![]() ![]() Featherweight compared to other engines of its time producing similar power.īy the end of its life, the 13B-REW is making 276 horsepower and 314 Nm of torque. It’s especially noteworthy when you consider that it still weighs just 300 lbs. While it brought along many complexities, it allowed Mazda to extract a mighty 250 horsepower and 294 Nm from the 13B.Ĭrucially, this is all managed in a powerplant compact enough to maintain the front-mid engine layout of the FD3S RX7. The 13B-REW is one of the world’s first volume-production sequential turbocharged engines. Introduced alongside the FD3S is the equally revered 13B-REW. However, it was not until the early 90s when Mazda brought out the now esteemed 3rd-generation FD3S RX7 that the turbocharged 13B got further refined. The FC3S also marked the change towards a fully independent rear suspension setup in lieu of the live rear axle utilized by the FB3S. It’s not as ‘pure’ or visceral to drive as the FB3S was, but it’s still a successful model nevertheless. The most powerful S5 Turbo models even got over 200 horsepower and 265 Nm of torque. Known as the FC3S, Mazda went on a horsepower race with multiple iterations of its turbocharged 13B engines. FC RX7īy 1986, the second-generation RX7 was finally introduced. This indicated the direction the RX7 was heading towards. But most notably, a limited amount was powered by the turbocharged 12A with its 160 horsepower. Some were being powered by the fuel-injected 13B-EGI. More notably, nothing back that’s as well-priced touted an engine that could rev effortlessly to a 9,000 RPM redline.Īt the end of the FB3S’s life, the 12A was being phased out. Not much, but the FB3S only weighed a tonne, so it was adequate for the time. In the FB3S RX7, it produced ~100 horsepower and roughly 130 Nm of torque. A carburetted 1.1-litre naturally-aspirated rotary engine dubbed the 12A.īy then, the 12A was already used in multiple Mazda models. While the handling was agile for its time, the FB3S’s powerplant takes the most notice. This meant that while the FB3S was affordable for buyers to keep on the road, it puts out more power than its inline-engine peers. Both are methods to circumvent Japanese regulations and taxes. And because the rotary engine is so compact, it can keep the size of the FB3S small. It’s to take advantage of the rotary’s efficacious output to displacement ratio. Interestingly, the whole idea of the RX lineup of cars wasn’t to be a defining sportscar. The original first-generation RX7 (SA22C or FB3S) was a successor to the Savanna and is thus colloquially referred to as the RX7 Savanna. ![]() A significant lifespan for a unique Japanese sports car. Spanning over 3 generations, the Mazda RX7 was produced from 1978 to 2003. And I reckon that’s the advantage Mazda possesses, allowing them to maintain an ardent fanbase for their classic sports cars. If you want an RX7 or RX8, there’s really no comparable alternative. Neither really has a direct competitor, but they do have a polarising charm to them. Hence, the RX8 was developed to do a bit of everything, and I’d say it’s done a good job at that.īoth cars are born under very different times with a vast disparity in motive. If Mazda wanted to push the rotary engine forward, they knew that they needed a mainstream car that would intrigue the public, not just the enthusiasts. The RX8 is a standalone car meant to be judged by itself. This is how Mazda nomenclature has always worked. Keep in mind that if Mazda ever builds a successor to the RX7, it will still be named the RX7. It’s a common misconception, but the RX8 was never intended as a direct successor to the RX7. It’s so iconic that even for a non-petrolhead, the shape of an RX7 is immediately recognizable. The rapid pulsations of a rotary engine correlate directly to the sleek third-generation RX7. In fact, the RX7 is such a legendary car that it is now synonymous with the image of a rotary engine. While the RX8 is designed and developed to appeal to a broad audience, the RX7 was Mazda’s halo sports car. Over its lifetime, over 800,000 RX7s were produced, compared to the 200,000 RX8s. However, that is essentially where the similarities end. ![]()
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