How I Lived My Dream of Driving a 500-HP Mazda RX-7 at the Racetrack

I bought my FC RX-7 in 2018 and have only driven it for about 1,000 miles (1,609 km). Unfortunately, I haven't taken it out of the garage for almost two years now, as I've kept buying more parts to ensure it runs smoothly. Every year, I tell myself I must take it out for a track day to enjoy its full potential without worrying about breaking the law. I've just received one package with upgrades for my fueling system, and another is on the way with an FD pulley and belts, among other things.

Dreams do come true

But let's get back to the topic at hand. I've talked about Mike Dendyuk and his 1992 Mazda RX-7 before, and we even shot a video of his car using an old camera. Some of his previous projects include an Opel Bertone and a Mazda 2, but neither comes close to the FD's levels of insanity.

When he imported the car from the United Kingdom, it still used the stock sequential turbos. It had a host of performance upgrades, leading to a maximum output of 318 horsepower and 400 Nm of torque. That may not sound like much today, but I urge you to drive a '90s RWD machine with that power before thinking it's slow.

Mike has owned the car for almost five years now. Even though it looks the same as when he first got it, many things have changed. Most FD owners dream of a big single turbo swap, and Mike performed the upgrade in his underground parking space. The Borg Warner EFR8374 is beautiful; you can tell it means business just by looking at it. Once you fire up the 13B engine, its noise further strengthens that idea. Mike recently took the car to the dyno, and Rotary Secret Garage from Greece handled the remote tune.

A few issues still need to be addressed inside the engine bay before the car can reach its maximum potential. But with the current setup, it has a maximum output of 465 horsepower and 582 Nm of torque. That's more than what you would get with a brand-new Toyota GR Supra (382 hp and 368 lb-ft of torque).

But it's less than a new Porsche 911 Turbo offers (572 hp and 553 lb-ft of torque). But it's good to remember that the FD is about 440 lbs (200 kg) lighter than the GR Supra, while the 911 Turbo weighs over 661 lbs (300 kg) more than the '90s Japanese sports car. To make things even more thrilling, Mike's FD doesn't have any driver aids whatsoever. It can be intimidating if you're not used to high-performance vehicles.

Mike's take

Mike and I have been talking about taking the FD to our local racetrack for several months. We considered setting it against a Porsche 718 GTS or a 911 GT3. Given our limited track experience, we decided that we brought a pro racing driver to get behind the wheel of the FD so that we could see how it stands up to a modern sports car. We didn't implement this idea for our first track outing, so it was down to us to extract the best we could from the rotary-powered icon.

Track knowledge is crucial in any timed attempt, and this was Mike's first outing on this layout. So we all knew he wouldn't set any records anytime soon. Going into this track day, he had mixed feelings about the car again: it's a love/hate relationship with rotaries, and he had just put it up for sale again. But the smile on his face after the first few laps assured me that he wouldn't let go of his beloved machine too soon. Going out for a track day doesn't mean you must push the car to its limits on the first session or the first day.

It's all about natural progression; the more laps you drive, the faster you will become. Mike needed two minutes and 20 seconds for his first-ever lap of this layout, with minor guidance from me in the passenger seat. By comparison, my fastest lap on a motorcycle was two minutes and 36 seconds, and my previous track record in a Porsche 718 was set at just over two minutes and five seconds.

Throughout the day, the owner of the FD drove for about 20 laps, and you could see the improvements after every run: braking later and accelerating earlier through each of the 14 corners on the track. By the end of the day, his fastest lap clocked in a 2:12.962, and he can go faster than that once he starts pushing himself and the car.

Andrei's take

You don't often see people handing out keys to their modified vehicles to others for a fast lap, but Mike is an awesome friend like that. Our fellow rotor head Andrei was onsite, driving a Seat Leon while his FD RX-7 was getting all the upgrades for a 500+ horsepower setup. He drives a Porsche 911 Turbo (996) daily with several mods, and I was curious to see his feedback on the RX-7 at the end of the day.

Getting in a new car or a track you've never driven before isn't easy, and he only did a few laps before calling it a day. When asked how the experience felt and compared to his 911, he answered: "That was a bit sketchy; I think it needs wider tires on the back. My 911 is heavier and smoother to drive with AWD, while the FD is quite lively!"

My take on the whole thing

As for me, I last drove Mike's FD when it had the stock turbos inside. I even managed to break his diff the last time he gave me the keys, but he was cool about it and didn't take me off his friends' list. As you might remember my Honda test sessions, I've been on this track before. But I've mostly done it on motorcycles and not cars. I was a bit anxious going into this event, as I feared the FD would be utterly savage with the new turbo setup. And I was right.

Mike asked me to drive it for the first session of the day as he sat in the passenger seat with the laptop connected to the Adaptronic ECU for monitoring. Everything was running smoothly with the engine, so he gave me the green light to push the car lap after lap. I felt like crying after the first session, as I had waited 15 years for this moment, and it was even more impressive than I had hoped. Using words to describe how this car pulls or sounds is futile, but I hope the video below will give you a taste of the whole experience.

Going down the main straight, we hit the rev limiter in fourth gear and sometimes shifted to fifth just before braking. Now, third gear tops out at 100 mph (160 kph), and the speedometer is still a Japanese model, so it all ends at 111 mph (180 kph). But I believe fourth gear tops out at about 136 mph (220 kph).

Even with my HJC helmet on while driving, this car feels louder than a race bike if you can imagine the noise. And it accelerates nearly as fast as the Yamaha R6 I rode a while back at this venue, albeit that tops out at 167 mph (270 kph) down the main straight. I was the 24th fastest out of 52 drivers for the first session of the day, with a lap of 2:11.983.

Meanwhile, the MX-5s parked next to us were about seven seconds faster per lap. After lunch, I cooled down and was eager to go back out again. What felt like a slow but smoother lap to me turned out to be almost six seconds faster than my earlier attempt, and all that with a 220 lbs (100 kg) passenger sitting next to me. So Mike recommended I go out alone, hoping that I could pull a sub-two-minute lap.

Practice makes perfect

Running on seven-year-old Yokohama tires, I spun out in the last corner of my warm-up lap, and I am not yet sure why that happened. I turned the car around and broke my former record, crossing the finish line in 2:04.520. So here's another tip for you. Always have an action camera in the car, so you can analyze your driving after the event is over.

As ecstatic as I am about fulfilling a lifelong dream, I now realize how many mistakes I've made during my fast lap and how much quicker I could have been. One of my friends that drives an M2 also pointed out what I need to do to get better at this, and we also calculated that with the current setup, the FD RX-7 should be able to run a fast lap of 1:55 with the right driver. Of course, we have already considered several setup changes, including a new diff, coilovers, tires, and some aero upgrades.

The stock brakes are surprisingly good even at this level, but a pro driver might feel otherwise. To summarize my experience, here are some lessons that might help you enjoy your car more: Keep it on the track! You'll never be able to get the same kick while being safe driving down a public road!

Also, remember to take it easy and increase speed gradually. This way, you won't wreck your car or hurt yourself; seat time is crucial! Also, remember to take good care of your car, which will take good care of you: oil changes, brake pads, fluids, and tires; careful management of these is essential.

Lastly, "Rotaries are not reliable" is just a myth! Going into this event, one Rotary club member warned us against doing a track day in the soaring heat. The FD completed over 60 laps in one day while driving to and back from the track. That adds up to 161 miles (260 km) of abuse and an extra 124 miles (200 km) of spirited driving in 12 hours.

As long as you've got your cooling system dialed in (thank God for methanol injection) and your maintenance is up to date, there's nothing to worry about. Meanwhile, one of our friends came over with a turbocharged BMW E36, and he didn't even make it out of the pitlane before needing a tow back home. So if you've been dreaming about a rotary car, remember, "Fear is the mind-killer." Go out, buy one, and live your dream!