuo, would go on to design the Mazda2 and the RX-7’s successor, the RX-8. The transition of the Savanna to a sports car appearance reflected products from other Japanese manufacturers. The advantage the RX-7 had was its minimal size and weight, and the compact rotary engine installed behind the front axle helped balance the front and rear weight distribution, which provided a low center of gravity.

In Europe, the FB was mainly noticed for having received a power increase from the 105 PS (77 kW) of the SA22; the 1981 RX-7 now had 115 PS (85 kW) on tap. European market cars also received four-wheel disc brakes as standard. In May 1980, Mazda introduced a limited production run of special North American models known as the Leathersport Models. This package was essentially an uprated GS model with added LS badges on each B-pillar, special stripes on the exterior, and LS-only gold anodized wheels (with polished outer face and wheel rim). All LS editions came equipped with special LS-only full brown leather upholstery, leather-wrapped steering wheel, leather-wrapped shift knob, removable sunroof, LS-specific four-speaker AM/FM stereo radio with power antenna (though listed as a six-speaker stereo, as the two rear dual voice coil speakers were counted as four speakers in total), remote power door side mirrors, and other standard GS equipment. Two primary options were also available; a three-speed JATCO 3N71B automatic transmission and air conditioning. Other GS options such as cassette tape deck, splash guards, padded center console arm rest and others could be added by the dealer. The LS model was only ever available in three different exterior colors: Aurora White, Brilliant Black, and Solar Gold. No official production records are known to exist or to have been released. This series of RX-7 had exposed steel bumpers and a high-mounted indentation-located rear license plate, called by Werner Buhler of Road & Track magazine a ”Baroque depression.” Series 6 was exported throughout the world and had the highest sales. In Japan, Mazda sold the RX-7 through its ɛ̃fini brand as the ɛ̃fini RX-7. Models in Japan included the Type S, the base model, Type R, the lightweight sports model, Type RZ, Type RB, A-spec and the Touring X, which came with a four-speed automatic transmission. The RX-7 was sold in 1993–1995 in the U.S. and Canada. The Series 6 was rated at 255 PS (188 kW; 252 hp) and 294 N⋅m (217 lb⋅ft).

In Japan, sales were affected by this series’ non-compliance with Japanese dimension regulations and Japanese buyers paid annual taxes for the car’s non-compliant width. As the RX‑7 was now considered an upper-level luxury sports car due to the increased width dimensions, Mazda also offered two smaller offerings, the Eunos Roadster, and the Eunos Presso hatchback.

In Japan, a very well appointed version similar to the export market GSL arrived late in 1982, called the SE-Limited. This model received two-tone paint, alloy wheels shaped like the Wankel rotor, all-wheel disc brakes, limited-slip differential, and a full leather interior. It also had the latest iteration of the 12A rotary engine, the RE-6PI with variable induction port system and 140 PS (103 kW; 138 hp).

In 1989, with the introduction of the facelifted FC RX-7, and to commemorate the RX-7s IMSA domination, Mazda introduced a limited model labeled the GTUs. Starting with the lightweight base model, which came with manual windows, no rear wiper, the sunroof and A/C was dealer optioned, the GTUs added items found on the Turbo model such as four-piston front brakes, ventilated rear brake rotors, vehicle speed-sensing power steering, one-piece front chin spoiler, cloth-covered Turbo model seats, leather-wrapped steering wheel, 16-inch wheels, 205/55VR tires, and a GTUs-only 4.300 viscous-type limited-slip differential (all other FC LSD’s were 4.100). This allowed quicker acceleration from the naturally aspirated 13B. It was rumored that Mazda built 100 cars in 1989–1990. There have not been 100 of these models found and registered. The only way to verify the GTUs model is through the door ID tag and firewall VIN. It is the only model with turbo ID tags and a non turbo VIN.The third-generation Mazda RX-7 entered its first professional race in the world on February 23, 1992, at the Miami Grand Prix. The cars made it to the podium many times and won the IMSA Supercar race at Sebring in 1994. Peter Farrell Motorsport also fielded RX-7’s in the IMSA Firestone Firehawk Endurance Series dominating many races and finishing runner up in the overall championship two years in a row.

The handling and acceleration of the car were noted to be of a high caliber for its day. The RX-7 had ”live axle” 4-link rear suspension with Watt’s linkage, a 50:50 front and rear weight distribution, and weighed under 1,100 kg (2,425 lb). It was the lightest generation of the RX-7 ever produced. 12A-powered models accelerated from 0–97 km/h (60 mph) in 9.2 seconds, and turned 0.779 g (7.64 m/s²) laterally on a skid pad. The 1,146 cc (1.1 L) 12A engine was rated at 100 hp (75 kW; 101 PS) at 6,000 rpm in North American models, allowing the car to reach speeds of over 190 km/h (120 mph). Because of the smoothness inherent in the Wankel rotary engine, little vibration or harshness was experienced at high engine speeds, so a buzzer was fitted to the tachometer to warn the driver when the 7,000 rpm redline was approaching.The second-generation RX-7, sometimes referred to as the FC, was offered as a 2-seater coupé with a 2+2 option available in some markets, as well as in a convertible bodystyle. This was powered by the 13B rotary engine, offered in naturally aspirated or turbocharged forms.

Under high-speed-driving conditions, the changeover process produced a significant increase in power output and forced technical drivers to adjust their driving style to anticipate and mitigate any over-steer during cornering. The standard turbo control system used 4 control solenoids, 4 actuators, both a vacuum and pressure chamber, and several feet of preformed vacuum/pressure hoses, all of which were prone to failure in part due to complexity and the inherent high temperatures of the rotary engine.

Options and models varied from country to country. The gauge layout and interior styling in the Series 3 was only changed for the North American models. Additionally, North America was the only market to have offered the first generation of the RX-7 with the fuel-injected 13B, model GSL-SE. Sales of the first-generation RX-7 were strong, with a total of 474,565 cars produced; 377,878 (nearly eighty percent) were sold in the United States alone. Series 1 (produced from 1978 until 1980) is commonly referred to as the ”SA22C” from the first alphanumeric of the vehicle identification number. Mazda’s internal project number for what was to become the RX-7 was X605. In Japan, it was introduced in March 1978, replacing the Savanna RX-3, and joined Mazda’s only other remaining rotary engine-powered products, called the Cosmo which was a two-door luxury coupé, and the Luce luxury sedan. At launch, three option packages were offered; the unlabeled base model, the Touring and the R1 (renamed R2 in 1994). All cars were equipped with the same sequential twin-turbo 13B REW engine. A 5-speed manual transmission was standard and a 4-speed automatic was available on the base model and Touring package. The Touring package included a glass moonroof, fog lights, leather seats, a rear window wiper and a Bose Acoustic Wave music system with CD player. The R1 (R2 in 1994–95) model featured upgraded springs, Bilstein shocks, an additional engine oil cooler, an aerodynamics package comprising a front lip and rear wing, suede seats and Pirelli Z-rated tires . The R2 differed from the R1 in that it had slightly softer suspension.Mazda introduced the 10th Anniversary RX-7 in 1988 as a limited production model based on the RX-7 Turbo II. Production was limited to 1,500 units. The 10th Anniversary RX-7 features a Crystal White (paint code UC) monochromatic paint scheme with matching white body side moldings, tail light housings, mirrors and 16-inch alloy seven-spoke wheels. There were two ”series” of 10th Anniversary models, with essentially a VIN-split running production change between the two. The most notable difference between the series can be found on the exterior- the earlier ”Series I” cars had a black ”Mazda” logo decal on the front bumper cover, whereas most if not all ”Series II” cars did not have the decal. Series II cars also received the lower seat cushion height/tilt feature that Series I cars lacked. Another distinctive exterior feature is the bright gold rotor-shaped 10th Anniversary Edition badge on the front fenders (yellow-gold on the Series II cars). A distinctive 10th Anniversary package feature is the all black leather interior (code D7), which included not just the seats, but the door panel inserts as well and a leather-wrapped MOMO steering wheel (with 10th Anniversary Edition embossed horn button) and MOMO leather shift knob with integrated boot. All exterior glass is bronze tinted (specific in North America to only the 10th Anniversary), and the windshield was equipped with the embedded secondary antenna also found on some other select models with the upgraded stereo packages. Other 10th Anniversary Edition specific items were headlight washers (the only RX-7 in the US market that got this feature), glass breakage detectors added to the factory alarm system, 10th Anniversary Edition logoed floor mats, 10th Anniversary Edition embroidered front hood protector and accompanying front end mask (or ”bra”), and an aluminum under pan.

The first-generation RX-7, sometimes referred to as the SA (early) and FB (late), is a two-seater 2-door hatchback coupé. It featured a 12A carbureted rotary engine as well as the option for a 13B rotary engine with electronic fuel injection in later years.Mazda introduced a convertible version of the RX-7, the FC3C, in 1988 with a naturally aspirated engine—introduced to the US market with ads featuring actor James Garner, at the time featured in many Mazda television advertisements. Only about 22,000 convertibles were built making them quite rare.

A special high-performance version of the RX-7 was introduced in Australia in 1995, named the RX-7 SP. This model was developed to achieve homologation for racing in the Australian GT Production Car Series and the Eastern Creek 12 Hour production car race. An initial run of 25 cars were made, and later an extra 10 were built by Mazda due to demand. The RX-7 SP was rated at 277 PS (204 kW; 273 hp) and 357 N⋅m (263 lb⋅ft) of torque, a substantial increase over the standard model. Other changes included a race-developed carbon fiber nose cone and rear spoiler, a carbon fibre 120 L (32 US gal) fuel tank (as opposed to the 76 L (20 US gal) tank in the standard car), a 4.3:1 final drive ratio, 17-inch wheels, larger brake rotors and calipers. A ”three times more efficient” intercooler, a new exhaust, and a modified ECU were also included. Weight was reduced significantly with the aid of further carbon fibre usage including lightweight vented bonnet and Recaro seats to reduce weight to 1,218 kg (2,685 lb) (from 1,250 kg (2,756 lb)) making this model road-going race car that matched the performance of the rival Porsche Carrera RS Club Sport for the final year Mazda officially entered. The formula paid off when the RX-7 SP won the 1995 Eastern Creek 12 Hour, giving Mazda the winning 12-hour trophy for a fourth straight year. The winning car also gained a podium finish at the international tarmac rally Targa Tasmania months later. A later special version, the Bathurst R, was introduced in 2001 to commemorate this victory in Japan only. It was based on the RX-7 Type R and 500 were built in total, featuring adjustable dampers, a carbon fibre shift knob, carbon fibre interior trim, special fog lamps and a different parking br
ake lever.

The Series 3 (produced 1984–1985) featured an updated lower front fascia. North American models received a different instrument cluster. GSL package was continued into this series, but Mazda introduced the GSL-SE sub-model. The GSL-SE had a fuel injected 1,308 cc (1.3 L) 13B RE-EGI engine rated at 135 hp (101 kW; 137 PS) and 133 lb⋅ft (180 N⋅m). GSL-SE models had much the same options as the GSL (clutch-type rear LSD and rear disc brakes), but the brake rotors were larger, allowing Mazda to use the more common lug nuts (versus bolts), and a new bolt pattern of 4×114.3mm (4×4.5″). Also, they had upgraded suspension with stiffer springs and shocks. The external oil cooler was reintroduced, after being dropped in the 1983 model-year for the controversial ”beehive” water-oil heat exchanger.In Japan the FD3S production span is categorized into 6 models: #1 from 1991/12, #2 from 1993/08, #3 from 1995/03, #4 from 1996/01, #5 from 1998/12 and #6 from 2000/10. The model number (1 to 6) actually shows as the first digit of the 6 characters long JDM VIN number, for example in VIN# FD3S-ABCDEF the A is the model number. A total of 9 limited editions (type RZ in 1992/10 (300 cars), RZ 1993/10 (150), R-II Bathurst 1994/09 (350), R Bathurst X 1995/07 (777), RB Bathurst X 1997/01 (700), RS-R 1997/10 (500), RZ 2000/10 (325), R Bathurst R 2001/08 (650), Spirit R 2002/04 (1504)) and 2 special editions (Bathurst R 1995/02, R Bathurst 2001/12 (2174)) were produced.

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Takashi managed to drive backwards in front of Han and fires on his windshield. Han bumped Takashi out of the way and prepared to drive away when someone in a Mercedes Benz T-boned him. The car landed on its roof and exploded soon after, seemingly killing Han. When Takashi confronted Han about the cash he stole from his uncle, Kamata, Han used the RX-7 to flee Takashi and his friend, Morimoto. Takashi and Morimoto pursued Han through the Shibuya District. Han keeps ahead of Sean, Takashi and Morimoto for most of the chase, but slowed down to stop Takashi from ramming Sean’s Mitsubishi. The 1997 Mazda RX-7 was one of Han Seoul-Oh’s primary cars when traveling throughout Tokyo. Following Sean Boswell first failed drift race against the Drift King, Takashi, Han used the RX-7 to recruit Sean into his business with Takashi, who was indebted to him after destroying his 2001 Nissan Silvia S-15 Spec-S. Sean also borrows the vehicle while going out with Han, using its nitrous system to race a Nissan Skyline as well as nearly getting caught by the Japanese Police. Han also uses it to do donuts on a girl’s Nissan Skyline GT-R R33 and using it to practice drifting with Sean together after he obtains a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX. But it does mean the FD was seriously upgraded in every other area important to making the car go and handle more quickly. The twin-rotor 13B-REW rotary engine was now turbocharged by not one, but two turbos arranged in sequence specifically to boost low-end torque and top-end thrust. This boosted max power to 255 hp, which was on a par with similar-sized sports cars of the day. But the FD’s greatest strength was still its balance and lack of weight. Which is immediately obvious when you have a look at the specs of this car. A 1989 10th Anniversary model with the 1,308cc Turbo II 13B engine—all non-turbo RX-7 engines are 12A and turbocharged ones 13Bs—it features almost double the power of the first model at 185 hp allied to a modest weight gain of around 350 lbs, so it is power-to-weight ratio is excellent. On top of that, the car is fitted with independent rear suspension featuring super-trick, for the day, passive rear steering, more precise rack-and-pinion steering, and disc brakes all around.

Yes, in a word—the last chapter in the RX-7 saga to date, the FD was also the best by far. Now transformed from a GT into a no-compromise sports car, the FD looks as timelessly modern today as it did when it was first shown to the world back in 1991. With a stunningly fluid design language that is all its own, this RX-7 didn’t even attempt to challenge the competition. It offered such a unique blend of style and performance that it was in its own niche from the start.The twin-rotor rotary engine was mounted just behind the front axle, coining the phrase “front mid-engined.” This imbued the RX-7 with near-perfect 50/50 front/rear weight balance and a low center of gravity, making the car handle more sweetly and faithfully. Allied to this balance were rear drive and a manual gearbox, plus compact dimensions so it was a true driver’s car. A 1978 road test in Motor Trend described the styling as “slippery looking, pleasing to the eye,” and noted the very low drag coefficient (0.36), which rises only when pop-up headlights—another trademark RX-7 feature—are raised. Let’s see what this original GSL model feels like on the road today.Even though it was inspired by the British Lotus design of 1967, the first RX-7 carries its own design DNA that would become the model’s trademark silhouette for years to come. There’s that long hood, the curved glass rear hatch, and a lightness to the proportions that suggest this FB car—the letters reflect the first gen RX-7’s VIN numbers—is accessible and fun. It wasn’t the company’s first rotary-engined car—that was the Cosmo Sport, which had been launched more than a decade earlier—but it was destined to be its best. At the center of this rotary engine development was development chief, Kenichi Yamamoto, who, demonstrating Mazda’s core belief that engineering and design innovation are the very essence of the brand, later served as president and then chairman of the company. You wouldn’t think a car with just 100 hp to play with would be able to get out of its own way. But threading a route onto a packed California freeway, the GSL, helped by its meager 2,500 lbs curb weight, still manages to sprint easily up through its five gears to cruising speed and keep pace with the traffic. This run out in the first RX-7 feels just as fun today as it must have done way back then.

Buoyed by the success of the first gen RX-7, the second version, known as the FC, was an altogether more serious proposition. Mazda was now openly targeting the Porsche 924/944. This second gen RX-7 didn’t come to play—it came to win.At just 2,850 lbs, this car was still significantly lighter, giving it performance figures and handling characteristics even the German factories envied. Tests done on the car around its launch claimed it was one of the best handling cars of all time—a fact that is still hard to deny today.

This is a car at the very top of its game, a no-compromise sports machine for people who wanted that and nothing more. There are no buttons on the steering wheel, no unnecessary knobs or switches anywhere else. Just the distilled purity of an innovative machine designed for the passionate driving enthusiast. You could question what isn’t there, but you can only love what is.That doesn’t mean it deserted any of the original car’s concept of balance, precision, and efficiency in all areas. The cabin is still the same basic layout as the original FC car with, yes, the fixed steering column, just the instruments you need, and a manual gearbox/rear-drive drivetrain.

Slashing through the southern Californian canyons in this white car, you still thrill at its instant responses to all the controls. Sequences of corners are dispatched with mere flicks of the wrist and the subtlest changes in pedal pressures. The tactile three-spoke wheel telegraphs the car’s light and playful character, the almost spookily smooth engine softly sings its siren song.

Settling in behind the thin steering wheel onto the cloth upholstery, there’s nothing surprising or unnecessary. Even the steering column is completely unadjustable, set in the optimum position, racecar style. All-around vision is excellent. Firing up the naturally aspirated 1,146 cc 101 hp twin-rotor 12A rotary engine, and there is a small rustle of activity under the hood before it settles down into its trademark quiet thrum. This engine still uses a carburetor—fuel injection debuted on the GSL-SE model—but response is still immediate and smooth, as is the still remarkably composed suspension.

That takes you to the very edge of what’s currently legal for importation to the United States based on the 25-year rule. By the 1997 model year, Ẽfini was no more, and the FD RX-7 would continue as a Mazda until 2002.Although we’ve cautioned you against picking up a non-stock RX-7, not all modifications are bad when it comes to purchasing an FD—and in fact, some are viewed as necessary by those who drive these cars on a regular basis. Known collectively as the “reliability mods,” they primarily tackle the issues associated with the Wankel’s high operating temperatures (which are inextricably linked to the emissions requirements of its era).

The best FDs have shot up in value over the last three years, and the best examples in the world now top out at an average of $34,500. With that being said, #2-condition (Excellent) examples that you won’t feel awful about driving can still be found for an average of $22,600, and Good examples for $13,500. The smart route here is to focus more on condition, sensible modifications, and service history more than mileage. For the moment prices peaked in January 2018, but with the way Japanese sports cars of this era are climbing, quality FDs should at least hold their value for the time being.

In addition, you may encounter cars that have replaced the stock plastic air separation tank in the cooling system with an aluminum one sourced from an aftermarket manufacturer, or simply bypassed it completely. The factory units dry out and crack, unceremoniously dumping all the car’s coolant on the pavement. The oil metering modifications mentioned above also qualify as common reliability mods.There have been entire volumes written about the saga of maintaining, modifying, and otherwise living with the high-tech marvel that is the 13B-REW, and nearly as much hand-wringing about its reliability. Most of that anxiety is wasted energy, according to Jean-Pierre Derdeyn of Derwin Performance. Each and every third-generation Mazda RX-7 featured the same twin-turbo 1.3-liter 13B-REW Wankel rotary under the hood. Making use of a pair of sequential turbos (with one designed to deliver low-rpm boost and the other coming on around 4500 rpm), the engine was advertised as delivering 255 horsepower at 6500 rpm and 217 lb-ft of torque at 5000 rpm, with an 8000-rpm redline. These numbers were enough to launch the RX-7 to 60 mph from a standing start in just five seconds, thanks in large part to its pleasingly-low 2800 pounds of curb weight. How can I determine My FD is really an R2 its a 94 with all the options you mentioned but the shocks and struts are long gone as I swapped those to racing coli-overs. Is there some way to determine that its really an R2 before I decided if I want to sell it or keep it and restore it?

Derdeyn agrees that hoses in the rat’s nest are a common source of misery when it comes to turbo problems. “I also recommend inspecting and potentially changing the engine wiring harness, too. These cars are 25 years old at this point, and the harness is notorious for drying out and becoming brittle to the point where it can cause intermittent electrical problems.”Inside the car, there was a choice between black, tan, or red upholstery and trim. Keep an eye out for painted center consoles and dashboards—they were black from the factory, as were the door handles, carpets, and headliner. On the JDM side, things are a little murkier. Mazda’s attempt to launch its own sporty sub-brand called Ẽfini in the early ’90s meant that the RX-7 was so-badged in the home market. One of the other, more-striking differences between Japanese-market RX-7s and those sold in the U.S. was the inclusion of a 2+2 seating arrangement that was never offered over here, making the car a 2+2 on paper but a knee-capper in reality, even for small children. General engine-specific test drive advice for the FD RX-7 includes hooking up a boost gauge to the intake manifold and have a passenger verify that the turbos are healthy. You’ll want to see no more than 10 psi until the mid-4000 mark, where it will drop briefly to 8 psi as the second turbocharger comes online, then return to 10 psi. Anything higher than 10 psi means you’re looking at a car that’s been modified.Heat is also the enemy of FD reliability, and it can manifest itself in a number of ways when inspecting the 13B. One of the most common issues found is in the “rat’s nest,” which is the term lovingly applied to the extremely complex system of vacuum lines used to control the sequential twin-turbo system.Speaking of wear, you’ll also want to look for any signs that the car has led a different lifestyle than what the seller has described. A garage queen with rock chips all over the nose? A low-miles car with significant seat bolster wear? A “well-maintained” example without matching maintenance records? Common sense is crucial when attempting to separate fact from fiction on a sports car of this age.

Nicely presented.I learned a lot.Especially rotary engine,oil change much earlier than manufacture suggest.Ive always change all vehicle oil 2thousand miles beforehand.Didn,t know rotary engines are suppose to burn oil.Alot You said.Im thinking RX 8 Mazda for my soon next street vehicle.Do u list pro,s and con,s of the 7 verses the 8?If so Please advise this man.Were I can find prices anything about the RX 8 is greatly appreciated.Sincerely James Mccary The 1993–95 Mazda RX-7 is a masterpiece of Japanese sports car design that still feels vital in a modern context. Comfortable to drive in modern traffic, and really no more troublesome than any of its piston-driven contemporaries provided proper care and maintenance are part of the ownership experience (along with due diligence prior to purchase), the FD provides a rare opportunity to own a vehicle that’s wholly unlike anything on the current landscape of performance cars. Conceptually, it was also quite different from its predecessor. Whereas the “FB” generation of the RX-7 had been conceived as more of a grand touring car, the FD embraced the lightweight lessons of its roots and stuck a bargain between comfort and startlingly sharp handling. As always, the RX-7 continued to showcase the potential of the rotary engine, with the 13B-REW unit now fed by a twin-turbocharged setup in a bid to balance the soaring heights of the car’s 8000-rpm redline with enough low-end torque to keep real-world driving fun, too. Derdeyn’s No. 1 recommendation when evaluating a potential FD purchase is to perform a compression test. “A rotary engine’s lifespan and wear can be judged almost entirely from its compression,” he says. Of course, there’s a sizable asterisk that must be appended to any RX-7’s window sticker, and that’s the extreme difficulty in finding a completely stock example. The FD was not only a star in the Fast and the Furious franchise, but its rotary engine’s potential for cheap power made it a regular target for racers both amateur and professional, which has cut a deep swath into the pool of unmodified examples. Throw in the rotary engine’s unique maintenance quirks, and the number of available RX-7s is narrowed further by owners who didn’t read the manual and couldn’t keep the car’s drivetrain healthy.

The body of the FD isn’t known for corrosion issues, but given that most examples are now a quarter-century old, you’ll want to check the inside of the wheel arches at each corner, the door sills, and the rear box sections for rust. Occasionally, water can collect under the tail lights, under the back bumper cover, and inside the spare wheel well for vehicles that have been stored outside or used often in the rain. If the vehicle you are inspecting has the rear spoiler deleted, check to make sure the factory holes were plugged too or you could be looking at rust inside the hatch itself.Another FD owner replaced the pre-cat with a downpipe, which drops engine bay temps considerably, and also added an aluminum radiator and replaced all vacuum hoses.

For those interested in enhancing the car’s already exciting performance, there was the R1 (’93) and R2 (’94–95) trim. Although the names were different, the content was the same: sunroof and cruise control delete, upgraded springs, Bilstein shocks, strut bar under the hood, additional oil cooling, suede seats, and a front-lip spoiler matched by a rear wing, with no extra equipment available (and a reversion back to the simple tape deck as opposed to the Bose system). R2 springs are slightly softer than in the R1. Keep in mind that the R1/R2 wing could be added to Touring cars as an option, so make sure to check for the presence of a lip spoiler and all the other R1/R2 goodies if you’re shopping a winged car. Just over 2600 R1/R2s were sold in the U.S., with only 57 built for the 1995 model year.With that in mind, as with any classic it’s always a good idea to purchase the least-molested, best example you can afford rather than try to catch up with a previous owner’s deferred maintenance or attempt to fix their mistakes. What should you look for when shopping for an FD Mazda RX-7? To get the answers we talked to several long-time FD owners, as well as Jean-Pierre Derdeyn, the owner of one of North America’s premier rotary shops, Derwin Performance. With 40 years of experience working on each successive generation, Derdeyn’s depth of knowledge regarding the FD is unmatched.

Derdeyn also cautions that while it is still possible to get FD parts from Mazda directly, the car is right on the cusp of sliding into obscurity from a factory components perspective. This is particularly prevalent when searching for certain interior components, such as armrests, so keep that scarcity in mind if the interior of the car you are looking at looks a bit beat.The least-common colors are Competition Yellow Mica (paint code J9), which was only available on 350 R1-spec cars for a single model year (1993), and Chaste White (paint code PT), which was selected by a mere 5 percent of buyers. The holy grail of FD colors is Perlie, another shade of white, of which a single example was sold in 1994.

You’ll find the VIN etched into the firewall inside the engine bay, on a plate on the dashboard, and, if the car still has it, on a sticker at the rear of the driver’s side door frame. VIN numbers for the FD all start with JM1 FD 33, and are unique to their model year: in the sixth position, immediately after the check digit, you will find a P (93), an R (94), or an S (95). This is matched with a sequential serial number that again is tied to the North American model year: 200001-30000 were sold as ’93s, 300001-31000 as ’94s, and 400001-50000 as ’95s. U.S.-market cars are identified by a 1 following the 33, Canadian-market cars with a 2. Don’t worry about JDM imports—you’ll be able to easily spot them due to their right-hand drive cockpits.

“You’ll want to look at suspension components, too, which are just regular wear items at this point,” Derdeyn explains. “The rear pillow ball bushings, the front suspension bushings—standard suspension maintenance.”

That the FD RX-7 is consuming oil on a regular basis means you’ll also want to see oil change records and pay attention to the intervals. Shorter intervals than the factory 7500-mile recommendation are better, because it means that the previous owner was more vigilant about not just oil condition, but oil level, which is crucial for the RX-7. Most recommendations are for oil changes in the 3000- to 5000-mile range, with the latter representing the outside edge. Some owners are completely unaware that the engine burns oil at all, which makes checking those records that much more important.Depending on whose numbers you trust, Mazda sold roughly 13,879 examples of the FD RX-7 as 1993, 1994, and 1995 models. Of these, the rarest of all are base models equipped with an automatic transmission—just over 500 were built—as well as the 452 R2 performance package models (more on those later). Final-year FDs are also scarce, with just 500 ’95s sold as Mazda wound down North American exports (a mere 18 percent of the previous year’s production).

As with most of its early ’90s Japanese sports car cohorts, the cost to get behind the wheel of a concours-quality FD RX-7 has climbed appreciably over the past few years, but it remains well within the realm of the affordable: our Hagerty Valuation Tool places the price of the best third-gen RX-7 on the market at $34,500, and even sellers with stars in their eyes seldom cross the $50K barrier in terms of asking price. Running cars of varying quality range from our #3 condition value of $7500 to $20,000 as of this writing.

You’ll need rotary-specific equipment to performance this inspection, with the factory service manual specifying 100 psi (690 kPA) for each chamber, with a maximum variance of 21 psi (150 kPa) between the four. Anything lower than 85 psi and you could be looking at a rebuild in the near future. Poor compression can often be linked to either a leaking side seal or broken apex seal.Mazda built the FD RX-7 between 1992 and 2002, with three years of that production—the 1993 through 1995 model years—making it to U.S. shores. Now that the car is 25 years old and import restrictions are relaxed, clean right-hand drive examples are starting to show up from the Japanese market to buttress the relatively modest number of FDs that were sold here.

Americans were offered four different trim levels when ordering an RX-7 from Mazda. Base cars came standard with a limited-slip differential, tape player, and cloth seats, but you could get cruise control and leather upholstery added as options. The Touring trim featured leather and cruise control right out of the box, along with a large sunroof, fog lights, rear wiper, and something called the Bose Wave Stereo, which featured a CD player and speaker assembly that ate up most of the cargo space under the RX-7’s hatch. For 1994 and ’95, you could also get something called the RX-7 PEP/PEG (Popular Equipment Package/Group, respectively) that was based on the Touring (which departed the line-up for ’95) but stripped out the rear wiper and fancy stereo and added a rear wing, with the option of fog lights.“The rotary is a very reliable engine when it has been properly maintained—in particular, when owners pay attention to the types of oil they use in the car, and the frequency with which they change that oil,” Derdeyn says. “It’s not a stretch for us to see well-maintained, stock 13B engines lasting well above 150,000 miles with no major issues. If it hasn’t been carefully maintained, a rebuild at less than half that mileage isn’t uncommon.”There were 10 exterior colors offered with the FD RX-7, but by far the most popular was Vintage Red (paint code NU), especially during the first—and most successful—model year for the car. A full 38 percent of all third-generation RX-7s were painted this particular hue, with only the (greenish-grey) Montego Blue / Montego Blue Mica (paint code 2A / M8) coming close, with a 22-percent share.

The third-generation Mazda RX-7—also known by its internal designation FD or FD3S—is one of the most arrestingly beautiful shapes to have ever escaped a Japanese design studio. When it went on sale in the early ’90s, its flowing lines stood in stark contrast not just to the more boxy wedge offered by the previous version of the car, but also the more aggressively linear look of rivals like the Acura NSX and the Mitsubishi 3000GT.“Synthetics don’t burn, and rotaries by design need to burn oil,” he says. “With synthetics, you end up with deposits and varnishes inside the combustion chambers, and eventually damage the apex seals as well as the soft seals inside the motor. It’s common for FD owners to run a mineral oil as a result—preferably one with a high zinc content, which is another necessity for rotary longevity—or to block off the oil-metering pump on the motor and instead add two-stroke engine oil, which is designed to be combusted, in the fuel tank. A third option, which is what I run on my own personal cars, is to connect the metering pump to a secondary tank filled with two-stroke oil. This allows me to run a high zinc-content synthetic oil from Brad Penn without having to worry about the combustion issue.”Bill Strohm swapped in the previous-generation RX-7 fan switch. “I found that the FD fan switch threshold is 255° F, which in my opinion is much too high, so I replaced it with the FC switch, which causes the fans to run at medium speed at a lower temperature.”