Rotary Power For The Win

Mazda went into unfamiliar waters with the RX-7. Sure, they had used a rotary engine to power their cars before, but they never expected for a car to have such an enormous success. The Mazda RX-7 was in production 1978 to 2002. Three iterations of it have come out of Mazda's factories throughout this lifespan, with the first one being FB, or sometimes referred to as the SA22C.

This original version of the RX-7 had a 1.1 liter Wankel rotary engine, with two rotors. Although the original engines produced very little horsepower, some dropping below the 100 horsepower range, they were more than happy to rev, making them a driving joy. With the RX-7, the primary focus wasn't put on huge power, but rather on pure fun and driver enjoyment, and they certainly accomplished that. Eventually, a turbo engine was offered which made 165 horsepower, turning this light car into a pocket rocket.

Mazda's second RX-7, dubbed the FC, was reminiscent of the Porsche 944 in terms of design, not to say that that's a bad thing. The naturally aspirated version developed nearly as much horsepower as the previous turbo version, ranking in at 160. Meanwhile, the more powerful turbo FC developed a shocking 200 horsepower, which was a serious figure back when the car was introduced. Combine this with the fact that the engine is well below 1.5 liters, and it makes for a serious machine that should not be reckoned with.

Many believe that the FC is one of the greatest enthusiast cars ever made, and we can only agree. That's why Furious Customs offer lots of various parts for the FC RX-7. You can view them by clicking here.

The last and probably most know iteration of the RX-7 was by far the best. Gone were any angular design cues, and in came a modern and sleek look. This not only made the care look modern and fresh, but had aerodynamic properties which improved the car on a performance power too. Not to mention that it still looks incredible, even to this very day.

Engine wise, as expected, the newer car had more power, and lots of it. Three versions were offered, from 250 to 280 horsepower. This engine was the first to ever offer a sequential twin-turbo system. Due to the system's complexity and some reliability issues when not maintained properly, the car was relatively expensive and didn't sell in great numbers. This made them very sought after later on however, and in most countries the number of imported RX-7s from Japan greatly surpasses the number of RX7s bought in that country. 

Lots of owners tuned their small displacement rotary engines, and some have achieved power figures upwards of 1000 horsepower. While this is an insane number, it's not really practical. However, if you're looking for RX-7 performance or replacement parts, we have you covered.

Furious Customs also carries parts for the FD, you can find them here.