Japanese greased lightning

Zoom, zoom, zoom! The current (2001) Mazda ad campaign fits the RX-7, which is no longer imported to the USA. The car is super fast, due in part to engineering efforts to reduce the weight to less than 2800 lbs in a car with almost 300 HP. You need to spend big bucks- Porsche Turbo, Dodge Viper, Ferrari F40 or F50, newest Corvette with performance package- to have a faster car. Handling is every bit as good as the higher priced cars. The macho factor is high. Photos do not give justice to the appealing styling of this car. It turns heads, often because most people do not know what it is. Last imported into the USA in 1995, there were not a lot sold, due in part to a price tag that approached $45K. Expect to do some searching to find a decent mechanic, even at the Mazda dealer. Mazda service started a factory sponsored training program for their dealer network, but cancelled it when sales of this specialty vehicle slumped. Only a handful of mechanics have had the training, which is really required to work on a highly complicated system of vacuum tubes, sensors and relays to control the sequential twin turbochargers which are the heart of the 1.3 liter rotary engine's massive power output. Some durability issues are present, if the owner does not strictly maintain the service schedule. Expect to spend some money on repairs and maintenance, as parts are not cheap. Also, plan to replace ($140) a cheap plastic radiator coolant component (air separator tank) that is prone to failure (coolant all over the engine and overheating) and the first section of exhaust pipe ($400) that is prone to clogging and causing the engine and turbochargers to overheat. Also, be aware that internal motor repairs, such as coolant or compression leaks, caused by allowing the motor to overheat, are very expensive to repair and usually require an engine rebuild ($3-5K). That aside, the car is a blast to drive. You will surely need a radar detector, since it is almost impossible to stay under the speed limit. The car has too much power and is too quiet, even at speed. For those enthusiasts who have a go-faster need for speed, there are dozens of performance packages to more than double the power of the engine and to further refine the suspension and braking. A loyal owner's network of RX-7 clubs exists nationwide and sponsors outings at- you guessed it- race tracks, where you can have track time or take high performance driving training. A possible future collector's item, the car is today a bargain-priced race car that is street legal.