MAZDA RX-7

When was the l a st t i m e yo u saw o n e of t h ese? Seeing a Mazda RX-7 in the UK is rare enough; spotting one that hasn’t been adorned with a bodykit and had its horsepower doubled is a tale few can tell.

The RX-7 was produced from 1978 to 2002; the car we’re focusing on here is the MkIII, from 1991 onwards, and known better by the code ‘FD’. Like its predecessors, power came from a twin-turbo, twin-rotor Wankel powertrain of just 1.3 litres. But its unconventional power delivery ensures it punches harder than its size suggests; peak outputs are 237bhp and 218lb ft. Enough, when a car weighs just 1,310kg, for a 5.1-sec 0–62mph and 156mph top speed.

Get to your favourite piece of road and it initially feels like a bit of a softy. There’s body roll when you start to push, the car leaning this way and that as the steering weights up. Rather like a modern-day MX-5 in that regard, then. These are helpful warning signs in an older car, though, one without any modern electronic helpers. Push beyond its inherent softness and the RX-7 can get a little spiky, mainly when it’s wet. But with such modest torque, you’re unlikely to be doing anything wild unless you’re using the throttle with considerable vigour.

Thus it’s easy to pinpoint why there’s such a big tuning scene. More top-end response would be something I’d look for, as well as sharper focus to the suspension. Not night-and-day changes; I don’t crave a 500bhp Fast and Furious extra. Just an RX-7 that’s more sports car than tourer would be spot on.

You can achieve 400bhp without affecting reliability, poor maintenance having a far more detrimental impact. Rebuilding an RX-7’s engine costs in the region of £3,500 – a lot when whole cars start at £7,000 – and it’s the inevitable conclusion of not being looked after. Like any rotary engine, it will drink oil, and while Mazda reckons on 500ml every 1,000 miles, twice that isn’t unusual.

Frequent short journeys aren’t ideal, and if an owner never takes the car above 4,000rpm, the second of the sequential turbochargers can have issues. Find out the previous keeper’s behaviour, and be sure to use all of the power if you buy one. Some genuine TopGear consumer advice, that.