Lightning in a World of Thunder--1993 Mazda RX-7

A few months ago on a whim a placed a bid on Ebay for what was an incredible bargain--a 1993 Mazda RX-7. Well to make a long story short I drove down to Fresno, CA to pick it up (after shipping it from Delaware) this January 2001. WOW! What a car...it's rarity on the road really makes you appreciate its good looks when you do eventually see it.

The Third Generation RX-7 (93-95) is probably one of the most pure race cars that exists. Everything on/in/under and over the car is there for a purpose or reason. The controls are laid out elegantly, curved right toward the driver. The tachometer and spedometer are both very legible and large, with the tach capable of displaying up to 9,000RPM (redline is around 7,5k) and the Speedo going up to 180 MPH (the car can almost get there).

This is not your typical car. Remember that before trying to compare it. Under the hood is the pride of Mazda/Wankel, a 1.3L 2-rotor Twin-Turbo charged engine (ROTARY) pushing out 255HP and 217ft-lb of torque. (Yes, 1.3 LITRES!). Mated with a 5-speed transmission (or the optional 4-speed available on some models) it pulls through every single gear shift like you would not belive. There are two basic models that were made this year--the PEG (popular equip. group) which had a lot of the goodies like sunroof, cruise control, rear wiper, leather, bose stereo, etc. But for the purist (and kid at heart) the R1 was the only really choice.

The R1 is stripped of those heavy features (the car stock weighs in about 100lb lighter than the other models...about 2650-2680lbs) and is given STIFF springs, Z-rated tires, Suede seats, Front and rear spoiler, a 2nd'ary oil cooler and brake ducts. And of course it was only available with the 5-speed. A great bargain then in 1993 at about $37,500 and a terrific bargain nowadays at $15,000 and under.

The Drive

Inside this sexy 2 door (with no rear seats of course and a trunk that holds less than your school backpack...well almost) is two contoured seats--meant to keep you in them during the twisties. With a turn of the key the engine rumbles to life and doesn't actually sound much different than most engines...except it has NO CYLINDERS. (It's a rotary, remember??).

The seats are actually quite comfortable, though not designed for everyone. (Hey, you got this car because it was fast not for long trips to Vegas). Personally I am quite fine in the seat even for long periods of time, older people (45+ years) may not agree.

But the finest thing this car has is ACCELERATION. It can pull over 1G off the line and hits 60mph in about 5 seconds (give or take .4 seconds depending on weather and all that). Every single gear CRUSHES you into the seat when you floor it, and quite frankly it's impossible to stay anywhere REMOTELY close to the legal speed limit. Even just getting on the freeway onramp I find myself going 90+MPH in a few seconds...Within 14 seconds from a deadstop you have done 1/4 mile at about 100mph. The sound of the twin turbos spooling and the engine redlining at each gear is ...well you have GOT to hear it. At about 30 seconds from a deadstop you are doing WAY past any sane speed...even if you were on the Autobahn in Germany...about 150MPH+ (don't worry mom I haven't gone that fast...yet...)

Too fast for you? Don't worry, the car sticks like glue to the pavement and the four wheel disc brakes with ABS will slow you down VERY QUICKLY. In fact I believe Motor Trend in 1993 rated this as the 2nd best car for stopping power they've ever tested (not 100% sure). But why slow down when the car performs better at high speeds? This sucker just is solid as a rock...with a skidpad of .98G for the PEG and just under 1G for the R1 it's staying put.

Overall, this car is just simply amazing as long as you keep in mind the one fact that: "This is my toy. My VERY FAST SEXY toy." The car is somewhat quirky, and repairs need to be taken to specialist shops (not such a problem in big cities like L.A., CA. but if you live out in the middle of nowhere you should probably not get one). The engine will last *IF* you take care of it. That means doing an oil change every 1500 or so miles, doing all scheduled maintenance, allowing the car 2 min's to warm up before driving and cool down the turbos before turning it off and so on. Yes, gas mileage isn't great (I get around 15-17MPG), but it does have a large tank--20 gallons, and will get you where you need to go. But for all this you get the privelege of owning one of the fastest cars on the road (which can easily be tweaked to wayyy beyond fast...ludicros speed if you like) and one of the best looking cars ever made. Desire more information? Check out some of the websites below:

Rob Robinnette's Website (GREAT source of info):
http://www.rx7turboturbo.com/robrobinette/

Rotary Help (Find an RX-7 specialist in your area):
http://www.rotaryhelp.com/frames.htm

RX-7 Forum--See what owners have to say:
http://www.rx7club.com/