Mazda · 1978–2002

Mazda RX-7

The Mazda RX-7 is a sports car which was manufactured and marketed by Mazda from 1978 to 2002 across three generations. It has a front mid engine, rear-wheel-drive layout and uses a compact and lightweight Wankel rotary engine. The first-generation RX-7, codenamed SA (early) and FB (late), is a two-seater coupé with a rear hatchback. It featured a 12A carbureted rotary engine as well as the option for a 13B rotary engine with electronic fuel injection in later years. The second-generation RX-7, carrying the internal model code FC, was offered as a two-seater coupé with a 2+2 option available in some markets, as well as in a convertible body style. This was powered by the 13B rotary engine, offered in naturally aspirated or turbocharged forms. The third-generation RX-7, model code FD, was offered as a two-seater coupé with a 2+2 version offered as an option for the Japanese market. It featured a sequentially turbocharged 13B REW engine. More than 800,000 RX-7s were manufactured over its lifetime.

Text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Predecessor: Mazda RX-3 · Successor: Mazda RX-8

All Mazda RX-7 data: UK builds, safety, recalls, model years →

First generation (SA, FB)

=== Series 1 (1978–1980) === 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 saloon. The lead designer at Mazda was Matasaburo Maeda (前田又三郎, Maeda Matasaburō), whose son, Ikuo, would go on to design the Mazda Demio 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 Japan, the Savanna RX-7 was powered with a 12A Rotary engine which has been refined to meet increasingly stringent emissions. The refined 12A Rotary engine produces 130 PS (96 kW). In March 1979 Mazda adding a new line-up: the SE which has a sunroof. In 1980, Mazda introduced a limited run North American model known as the Leathersport, or LS. The LS was essentially an uprated GS with additions such as LS badges on the B-pillars, exterior stripes, gold anodised wheels, brown leather upholstery, leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, removable sunroof, four-speaker AM/FM stereo radio with power antenna (listed as a six-speaker stereo, as the two rear dual voice coil speakers were counted as four speakers), remote power door side mirrors, and standard GS equipment. Two primary options were also available; a 3-s

Second generation (FC)

The second-generation RX-7 (sometimes referred to as "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. But upon closer inspection, it bears a striking resemblance to the Porsche 944. 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. While the first-generation RX-7 was a purer sports car, the second-generation RX-7 tended toward the softer sport-tourer trends of its day, sharing some similarities with the HB series Cosmo. Handling was much improved, with less of the oversteer tendencies of the previous version. The rear end design was improved from the SA22's live rear axle to a more modern, independent rear suspension (rear axle). Steering was more precise, with rack and pinion steering replacing the old recirculating ball steering of the SA22. Disc brakes also became standard, with some models (S4: Sport, GXL, GTU, Turbo II, Convertible; S5: GXL, GTUs, Turbo, Convertible) offering four-piston front brakes. The rear seats were optional in some models of the FC RX-7, but are not commonly found in the American market. Mazda also introduced Dynamic Tracking Suspension System (DTSS) in the FC. The revised independent rear suspension incorporated special toe control hubs which were capable of introducing a limited degree of passive rear steering under cornering loads. The DTSS worked by allowing a slight amount of toe-out under normal driving conditions

Third generation (FD)

The third-generation RX‑7, (sometimes referred to as FD, chassis code FD3S for Japan and JM1FD for the North America), featured an updated body design. Announced in October 1991, production began later that month before going on sale in December in the domestic Japanese market. Left-Hand-Drive export production began shortly after. The 13B-REW engine was the first-ever mass-produced sequential twin-turbocharger system to be exported from Japan, boosting power to 255 PS (188 kW; 252 hp) in 1992 and finally to 280 PS (206 kW; 276 hp) by the time production ended in Japan in 2002. For the third-generation RX-7, Mazda organised an internal design competition between its four design studios in Hiroshima, Yokohama, Irvine, and Europe. The winning design came from their Design Center in Irvine and was designed by Taiwanese automotive artist Wu-huang Chin (秦無荒), who also worked on the Mazda MX-5 Miata, with help from Tom Matano. The interior design, though, originated from the Hiroshima design proposal. Mazda's chief designer Yoichi Sato (佐藤洋一, Satō Yōichi) then helped take the concept design to its final production form. 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. 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 tur

Reviews and awards

The RX-7 made Car and Driver magazine's Ten Best list five times (1983, 1987, 1993–1995). In 2004, Sports Car International named the Series 3 car seventh on their list of Top Sports Cars of the 1970s. In 1983, the RX-7 would appear on Car and Driver magazine's Ten Best list for the first time in 20 years. 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 for 1993. 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 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.

Motorsport

Racing versions of the first-generation RX-7 were entered at the 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. Mazda began racing RX-7s in the IMSA GTU series in 1979. In its first year, RX-7s placed first and second at the 24 Hours of Daytona, and claimed the GTU series championship. The car continued winning, claiming the GTU championship seven years in a row. The RX-7 took the GTU championship ten years in a row from 1982, and the GTO Championship in 1991. In addition to this, a GTX version was developed, named the Mazda RX-7 GTP; this was unsuccessful, and the GTP version of the car was also unsuccessful. The RX-7 has won more IMSA races than any other car model. In the USA SCCA competition RX-7s were raced with great success by Don Kearney in the NE Division and John Finger in the SE Division. Pettit Racing won the GT2 Road Racing Championship in 1998. The car was a '93 Mazda RX-7 street car with only bolt-on accessories. At season end Pettit had 140 points—63 points more than the second place team. This same car finished the Daytona Rolex 24-hour race four times. 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 R

Revivals

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 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. In October 2023, Mazda unveiled the Iconic SP concept car at the Japan Mobility Show, with a two-rotor rotary engine used as a power generator and also features design cues reminiscent of the third generation RX-7, most notably its pop-up headlights.

Sections adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0); text is shortened. Read the full article for the complete history and citations.

Specifications

name: Mazda RX-7
Manufacturer: Mazda
aka: Mazda Savanna RX-7 (Japan, 1978–1991), Mazda ɛ̃fini RX-7 (Japan, 1991–1997)
Class: Sports car (S)
Production: 1978–2002, 811,634 produced
Assembly: Japan: Hiroshima (Hiroshima Assembly)
Platform: Mazda F
Layout: Front mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive
Predecessor: Mazda RX-3
Successor: Mazda RX-8