The first generation Mazda RX-7 were entered at the prestigious 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-engine car 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 Mazda RX-7 Le Mans effort was replaced by the 717C prototype for 1983. In 1991, Mazda became the first Japanese manufacturer to win the 24 hours of Le Mans. The car was a 4-rotor protor, the 787B. The FIA outlawed rotary engines shortly after this win. To this day the rotary powered Mazda is the only Japanese manufacturer to have ever won the prestigious 24 hour Le Mans race outright.
Mazda began racing Mazda RX-7s in the IMSA GTU series in 1979. That first year, Mazda 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 Mazda RX-7 took the GTO championship ten years in a row from 1982. The Mazda RX7 -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 2nd place team. This same car finished the Daytona Rolex 24-hour race 4 times.
The Mazda 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 530i and Ford Capri, the Mazda RX-7 driven by Pierre Dieudonné and Tom Walkinshaw won the event. Mazda had turned the tables on BMW, who had beaten Mazdas Familia Rotary to the podium eleven years earlier at the same event. TWRs prepared RX-7s also won the British Touring Car Championship in 1980 and 1981, driven by Win Percy.
The Mazda RX-7 is a sports car by the Japanese automaker Mazda. It was produced from 1978 to 2002. The original RX-7 featured a 1146 cc twin-rotor Wankel rotary engine and a sporty front-midship, rear-wheel drive layout. The Mazda RX-7 was a direct replacement for the RX-3 (both were sold in Japan as the Savanna) and subsequently replaced all other Mazda rotary cars with the exception of the Cosmo. The original Mazda RX-7 was a sports coupé. The compact and lightweight Wankel engine (rotary engine) is situated slightly behind the front axle, a configuration marketed by Mazda as "front mid-engine". It was offered as a two-seat coupé, with optional "occasional" rear seats in Japan, Australia, the United States, and other parts of the world. These rear seats were initially marketed as a dealer-installed option for the North American markets.
Mazdas singular goal for the third and final-generation Mazda RX-7 was to create a pure sports car. Launched in 1993, this Mazda RX-7 was still a rear-wheel-drive two-door coupe. Available in a single trim, it was powered by a 1.3-liter twin-turbocharged rotary engine that put out 255 horsepower and 217 pound-feet of torque.
The 1993-95 Mazda RX-7 proved to be an impressive all-around performer. It was light, agile and fast. Zero-to-60 times were in the 5-second range. The suspension was tuned for the track, and the RX-7 came with many high-performance features, including a limited-slip differential, four-wheel antilock disc brakes and a five-speed manual transmission. A four-speed automatic was available as an option. Through three generations, Mazda made sure that the Mazda RX-7 stayed on the cutting edge of design and performance, completely overhauling the car for each model change. Unfortunately, Mazda probably went too far with the final Mazda RX-7. Although it was beautiful to look at, the third generations overall no-compromise performance concept was too extreme, and the cars high price turned off many potential buyers.
Mazda Rx 7 Standard Features----------------------------- 2-rotor inline rotary engine with sequential twin turbochargers,air-to-air intercooler, and electronic fuel injection- Engine oil cooler- 5-speed manual transmission with overdrive- Power Plant Frame (PPF)- Torsen torque-sensing limited-slip differential- Fully independent double-wishbone suspension with rear shock-tower supportbrace- Rack-and-pinion steering with engine-rpm-sensing variable power assist- Power-assisted 4-wheel ventilated disc brakes with aluminum 4-piston frontcalipers and ducted backing plates- Anti-lock Brake System (ABS)
Exterior Standard Features--------------------------- 16-inch aluminum alloy wheels- Dual aerodynamic body-color power mirrors- Tinted glass- Retractable halogen headlights- Lightweight aluminum hood
Interior Standard Features--------------------------- Highback bucket seats with seatback recliners- Sport cloth upholstery- Dual storage compartments behind seats- Power windows and door locks- Remote liftgate and fuel door releases- 9000-rpm tachometer with 8000-rpm* redline- 180-mph speedometer- Gauges for oil pressure and engine coolant temperature- Leather-wrapped steering wheel, handbrake grip, and transmission shiftknob- Cruise-control with steering-wheel-mounted controls (n/a R-1)- Drivers side air bag Supplemental Restraint System (SRS)- Drilled aluminum clutch and brake pedals (manual trans. only)- Anti-theft alarm system- Heater/defroster with 4-speed blower and side-window demisters- Air Conditioning- AM/FM/cassette stereo sound with five speakers and automatic power antenna
* 7000 rpm redline with automatic transmission
