MAZDA RX-7
Model Mazda FD RX-7 (’92 Aus spec)
Engine 1308cc twin rotor, twin-turbo
Max power 176kW @ 6500rpm
Max torque 294Nm @ 5000rpm
Transmission 5-speed manual
Weight 1310kg
0-100km/h 6.5sec (as tested)
Price $73,000 then, from $35,000 now
WHAT YOU are looking at here is a chimera; an alien shape that could never be replicated today. The low bonnet and cowl would never pass pedestrian safety legislation now. Those would have to be raised, with fresh air over the top of the engine’s hard points. With it, the seating position would inch up by a commensurate amount and that would require a higher roofline. Because of that, the beltline would have to be elevated to prevent the glasshouse looking gawky. That, in turn, adds sheetmetal between the beltline and wheelarch tops, so the wheels need to get bigger and heavier to maintain proportion. And then you realise there’s
