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101 Cars: Mazda RX-7
A sports car too good for the U.S. market
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SPEED Staff  |  Posted August 25, 2008   Charlotte, North Carolina
The ride is firm, the steering responds right now, and the close-gated shifter feels like it came from a race car. (Photo: Barrett-Jackson.com)

Hard-core driver types complained that the second-generation RX-7 (1986-1992) was too soft around the middle and looked too much like a Porsche 924. Mazda responded with the curvaceous, close-coupled, and seriously fast third-gen RX. Its skin looks like it's stretched so tight around the chassis and cockpit that it fairly pings when you touch it. The twin-turbo rotary puts out 255 horsepower, plenty for a car that weighs just 2,800 pounds. The ride is firm, the steering responds right now, and the close-gated shifter feels like it came from a race car. There were electrical and engine service issues, and they're kinda cramped inside. But these are driving machines, and their performance holds up a decade later. This RX-7 didn't sell well because people didn't like the small cabin and stiff ride. Come on, people - make up your mind.

Specifications
Engine: 1.30-liter twin-turbo, twin-rotor rotary
Horsepower: 255
Price New: $32,900 (base, 1993)
Value Now: Now you'll spend at least half that for a good one; rare R1 model, add 40 percent.
Mazda RX-7 Photos



Claim to Fame

CLAIM TO FAME: The world's only twin-turbocharged, rotary engine car, ever.


Behind the Wheel

BEHIND THE WHEEL: Good ones that haven't been blown up, raced to death, or neglected are getting hard to find, but do sell among car club pals. Do some web crawling for this one.


Did You Know?

DID YOU KNOW: Bruce Meyers drove the Manx prototype in the inaugural Baja 1000, finishing first in class and second overall.


The Perfect Drive

THE PERFECT DRIVE: Laps on both the small, technical Streets of Willow Springs, as well as Willow's main, big, scary-fast track.



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