Mazda RX-7

Mazda Wankel rotary timeline. Salomon can mean:.
. Salomon Islands. Recently, Mazda has revived the rotary engine in the form of the RX-8, a sport sedan similar to the Mazda Cosmo. Salomon Group - a company manufacturing sporting equipment (which was apart of adidas-Salomon AG). Group B received much of the focus for the first part of the 1980s, but Mazda did manage to place third at the 1985 Acropolis Rally, and the Familia 4WD claimed the victory at Swedish Rally in both 1987 and 1989. Salomon Brothers.

The car finished 11th on its debut at the RAC Rally in Wales in 1981. The RX-7 even made an appearance in the World Rally Championship. Australia's adoption of international Group A regulations, combined with Mazda's reluctance to homologate a Group A RX-7, ended Mazda's active participation in the touring car series at the end of the 1984 season. Over a four year span beginning in 1981, Moffat took the Mazda RX-7 to victory in the 1983 Australian Touring Car Championship, as well as a trio of Bathurst 1000 podiums, in 1981 (3rd with Derek Bell), 1983 (second with Yoshima Katayama) and 1984 (third with former motorcycle champion Gregg Hansford).

Canadian/Australian touring car driver Allan Moffat was instrumental in bringing Mazda into the Australian touring car scene. TWR's prepared RX-7s also won the British Touring Car Championship in 1980 and 1981, driven by Win Percy. Mazda had turned the tables on BMW, who had beaten Mazda's Familia Rotary to the podium eleven years earlier at the same event. After hours of battling with several BMW 530i and Ford Capri, the RX-7 driven by Pierre Dieudonné and Tom Walkinshaw won the event.

Three Savanna/RX-7s were entered in 1981 by Tom Walkinshaw Racing. The RX-7 also fared well at the Spa 24 Hours race. The RX-7 has won more IMSA races than any other car model. The RX-7 took the GTO championship ten years in a row from 1982.

The car continued winning, claiming the GTU championship seven years in a row. That first year, RX-7s placed first and second at the 24 Hours of Daytona, and claimed the GTU series championship. Mazda began racing RX-7s in the IMSA GTU series in 1979. The RX-7 Le Mans effort was replaced by the 717C prototype for 1983.

Those two cars were back for 1982, with one 14th place finish and another DNF. That same car did not finish in 1981, along with two more 13B cars. The next year, a 12A-engine car not only qualified, it placed 21st overall. The first outing for the car, equipped with a 13B engine, failed by less than one second to qualify in 1979.

Racing versions of the first-generation RX-7 were entered at the prestigious 24 hours of Le Mans endurance race. A later special version, the Bathurst R, was released in 2001. The formula paid off when the RX-7SP won the title, giving Mazda the winning trophy for a fourth straight year. It was a serious road going race car that matched their rival Porsche 911RS for the final year Mazda officially entered.

Weight was reduced significantly with the aid of carbon fibre; a lightweight bonnet and seats were used to reduce weight to just 1218 kg (from 1310 kg). An improved intercooler, exhaust, and modified ECU were also included. Other changes included a race-inspired nose cone, race-proven rear wing, a 120 L fuel tank (as opposed to the 76 L tank in the standard car), a 4.3:1-ratio rear differential, 17 in diameter wheels, larger brake rotors and calipers. The RX-7 SP produced 204 kW (273.6 hp) and 357 Nm (263.3 ft.lbf) of torque, compared to 176 kW (236 hp) and 294 Nm (216.9 ft.lbf) on the standard version.

An initial run of 25 were made, and later an extra 10 were built by Mazda due to demand. This model was developed as a homologated road-going version of the race car used in the 12hr endurance race held at Bathurst, New South Wales, beginning in 1991. Australia had a special high performance version of the RX-7 in 1995, dubbed the RX-7 SP. The R (R1 in 1993 and R2 in 1994–95) models featured stiffer suspensions, an aerodynamics package, suede seats, and Z-rated tires.

The touring FD had a sunroof and a complex Bose stereo system and Acoustic Wave system in the trunk. In North America, three models were offered; the "base", the touring, and the R models. The continued use of the front-midship engine and drivetrain layout, combined with an equal front-rear weight distribution and low center of gravity made the FD a very competent car at the limits. Handling in the FD was regarded as world-class, and it is still regarded as being one of the finest handling and best balanced cars of all time.

The changeover process was incredibly smooth, and provided linear acceleration and a very wide torque curve throughout the entire rev range. The first turbocharger provided 10 psi of boost from 1800 rpm, and the 2nd turbocharger was activated at 4000 rpm and also provided 10 psi. The 2nd unit was on standby until the upper half of the RPM range during full throttle acceleration. The system was comprised of one small turbocharger to provide torque at low RPM.

The sequential twin turbocharged system was a very complex piece of engineering, developed with the aid of Hitachi and previously used on the domestic Cosmo series (JC Cosmo=90–95). It also made Car and Driver magazine's Ten Best list for 1992 through 1995. The FD RX-7 was Motor Trend's Import Car of the Year for 1993. The 13B-REW was the first-ever mass-produced sequential twin-turbo system to export from Japan, boosting power to 255 hp (190 kW) and finally 280 ps (276 hp, 208 kW, the Japanese manufacturers' gentlemen's agreement on engine power) by the time production ended in Japan in 2002.

It featured an aerodynamic, futuristic-looking body design (a testament to its near 11 year life span).
The third and final generation of the RX-7, FD (with FD3S for the JDM and JM1FD for the USA VIN), was an outright, no-compromise sports car by Japanese standards. Overall, the 2nd generation was the most successful for Mazda saleswise, with 86,000 cars finding buyers in 1986 for the USA alone. This can be attributed to insurance companies penalising turbo cars (thus restricting potential sales).

In the Japanese market, only the turbo engine was available; the atmospheric version was allowed only as an export. In Japan, the United Kingdom, and other regions outside the US, a turbocharged version of the convertible was available. Despite production ceasing in October 1991, Mazda built a limited run of 500 convertibles for 1992 as "specials" for the domestic market only. In 1987, a convertible version started production in atmospheric and turbocharged form, proving an instant success.

The FC RX-7 was Motor Trend's Import Car of the Year for 1986, and the Turbo II was on Car and Driver magazine's Ten Best list for a second time in 1987. Though heavier and more isolated than its predecessor, the FC continued to win accolades from the press. The rear seats were optional in some models of the FC RX-7, but are not commonly found. Disc brakes also became standard, with some models (S4: GXL, GTU, TII, Vert; S5: GTUs, TII, Vert) offering four-piston front brakes.

Steering was firmer, with rack and pinion steering replacing the old recirculating ball steering of the FB. Handling was much improved, with less of the oversteer tendencies of the FB. While the SA22/FB was a purer sports car, the FC tended toward the softer sport-tourer trends of its day. The second generation RX-7 ("FC", VIN begins JM1FC3), still known as the "Savannah RX-7" in Japan, featured a complete restyling reminiscent of the Porsche 944.

In 1983, the RX-7 would appear on Car and Driver magazine's Ten Best list for the first time. In 2004, Sports Car International named this car #7 on its list of Top Sports Cars of the 1970s. Sales were strong, with a total of 474,565 first-generation cars produced; 377,878 were sold in the United States alone. For other countries, Mazda used a turbocharged (but non-intercooled) 12A engine for the top end model.

Additionally, North America was the only market to have offered the 1st generation RX-7 with the fuel injected 13B. The gauge layout and interior styling in the Series 3 was only changed for North American versions. Options and models varied from country to country. Because of the smoothness inherent in the Wankel rotary engine, little vibration or harshness was experienced at high rpm, so a buzzer was fitted to the tachometer to warn the driver when the 7000 rpm redline was approaching.

The 12A engine produced 100 hp (75 kW) @ 6000 rpm, allowing the car to reach speeds of over 120 mph (190 km/h). 12A-powered models accelerated from 0–60 mph in 9.2 s, and turned 0.779 lateral Gs on a skidpad. The handling and acceleration of the car were noted to be of a high calibre for its day. .

In total, 811,634 RX-7s were produced. The RX-7 made Car and Driver magazine's Ten Best list five times. It was offered in America as a two seat coupe, with four seats being optional in Japan, Australia, and other parts of the world. The relatively light Wankel engine was situated slightly behind the front axle.

The RX-7 is a true sports coupe design, as opposed to a sports car like the Triumph TR6 or a saloon with sporting intentions. The 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. It features a unique twin-rotor Wankel rotary engine and a sporty front-midship, rear wheel drive layout, making it well balanced and appropriate for racing. The styling was modeled after the had styling inspired by the Lotus Elan 2+2.

The original RX-7 competed in the affordable sports car segment with the likes of the Datsun/Nissan 280Z. The Mazda RX-7 (also called the Savanna and Efini RX-7) is a sports car that began production in 1978. RotaryEngineIllustrated - animations & info about The RX-7 engine. URL accessed on November 28, 2005..

Edmunds.com. Generations: Mazda RX-7 and RX-8. ISBN 0312694563.. Martin's Press, New York.

The New Mazda RX-7 and Mazda Rotary Engine Sports Cars, St. (1985). Yamaguchi, Jack K. They still command amazing prices on the Japanese used car scene years later.

Dubbed the "Spirit R", they combined all the "extra" features Mazda had used on previous limited-run specials and all sold within days of being announced. Easily the most collectable of all the RX-7's was the last 1500 run-out specials. The effective result made for safer driving for the average buyer. The improved ABS system worked by braking differently on each wheel, allowing the car better turning during braking.

Further upgrades included a new 16-bit ECU and ABS system upgrades. It also featured custom BBS wheels and a custom red racing themed interior. The Type RZ version included all the features of the Type RS, but at a lighter weight. Power was officially claimed as 280 ps (276 hp, 208 kW) (with 330 Nm (243 ft.lbf) of torque) as per the maximum Japanese limit, though realistic power was more likely 220–230 kW (290–308.4 hp).

The top-of-the-line "Type RS" came equipped with a Bilstein suspension and 17" wheels as standard equipment. The rear wing was modified and gained adjustability. The seats, steering wheel, and front and rear lights were all changed. More efficient turbochargers were installed, while improved intercooling and radiator cooling was made possible by a revised frontal area.

Series 8 (January 1999– August 2002) was the final series, and was only available in the Japanese market. Only Japan and Australia received this version. The main difference was an updated ECU allowing for increased boost which netted an extra 10 hp. Series 7 (1996–1998) included minor changes to the car.

In Japan, Mazda sold the Series 6 FD RX-7 through its Efini brand as the Efini RX-7 and then returned it to the Mazda brand for 1996. Series 6 (1992–1995) was exported throughout the world and had the highest sales. The naturally aspirated Series 5 FC made 160 hp (119 kW), while the Series 5 Turbo made 200 hp (149 kW). The Turbo II moniker was dropped, and the turbocharged model was simply dubbed Turbo.

Series 5 (1989–1991) featured updated styling and better engine management, as well as lighter rotors and a higher compression ratio. An optional turbocharged model, known as the the Turbo II, had 189 hp (141 kW). Series 4 (1986–1988) was available with a naturally aspirated, fuel-injected 13B-VDEI producing 146 hp (108 kW). (The S3 RX-7 is the only rotary-engined car to not have a centrally mounted tachometer.) The GSL-SE model (S3 only) had a fuel injected 1.3L 13B-RESI engine, four-lug hubs with a more common bolt pattern in 4X114.3, a clutch-type rear LSD and stronger drivetrain components.

Series 3 (1984–1985) featured an updated lower front fascia and different gauge display layout. Elsewhere in the world, the 1st generation RX-7 kept the SA22C designation. The "FB" designation was only used in North America after the US Department of Transportation mandated 17 digit Vehicle Identification numbers. Series 2 (1981–1983) had wraparound taillights, a 4-wheel disc brakes option and updated engine control components.

Series 1 (1979–1980) is referred to as the "SA22C".