The Mazda RX-7 was a sports car that Mazda produced between the years of 1978 and 2002. One unique feature of this particular car is that it featured the Wankel engine. The RX-7 replaced the RX-3 and eventually replaced all of Mazda’s rotary engine vehicles except the Cosmo.
The first RX-7 only had a 1150 cc engine. The rotary engine featured twin rotors and the vehicle was a rear wheel drive car. The rotary engine had been developed in Germany many years earlier, but Mazda is one of the few auto manufacturers to successfully use the technology in a widely produced vehicle. One drawback of the engine is that it uses more fuel than the piston engine. This cause several problems for Mazda in the 70s oil crisis.
Rotary engines are light weight in their construction. This gave the RX-7 a feeling of more power with a smaller engine. The engines also run smoother that a comparable piston engine.
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 1984, Mazda offered a fuel economy of 29 highway and 19 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 1988, they introduced the RX-7 convertible who’s production continued until 1992. While it was being produced, the convertible was rated as the best convertible that had ever been produced.
In 1992 the third generation RX-7 was introduced and the sales of the RX-7 stopped during 1995 when only a limited number of the Mazda RX-7s were shipped to the United States dealers for sale. Sales of the vehicle continued in other parts of the world until 2002.
The RX-8 has been introduced by Mazda to replace the RX-7. The RX-8 was first seen in car shows in 2001 but not sold in the United States until 2004. Standard equipment in the RX-8 are seating for four. Mazda continues to use the rotary engine in the RX-8.
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Andy Zain
