Mazda might be making a comeback in the auto industry with their crossovers and SUVs, but in the 90s, they were a force to recon when it came to auto performance. The RX-7s and the MX-5s were so legendary they have a cultic following to date.
Hoonigan, on a recent episode, featured a rare 1993 Mazda RX-7 FD. 90s kids understand this sports car was a movement thanks to Japanese Anime Initial D (1995-2013). We are unsure what Keisuke Takahashi of the Akagi RedSuns would have said about this bagged 1993 RX-7’s internals, but we are positive he’d love how neatly dialed the exterior looks.
There’s no doubt Rotary lovers will hate what Will Chang did to the legendary Mazda RX-7 FD. But let’s face it. He compromises that with a stunning exterior.
Under the hood, this 1993 RX-7 FD packs a Toyota 1JZ engine and a CD009 transmission. Hoonigan’s Gary thinks he made it better. Forget reliability isues. This RX-7 is now making 630 hp (639 ps) on E85 and 500 hp (507 ps) on pump gas.
“You know what’s funny? I just came from JCCS over the weekend. And people actually respected this build. And they understood why there is no longer a rotary in it,” Chang said when asked why he did the 1JZ swap on a Mazda RX-7 FD.
Chang confessed he chose the RX-7 as a chassis because it was a childhood dream. He’s owned it for the last five years.
We can’t blame Chang for getting rid of the Wankel dinosaur. The Rotary engine might enjoy a legacy in motorsports but has horrible gas mileage.
You also need to add a few quarts of oil every now and then – it has a massive appetite for fluids. Lest we forget the frequent and hefty maintenance charges. Any rational human knows that’s no way to enjoy a sports car.
What lies underneath this RX-7 might be controversial, but the exterior is where the money is. It sports a Kia Stinger red shade and a widebody kit. It's stanced, and the fitment is super dialed thanks to an Air Force suspension with Air Lift management.
It might look like a parking lot princess, but the 1JZ under the hood wasn’t swapped in for emissions or fuel economy. This red devil was built to rip! Catch some of that two-stepping action in the video below.
Humphrey is a car enthusiast whose love and passion for automobiles extended into collecting, writing, driving, and working on cars. He got his passion for cars from his Dad, who spent thousands of hours working on his old junky 1970 E20 Toyota Corolla. Years later, he would end up doing the same with a series of lemons he’s owned throughout his adult life. Full profile
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