Body style: Coupé (two-door)
Segment: Coupe
Production years: 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985
Mazda opened a new chapter in its history when it introduced the first generation of the RX-7 in 1978.
While it was not the first car fitted with a Wankel rotary engine, it was the first car Mazda produced to stir the international sports car market. It was unusual in every way, and the carmaker sold it in high numbers.
Matsaburo Maeda designed the car as a lightweight sport-coupe. He placed the engine behind the front axle, and thus it helped with the weight distribution. Since the engineers pushed the engine back, the front was very narrow and, thanks to its pop-up headlights, very aerodynamic as well. The raked windshield and the short roof were followed by a long and sloped rear window, which was also the trunk lid.
Inside, the carmaker managed to offer four seats, but those in the rear were too small actually to allow someone bigger than a puddle to sit there. At the front, the dashboard was rounded, with circular vents on the outer side and rectangular in the middle. The instrument panel featured a tachometer marked up to 8,000 rpm, with a red-line starting at 7,000 rpm. That was motorcycle territory!
Under the hood, Mazda installed small, 1.2-liter, and 1.5-liter engines with a twin-rotor design. Depending on the engine version, the RX-7 featured a 4- or 5-speed manual. A 3- or 4-speed automatic was offered as an option for the U.S. market.
ENGINE SPECS - 2.3 Rotary (FB) | |
---|---|
Cylinders: | R2 |
Displacement: | 2292 cm3 |
Power: | 85 KW @ 7000 RPM 115 HP @ 7000 RPM 114 BHP @ 7000 RPM |
Torque: | 112 lb-ft @ 5000 RPM 152 Nm @ 5000 RPM |
Fuel System: | Carburetor |
Fuel: | Gasoline |
PERFORMANCE SPECS | |
---|---|
Top Speed: | 120 mph (193 km/h) |
Acceleration 0-62 Mph (0-100 kph): | 8.5 s |
TRANSMISSION SPECS | |
---|---|
Drive Type: | Rear Wheel Drive |
Gearbox: | Manual, 5 Speed |
BRAKES SPECS | |
---|---|
Front: | Ventilated Discs |
Rear: | Discs |
DIMENSIONS | |
---|---|
Length: | 169 in (4293 mm) |
Width: | 65.9 in (1674 mm) |
Height: | 50 in (1270 mm) |
Front/rear Track: | 55.9/55.1 in (1,420/1,400 mm) |
Wheelbase: | 95.3 in (2421 mm) |
Aerodynamics (Cd): | 0.32 |
WEIGHT SPECS | |
---|---|
Unladen Weight: | 2194 lbs (995 kg) |
ENGINE SPECS - 2.3 Rotary (SA) | |
---|---|
Cylinders: | R2 |
Displacement: | 2292 cm3 |
Power: | 77 KW @ 6000 RPM 105 HP @ 6000 RPM 103 BHP @ 6000 RPM |
Torque: | 106 lb-ft @ 4000 RPM 144 Nm @ 4000 RPM |
Fuel System: | Carburetor |
Fuel: | Gasoline |
PERFORMANCE SPECS | |
---|---|
Top Speed: | 115 mph (185 km/h) |
Acceleration 0-62 Mph (0-100 kph): | 9.6 s |
TRANSMISSION SPECS | |
---|---|
Drive Type: | Rear Wheel Drive |
Gearbox: | Manual, 5 Speed |
BRAKES SPECS | |
---|---|
Front: | Discs |
Rear: | Discs |
DIMENSIONS | |
---|---|
Length: | 168.7 in (4285 mm) |
Width: | 65.9 in (1674 mm) |
Height: | 50 in (1270 mm) |
Front/rear Track: | 55.9/55.1 in (1,420/1,400 mm) |
Wheelbase: | 95.3 in (2421 mm) |
Aerodynamics (Cd): | 0.36 |
WEIGHT SPECS | |
---|---|
Unladen Weight: | 2259 lbs (1025 kg) |