GTP Cool Wall: 1978-1985 Mazda RX-7

[cjr3559]

Wow, nearly forgot about this era. Cool for nostalgia sake. Small engine? Check the curb weight!

 

[Sage Ages]

rotary engine

Why do so many people mention this? Being cool and actually being good/practical are two different things, and they typically don't go together.

 

[Murcie_LP640]

Why do so many people mention this? Being cool and actually being good/practical are two different things, and they typically don't go together.

Because you have to explain what a rotary engine is to the uninitiated.

 

[Tornado]

Did the SA22 RX-7 even have the rotary problems that the later turbo ones had anyway?

 

[CodeRedR51]

Did the SA22 RX-7 even have the rotary problems that the later turbo ones had anyway?

Not really, no. N/A rotaries can be super reliable with proper maintenance. I've seen several go well past 200k miles.

 

[SVT Cobra GT]

Good looking little car plus pop up headlights. Cool.

 

[Mr_X]

Cool

 

[Leonidae@MFT]

Cool. Would be low Sub Zero, but solid rear axle undermines it..

 

[ImaRobot]

Why do so many people mention this? Being cool and actually being good/practical are two different things, and they typically don't go together.

Because it's something to like. Just like people who like high-revving I4's, or torquey V8's. What's the problem here?

 

[Raymond_Racer]

This car is the predecessor of the FC and FD RX-7's, and those two get plenty of love in the tuning community. As for the FB itself, it looks relatively understated in its stock form, but this car was converted to a full-blown rally car in the Group B era. I think I'd go with cool for this one.

 

[Eunos_Cosmo]

Did the SA22 RX-7 even have the rotary problems that the later turbo ones had anyway?

Not at all. Mine was a rock solid daily driver for 5 years. Only when I started to modify it did it become unreliable, and that was my fault for replacing fuel injection with a carb.

People tend to forget or simply don't know how good these cars actually are. They weigh less than 2400lbs and have 50/50 weight distribution. The only dynamic thing missing is a good steering setup, as the first gens have recirculating ball steering, which gives very little feel. The top spec GSL-SE will easily out-accelerate any MX-5 pre NC (excluding Mazdaspeed) and can hang with an MX-5 in the twisties too. They were real giant slayers in racing back in the late 70s and early 80s, crushing IMSA racing championships over and over. In Europe and Australia they were strong contenders too.

I found this pretty illustrative of the character of the SA22C/FB33.

 

[ScottPuss20]

Yes, it's an RX-7 but looks a bit boring compared to the FD. I'd prefer it over the FC, however there's nothing that really stands out to me, apart from the fact that it has a rotary.Meh