Firing up the naturally aspirated 1,146 cc 101 hp twin-rotor 12A rotary engine, and there is a small rustle of activity under the hood before it settles down into its trademark quiet thrum. Even the steering column is completely unadjustable, set in the optimum position, racecar style. Settling in behind the thin steering wheel onto the cloth upholstery, there’s nothing surprising or unnecessary. Let’s see what this original GSL model feels like on the road today. A 1978 road test in Motor Trend described the styling as “slippery looking, pleasing to the eye,” and noted the very low drag coefficient (0.36), which rises only when pop-up headlights-another trademark RX-7 feature-are raised. Allied to this balance were rear drive and a manual gearbox, plus compact dimensions so it was a true driver’s car. The twin-rotor rotary engine was mounted just behind the front axle, coining the phrase “front mid-engined.” This imbued the RX-7 with near-perfect 50/50 front/rear weight balance and a low center of gravity, making the car handle more sweetly and faithfully. There’s that long hood, the curved glass rear hatch, and a lightness to the proportions that suggest this FB car-the letters reflect the first gen RX-7’s VIN numbers-is accessible and fun. The purest incarnation of the three generationsĮven though it was inspired by the British Lotus design of 1967, the first RX-7 carries its own design DNA that would become the model’s trademark silhouette for years to come. Inspired by the Lotus Elan, a British two-door coupe famed for its rapier looks and deft performance, the first-generation RX-7, known by enthusiasts as the SA22C, cast the mold. Designed by Matasaburo Maeda, whose son Ikuo later designed the RX-7’s successor, the RX-8, and who now leads Mazda’s global design team, the RX-7 was an instant classic. But the main reason over 800,000 RX-7s were sold worldwide was that it was a great performing and handling car. He was one reason the Mazda RX-7 survived and thrived through three generations. At the center of this rotary engine development was development chief, Kenichi Yamamoto, who, demonstrating Mazda’s core belief that engineering and design innovation are the very essence of the brand, later served as president and then chairman of the company. It wasn’t the company’s first rotary-engined car-that was the Cosmo Sport, which had been launched more than a decade earlier-but it was destined to be its best. Instead of powering its brand new two-door coupe by any conventional in-line or V-shaped engine, Mazda’s management decided that a Wankel rotary engine was the most interesting and efficient way to achieve the swift performance and deft handling it wanted. tour, the RX-7 had a similarly robust disregard for established principles. Launched in 1978, just as punk rock shockers the Sex Pistols began their final U.S. Any search for the soul of the Mazda brand leads you directly back to the RX-7 coupe.
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