From Mazda’s first experiments with rotary power in the early 1960s, to the supercar-baiting models that dominated automotive pop culture in the early 20th century, this book charts the story of the Mazda RX-7 in all its generations and variations, as well as those involved in its conception and development, and the tuners and race teams that contributed to the model’s success. The Wankel rotary engine has never quite achieved the prominence its inventor Felix Wankel, nor its adopted family at Mazda, probably expected it to achieve. However, the Japanese carmaker’s time, investment and dedication to the rotary engine has still been rewarded with millions of sales, and has given us one of the world’s greatest sports cars: the Mazda RX-7. From its launch in 1978 until production ceased three generations later in 2002, the RX-7 was recognised as one of the finest sports cars of its era, with the styling, performance and handling to do what so many other brands have failed to achieve over the years, challenging and even beating the likes of Porsche. Over 24 years and three generations, the Mazda RX-7 secured its place as one of the world’s legendary sports cars. Powered by the Wankel rotary engine, which over the years Mazda has truly made its own, the RX-7 began life as a democratic sports car offering Porsche-eclipsing performance for a fraction of the price, and evolved to become one of Japan’s most formidable performance cars, offering a thrilling driving experience on the road and track. The car’s performance increased considerably over the years, yet Mazda’s focus on light weight, driver interaction and consistent improvements to the rotary engine never wavered. This book follows the story of the RX-7 and its many variations, racing endeavours and appearances in popular culture along the way. The RX-7 also established Mazda as a serious player in the market, proving the rotary engine was far more than just a curiosity and demonstrating that its engineers were capable of much more than building worthy, but dull, economy cars. Without the RX-7, and the more than 800,000 cars Mazda sold bearing the nameplate, the company as we know it today may not exist.
