Mazda RX-7 The Rotary Engine Sports Car

The Mazda RX-7 is a sports car that was produced in Japan beginning in 1978 and ending in 2002. The most unique feature of the car was its featuring of a rotary or Wankel engine. The RX-7 was a replacement for the RX-3 and eventually was the only rotary engine vehicle produced by Mazda other than the Cosmo.

The Wankel engine in the first RX-7 was only 1150 cc. It was a twin rotor engine and the car was rear wheel drive. The Wankel engine was invented in Germany, however Mazda was one of the few auto manufacturers to successfully use the rotary engine. The increased fuel consumption of the rotary engine caused the company some problems in the oil crisis of the 1970s.

Rotary engines are light weight in their construction. This gave the RX-7 a feeling of more power with a smaller engine. The engines also run smoother that a comparable piston engine.

Mazda found that it was easy to modify the engine to meet tougher emissions standards without use of a catalytic converter, however, these modifications caused the RX-7 to use even more fuel. Finally, by 1984, fuel use was improved to 29 mpg highway and 19 mpg city. For the RX-8, fuel economy matches other vehicles of the same class and weight.

The RX-7 was initially introduced as a sports coupe. The coupe offered a mid mounted engine that offered great stability. In America, it was offered as a two seat coupe and in Japan some rear seat units were introduced. In the States, there was an option for dealer installed rear seats.

In the later part of the 80′s Mazda redesigned the RX-7 and styled it to look like the popular Porsche. In 1988, they introduced the RX-7 convertible who’s production continued until 1992. While it was being produced, the convertible was rated as the best convertible that had ever been produced.

The RX-7 started its third generation in 1992, but sales of the RX-7 stopped in the United States sometime in 1995. Only a limited number of RX-7s were shipped to the Stated during 1992, but the vehicle continued to be sold in several other countries around the world.

Worldwide Mazda introduced the RX-8 to replace the RX-7. The United States saw their first models in 2001 at auto shows, however sales were delayed until 2004. The RX-8 still uses Mazda’s tradition of rotary engines. Seating in the RX-8, however is designed for four persons.

Andy Zain is the admin of Mazda RX-7 Forums , a place where fans and owners can get the right information for tuning, customization and general discussions on anything about Mazda RX-7. Get the information you need when you visit Mazda Forums

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