FIVE TRIALS

We enjoy the Mazda RX-7 and put it fully to the test

1 DAILY DRIVING

The RX-7 was designed primarily for the US market, so the interior is roomy and the ride comfortable. Steering is light enough for parking and visibility is largely good, though the front does fall away out of view somewhat. All controls are well-thought out and easy to use, too. It’s not a challenging car to drive, with very good levels of refinement for its age. Fuel economy is comparable to cars of a similar performance when cruising, but markedly worse in urban driving. It’s never going to be the cheapest to run in this regard, but it’s not as bad as rumours suggest.

2 IN THE SERVICE BAY

Mazda had made the rotary engine reliable by the time it was fitted to the RX-7, but worn rotor tip seals do often necessitate an engine rebuild at lower mileages than an equivalent piston engine. Knowledge of these engines is fairly limited in the UK so you’ll likely have to travel some distance to find a specialist to do this work for you, too. There’s lots of room for the home mechanic to work under the bonnet, and Mazda kept everything beyond the engine fairly conventional. Parts availability is only average, though, and generally a bit pricier than rivals.

3 ON THE SHOW CIRCUIT

The FB RX-7 is just graduating from modern classic to bona fide classic car, which means that it will be just as welcome at a modified car meet dominated by newer metal as it will at your Sunday Scrambles and the like. RX-7s are rare enough here that you’ll get a fair bit of attention at any event, too, so expect to spend much of your day answering questions about the engine. If you’re going to RX-7 club events, of course, you’ll need something a bit more special to stand out from the crowds of other rotary Mazdas – first-of-the-line cars, Elford turbos and TWR cars are the most surefire crowd-pleasers.

4 THE LONG WEEKEND

The RX-7’s compliant ride and light controls mean that long journeys are not tiresome. And while the gearing is relatively short, this is to make up for the rotary’s high power band and shouldn’t be compared to a piston engine like-for-like as the unit is designed to stay at high revs for long periods. Thankfully, the engine is so smooth and quiet that you won’t notice that you’re cruising at higher-than-usual revs. The rear seats are very much occasional affairs for children, but will fold flat to provide extra luggage space that’ll be more than enough for two people.

5 THE B-ROAD BLAST

The Mazda is more capable sports GT than hairychested sports car – it’s just too refined to be the latter – but it’s a joy on long, sweeping roads. You don’t feel guilty about holding it at high revs and it’s fantastically stable at any speed, with remarkably little body roll for a car that rides this well. Most of the controls – clutch, throttle, brake, gearshift – are so easy and well-sorted they’re pretty much telepathic, but the steering is a little disappointing. The large wheel is a bit vague at centre and could do with more feeling.

A smaller wheel would improve things slightly.