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.
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| Mazda RX-7 |
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| Mazda RX-7 Sport |
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 Mazda's Familia Rotary to the podium eleven years earlier at the same event. TWR's 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.
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| New Series 2012 Mazda RX-7 |
Mazda's 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 generation's overall no-compromise performance concept was too extreme, and the car's high price turned off many potential buyers.
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| New Series 2012 Mazda RX-7 |
New Series Generation 2012 Mazda RX-7
The 2012 Mazda RX-7 will live up to the hype growing around it, but it should be no less the unique sports car its predecessors were. Is that worth waiting for? Well, RX-7 fans have already been waiting over 10 years for a new version of their favorite. What's a couple more? But be prepared to move once dealers have it. Demand for the new RX-7 is likely to be strong, at least in the first season. Also, like the RX-8, this car is partly a technology and image flagship, so Mazda won't be looking for big sales. Sources say the 2012 Mazda RX-7 will be another Japan-sourced two-door coupe, but based on Mazda's latest MX-5 roadster platform. However, that rear-wheel-drive architecture will be scaled up to near RX-8 size, which could mean a tiny back seat instead of a strictly two-passenger cockpit. Styling is said to be drawn from the 2006 Kabura concept, so look for traditional, long hood/short-deck proportions, an arched roof, prominent cycle-style front fenders, an aggressive nose, and big wheels pushed right out to the corners.
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| New Series 2012 Mazda RX-7 |
The 2012 Mazda RX-7 won't be luxurious, but furnishings should be appropriate for a mid-priced sports car. So, too, standard equipment, which will likely include 17- or 18-inch wheels housing big four-wheel disc brakes with ABS, plus stability/traction control and perhaps steering with fuel-saving electric assist instead of hydraulic. Transmissions should comprise a 6-speed manual and optional 6-speed automatic, though a sequential manual with automatic shift mode might be in the cards. Like RX-8, options should include leather upholstery, heated/power seats, navigation system, keyless entry with push-button starting, rear spoiler, lower-body flares, and--for weekend racers--a firm "competition" suspension package.
New series 2012 Mazda RX-7 Prices: A lot will depend on how the dollar fares against the yen between now and 2012. However, $32,000 to start and upwards of $39,000. Mazda's Wankel-type rotary engine not only presents more emissions-cleanup challenges, it's inherently thirstier than comparably sized piston engines. With that and the prospect of higher fuel economy standards, some believe the 2012 Mazda RX-7 could appear with a Honda-style gas/electric hybrid system. Instead of a turbocharger, the battery-driven motor would boost engine acceleration at or near full throttle, but would not be set up to drive the vehicle by itself. Presumably, the system would also include regenerative braking to charge the batteries when coasting and decelerating, plus an engine stop/start feature to reduce idling time and thus save fuel. If the 2012 Mazda RX-7 turns out to be a hybrid.
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