Mazda RX-7 The Japanese Sports Car
Produced between the years of’78 and 2002, the Mazda RX-7 was a Japanese sports car. One unique feature of the sports car was its feature of the Wankel or rotary engine. Mazda used the RX-7 to replace the RX-3 and it eventually was the replacement for all of their rotary engines other than the Cosmo.
The Wankel engine in the first RX-7 was only 1150 cc. It was a twin rotor engine and the car was rear wheel drive. The Wankel engine was invented in Germany, however Mazda was one of the few auto manufacturers to successfully use the rotary engine. The increased fuel consumption of the rotary engine caused the company some problems in the oil crisis of the’70s.
One advantage the rotary engine offers is its lightweight construction. Rotary engines can be built to be weighing much less that the normal piston engine. Owners of the Mazdas often bragged about how smooth these engines could run.
The rotary engines were found to be easily modified to meet air emission standards without catalytic converters. However, this conversion caused them to use even more fuel. By’84, Mazda offered a fuel economy of 29 highway and’ city. In the RX-8 replacement for the RX-7 the fuel economy is comparable to other vehicles of the same size and weight class.
Mazda sold the RX-7 as a sports coupe. The RX-7 had a mid mounted engine and offered great stability. In America for a while there was an option of dealer installed rear seats, however in Japan there was the option of purchasing the vehicle with rear seats already installed.
In the later part of the 80’s Mazda redesigned the RX-7 and styled it to look like the popular Porsche. In’88, they introduced the RX-7 convertible who’s production continued until’92. While it was being produced, the convertible was rated as the best convertible that had ever been produced.
The RX-7 started its third generation in’92, but sales of the RX-7 stopped in the United States sometime in’95. Only a limited number of RX-7s were shipped to the Stated during’92, but the vehicle continued to be sold in several other countries around the world.
The Mazda RX-8 eventually replaced the RX-7 world wide. It was first introduced into the United States in 2001 at an auto show, but sales did not begin until 2004. The RX-8 continues Mazda’s tradition of the rotary engine, however it offers seating in the vehicle for four as standard.
Andy Zain is the admin of Mazda RX-7 Forums , a place where fans and owners can get the right information for tuning, customization and general discussions on anything about Mazda RX-7. Get the information you need when you visit Mazda Forums