what is the best year to buy on a mazada rx-7
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Mazda RX-7 FD - review, history, prices and specs
The third-generation Mazda RX-7 was one of the sharpest coupes of the '90s
The RX classification plays a massively important role in Mazda'southward past – historically, anything bearing the name has as well had a rotary engine, only the RX-7 always had just that little bit more panache than its related RX family unit. The RX-vii is arguably most recognised by UK car buyers in FD class, the third and final generation that was built over the course of 10 years, between 1992 and 2002.
Imported in relatively low numbers to the United kingdom of great britain and northern ireland, the FD RX-7'due south core defining feature was its utilize of a twin-turbocharged twin rotor 13B-REW engine. The RX-7 produced 237bhp upon its release in the United kingdom of great britain and northern ireland, simply thanks to a lithe kerb-weight was hardly lacking against more powerful rivals like the Toyota Supra, Honda NSX and Nissan Skyline GT-R.
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Today the RX-7 is a rare beast, particularly one that has been untouched by the greasy fingers of lawn tuners, simply find 1 with a skillful history and sensible previous owners and the rewards are considerable. There is a caveat with the RX-7 though, as with all rotary-engined Mazda's, the RX-seven's highly-strung engine not only requires lots of TLC to remain healthy, but also cyclical engine rebuilds thanks to the deterioration of rotor seals.
RX-7 in detail
The original RX-7 was launched in 1978 – its light, compact fastback manner and rotary engines proved a hit among buyers. Buoyed on by a strong Japanese economic system, Mazda subsequently launched the larger and heavier FC model in 1986 with more than of GT bent, but it failed to entertain like the previous machine which lead to Mazda'due south decision to return to its lightweight roots with the third so far final generation FD.
The model launched in 1992 was definitely 1 of the most striking designs to come out of Japan upwards until then, its depression-slung, compress-wrapped bodywork existence a complete contrast to the indigestible FC. Launched exclusively with the aforementioned 13B-REW twin turbo engine, the RX-7 was bachelor with both 5-speed manual and sluggish 4-speed automatic options.
The engine itself was based on the ane used in Mazda's Cosmo coupe – a Japanese domestic market place four-seater GT that not only combined turbocharging and a rotary engine for the starting time time, but also introduced the showtime application of digital sat-nav.
Featuring a sequential twin-turbo setup, the RX-7 employed but the one turbo at lower engine speeds to increase response, with the second merely coming into play above 4000rpm. Although it reduced turbo-lag, that very 90s of problems withal plagued the RX-seven'south rotary engine, chiefly due to the engine's natural lack of torque. The other compromise of the turbos was the loss of the previous RX-vii's dizzying rev limits, this time the motor was limited to a relatively normal 8000rpm.
Launched in the UK in a single loftier specification to rival the Porsche 911, the RX-7 cost a substantial £32,000 in 1992, only after a twelvemonth of slow sales, Mazda dropped it downwards to £25,000. United kingdom of great britain and northern ireland cars were fix with the stiffer interruption and strut braces of the Japanese market R model but the second hand car marketplace has subsequently been flooded with privately imported models, making it difficult to pin down the specific specifications due to the endless confusing Japanese model variants.
Later cars eventually upped power to the 276bhp 'gentleman's understanding' benchmark, with kerb weight e'er hovering around 1300kg, but the about focused models like the iconic Spirit R and Type RZ made famous in racing games were all specific to Nippon.
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| Mazda RX-7 (1992) | |
| Engine | Twin-chamber rotary, twin-turbo |
| Max power | 237bhp @ 6500rpm |
| Max torque | 218lb ft @ 5000rpm |
| Weight | 1284kg |
| Power-to-weight | 184bhp/ton |
| 0-60mph | 5.4sec (claimed) |
| Peak speed | 156mph (limited) |
We were lucky enough to drive a standard United kingdom specification car, keep scrolling for our full review by Richard Meaden...
Mazda RX-vii review
I can still remember the last time I drove a third-generation, 'FD' RX-7. But that's because information technology was also the get-go fourth dimension. It was way back in 1993, when the car was new and causing a stir in the U.k.. There was a real fizz about information technology, and I'm not just talking about its audible rev limiter. Even those who would non normally be drawn to Japanese performance cars found the fast and voluptuous rotary-powered Mazda very hard to ignore.
The same was true of Toyota's bewinged A80 twin-turbo Toyota Supra and Nissan'south slightly more discreet, but no less appealing, 300ZX. That this was as well the heyday for Honda'due south NSX makes it clear how strong the Japanese brands were in the early to mid '90s. Factor in BMW's equally fresh E36 M3 and Porsche's 968 and you lot'll appreciate this was something of a gold era for fans of fast, front-engined and relatively affordable rear-drive coupes.
As yous'd await from Mazda, the RX-7 was the oddball of the bunch, courtesy of its twin-turbo 13B-REW Wankel engine. With twin rotor chambers (each displacing 654cc) and turbo equivalency applied, the RX-seven was accounted to have a ii.vi-litre motor. The unit of measurement's meaty size and light weight made information technology easy to package behind the front beam line and depression in the chassis for a fifty:l weight distribution and low centre of gravity.
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Mazda RX-7: twin-turbo Wankel rotary engine
The engine was unusual for its use of twin sequential turbos. Indeed, it was amongst the beginning of its kind. The concept was simple, the first turbo boosting from 2000rpm, with frazzle gases then fed straight from it into the 2d, identically sized, turbo to further reduce lag. It was an effective, if complex organisation that relied on precise electronic control of boost pressures to piece of work seamlessly.
In Japan it was tuned to deliver 255bhp, but in Europe it adult a slightly softer 237bhp at 6500rpm, with 218lb ft of torque at 5000rpm. That still put it on a par with the iv-cylinder 968, simply some way short of the more than potent six-cylinder M3, Supra and 300ZX. All the same, the 1284kg RX-vii remained an appealing and rapid machine, capable of hit 60mph from a standstill in 5.4 seconds and touching 156mph flat-out. That was quick in the early '90s, kids.
Mazda RX-7 FD in the U.k.
Only 210 of these curvy coupes were officially imported to the UK, and this is i of them. Of course, many more subsequently arrived from Nihon in the late-'90s, courtesy of the Single Vehicle Approval (SVA) import scheme, but the FD RX-vii remains a rare sight on our roads, especially in unmolested condition. TheFast and Furious flick franchise has enough to respond for.
Similar all cars of this era, the RX-7 seems so small and meaty. It might be small-scale, but its curves (evolved from a concept penned by Mazda's Us pattern studio) ensure it has plenty of presence. Information technology'south funny, though, how your listen plays tricks; cars that yous thought looked low and wide and had large wheels don't actually look that spectacular these days. No wonder, when a quick glance at the pretty five-spoke rims shows they're but 16 inches in bore and wrapped in 225/l rubber. No affair, for the innate rightness of the shape and the courage of the design mean the FD's looks remain surprisingly avant-garde.
There wasn't really anything like it before, and in that location hasn't been anything quite like it since. The smoked, one-piece, full-width tail light still makes a dramatic statement, while the pop-upwardly headlights are proper '90s nostalgia. They were actually a necessity due to the low-line nature of the RX-7's nose.
The door handle is positioned unusually high, up above the waistline and nestled against the B-pillar. You open the door expecting the glass to exist frameless, but instead you notice a heavy black surround framing the side-glass lenses like a pair of thick-rimmed spectacles. The interior mirrors the outside with its organic curves, but advances in materials mean the RX-7's black-plastic cockpit has dated badly. Information technology doesn't feel that great quality-wise, only it'due south a comfortable identify to exist cheers to squidgy seats that yield nicely, allowing yous to sink into them for support.
Y'all don't sit as depression equally you might await, and the steering cycle is quite big in diameter with proud stitching that too features on the handbrake and gearknob. Equipment levels are pretty basic by today's standards – leather upholstery, a pair of plastic luggage bins instead of rear seats, air-conditioning, electrical windows, powered mirrors and a stereo are all in that location is to shout about. The instruments are simple but really quite handsome, with a bold typeface, a speedo that reads to 180mph and a tacho that reads round to 9000rpm, even though the cherry line itself starts at an altogether more pocket-size 7000rpm. Gauges for oil pressure, oil temperature and fuel level sit to the left of the tacho to complete a proudly analogue binnacle.
The view though the windscreen is dominated past curves, the ascent line of each extremity swooping up towards you while each door mirror captures a reflection of the long arc of the door tops that menses into the rear wheelarches. Everywhere you lot look, sections of the RX-7'due south fulsome shape corking into view to remind you you're driving something special.
Mazda RX-seven: on the road
The engine starts with a characteristic chunter before settling into a rapid idle, rotary tips whizzing round at a busy and rorty 2500rpm for a infinitesimal or two earlier the revs eventually settle down. The clutch is modestly weighty; the throttle has a nice measured resistance. The chubby gearlever hints at a snappy, short-throw gearshift that's make clean and accurate, but the first few miles reveal the 5-speed manual is blessed with a good rather than brilliant shift.
The steering weight is more substantial than I was expecting, and that's a welcome surprise, for it confirms the sense that the RX-seven is a communicative car with well-matched control efforts and advisedly measured responses. The cast-aluminium pedals look attractive, feel expert nether your feet and are widely spaced across the footwell. The relationship betwixt brake and throttle was clearly signed off past someone who enjoyed heel-and-toe work, and the exhaust is presently popping and crackling nicely with each hands blipped downshift.
Of course, the 13B motor was what fabricated the RX-vii unique among its contemporary rivals, and it'due south what continues to add curiosity value today. The engineering differences betwixt rotary and conventional internal combustion engines might exist large, but the tangible differences from backside the bicycle are surprisingly subtle. Yeah, of course that has something to practice with the motor non being in a screaming state of tune, dissimilar in the legendary Mazda race cars, but it as well shows that while rotary engines are yet seen as eccentric, they are impressively straightforward in the fashion they go virtually their business.
This car has an aftermarket exhaust, which is a bit more vocal than an OE system, just strip away the snorty soundtrack and you find an engine blessed with refinement and proficient manners. Ascension through the revs and it has a finely serrated smoothness that confounds your senses and encourages yous to work information technology difficult. Information technology'due south a genuinely enjoyable engine; torquey with piddling lag, it delivers a solid shove from 3000rpm through to 6000rpm. Beyond that it runs out of puff a bit, nevertheless still pulls meaningfully to the red line – signalled by the infamous buzzer every bit a reminder to take another gear. If you're remotely intrigued by a machine's oily bits, the RX-vii'due south motor is special. It doesn't dominate the whole graphic symbol of the machine, simply it asserts itself nicely and sets the tone for a driving experience that'due south outside the norm but delivers the goods.
This particular car has clearly lived a life, one in which it has covered more 90,000 miles. That said, while the dampers and bushes aren't in their showtime flushes of youth, and despite the forepart beam running on a dissimilar make of tyre to the rear, it however manages to feel tidy. Information technology rides with pliancy, masking modest surface imperfections and arresting potholes without too much fuss, though there are a few creaks from the interior plastics! More impressive is the manner the innate balance of this front-mid-engined, rear-drive chassis shines through, and how yous rapidly build a clear picture of the sharpness and agility for which the third-gen RX-vii was rightly praised when new.
Funnily enough, of the memories I have of my first drive in an FD RX-7 back in 1993, the most lasting impression is of a car that demanded respect – something the 22-year-old me had just plenty of to go on the Mazda out of the weeds. I moment in particular sticks in my listen. The road was damp and chased across hilly terrain. Travelling at enthusiastic but not silly speed, the RX-seven squeezed into a gently curving compression. As the suspension got towards the bottom of its travel, the vertical and lateral loads pushed the tail out of line with piffling alert. It was one of those moments defenseless by luck and youthful, sparky synapses rather than sage car control, not least considering these were the days when I was testing my ain limits equally much as those of the auto. It certainly taught me a lesson.
My driving skills – and judgement – have come a long fashion in the last xx years, but I nevertheless tin't assistance but feel a piddling wary of this old Mazda for the first few miles. The nicely weighted steering is complemented past a calm charge per unit of response that'due south typical for fast cars of this era (only under three turns lock to lock) and which makes it easy to confidently place the RX-seven in corners with intuitive precision. Yous need simply encourage it into long curves with a small clasp of steering input, so relax the lock as the corner opens out. It finds a very satisfying and easily sustained flow.
The balance is beautifully neutral, with only enough bite from the forepart tyres to generate decent grip and response simply non enough to induce oversteer. Too, the rear cease has strong traction – non a surprise given the rear tyres aren't exactly over-burdened with torque. In short, the perfect weight distribution and sweet ratio of grunt to grip ensures a harmony that lets the chassis piece of work unhindered by dynamic imbalance. That it's not fighting with an engine that's likewise potent underlines the fact that sometimes less really is more.
Carry meaningful speed into a second- or third-gear corner, chase the throttle from noon to exit, and you lot feel the car and its Torsen express-slip diff load up nicely, sitting down on the exterior rear as the loads increase and those sequential turbos kickoff to accident. It's at this indicate I experience something of the RX-7 I remember, for when pushed hard it chop-chop makes the transition from only on the limit to some way over it. It's fun and harmless enough in the dry, only I can conspicuously meet how I nearly came unstuck all those years ago.
The brakes are upwardly to the chore of fast road driving, with progressive response, but they don't have the capabilities of those on today'south loftier-performance cars, so yous have to be a little sympathetic. You'd toast them on track, just then cars of this age weren't developed with as much in reserve as today's operation models.
Information technology'due south been bang-up to exist reacquainted with the FD RX-7. Two decades of rampant engineering progress and sky-rocketing performance mean Mazda's flagship sports car is no longer the forcefulness it was back in 1993, but information technology remains a thoroughly mannerly, fascinating, intriguing and usefully rapid car. It does things differently – equally y'all'd promise – but it does them well. Well plenty to remain the high point for Mazda'due south rotary efforts. Here'south hoping final year's glorious RX-Vision concept makes the leap to product and rekindles some of this RX-seven'south arable magic.
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Mazda RX-seven FD - review
Mazda RX-7 FD - review
The third-generation Mazda RX-vii was i of the sharpest coupes of the '90s. A quarter of a century afterwards, does it nevertheless have that edge?
eleven Aug 2017
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Source: https://www.evo.co.uk/mazda/rx-7
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