Mazda RX-7 Motorsport

Racing versions of the first-generation RX-7 were entered at the prestigious 24 hours of Le Mans endurance race. The first outing for the car, equipped with a 13B engine, failed by less than one second to qualify in 1979. The next year, a 12A-engine car not only qualified, it placed 21st overall. That same car did not finish in 1981, along with two more 13B cars. Those two cars were back for 1982, with one 14th place finish and another DNF. The RX-7 Le Mans effort was replaced by the 717C prototype for 1983. In 1991, Mazda became the first (and so far, only) Japanese manufacturer to win the 24 hours of Le Mans. The car was a 4-rotor prototype class car, the 787B. Le Mans outlawed rotary engines shortly after this win.

Mazda began racing RX-7s in the IMSA GTU series in 1979. That first year, RX-7s placed first and second at the 24 Hours of Daytona, and claimed the GTU series championship. The car continued winning, claiming the GTU championship seven years in a row. The RX-7 took the GTO championship ten years in a row from 1982. The RX-7 has won more IMSA races than any other car model.

The RX-7 also fared well at the Spa 24 Hours race. Three Savanna/RX-7s were entered in 1981 by Tom Walkinshaw Racing. After hours of battling with several BMW 530i and Ford Capri, the RX-7 driven by Pierre Dieudonné and Tom Walkinshaw won the event. Mazda had turned the tables on BMW, who had beaten Mazda's Familia Rotary to the podium eleven years earlier at the same event. TWR's prepared RX-7s also won the British Touring Car Championship in 1980 and 1981, driven by Win Percy.

Canadian/Australian touring car driver Allan Moffat was instrumental in bringing Mazda into the Australian touring car scene. Over a four year span beginning in 1981, Moffat took the Mazda RX-7 to victory in the 1983 Australian Touring Car Championship, as well as a trio of Bathurst 1000 podiums, in 1981 (3rd with Derek Bell), 1983 (second with Yoshima Katayama) and 1984 (third with former motorcycle champion Gregg Hansford). Australia's adoption of international Group A regulations, combined with Mazda's reluctance to homologate a Group A RX-7, ended Mazda's active participation in the touring car series at the end of the 1984 season.

The RX-7 even made an appearance in the World Rally Championship. The car finished 11th on its debut at the RAC Rally in Wales in 1981. Group B received much of the focus for the first part of the 1980s, but Mazda did manage to place third at the 1985 Acropolis Rally, and the Familia 4WD claimed the victory at Swedish Rally in both 1987 and 1989.

The RX-7 is considered as a popular choice in import drag racing, during the late nineties toward 2004 Abel Ibarra raced a spaceframe FD which averaged no less than high 6 seconds passes, until he replaced it with a spaceframe RX-8, the FD was later to shipped and sold to an Australian.

The FC and FD is considered a popular choice for drifting contests, given the long wheelbase and an average of 450bhp. Youichi Imamura won the D1 Grand Prix title in 2003 and Masao Suenaga narrowly lost his in 2005, both in FDs.

The RX-7 is a popular choice among autocross drivers,

In Japan, the RX-7 has always been a popular choice in domestic events, competing in Group 5 based Formula Silouette to its modern day incarnation, the Super GT series from when the Japan Sport Sedan series would become the GT300 category which it had been competing in. Its patience would pay off as in 2006, RE Amemiya Racing Asparadrink FD3S won the GT300 class championship.


Notes

Recently, Mazda has revived the rotary engine in the form of the RX-8. It produces approximately 232HP naturally aspirated (the FD3S produces 255hp stock with two Hitachi turbochargers), while the Japanese market version produces around 250HP.


Movies and TV

The car appeared in the Japanese anime series, Initial D, driven by the Takahashi brothers; Keisuke and Ryosuke, with Keisuke driving a yellow FD3S and Ryosuke driving a white FC3S.The FD was featured in several Need for Speed games as well as Japanese imported racing computer games. Many who played Need for Speed: Underground praised the FD for its versatile capabilities.[verification needed] The RX-7 has made an appearance in every Gran Turismo game to date, which includes many types of the different generations, including specially tuned racing versions by the various 'shops' in 'Gran Turismo mode'. The RX-7 has also been featured in every film in the 'Fast and the Furious' franchise so far.


Video Game Appearances

* Auto Modellista features all three generations of the RX-7, which can also be customized and driven.
* Driving Emotion Type-S features the FC and FD RX-7.
* D1 Grand Prix features the FC and FD models which can be customized and driven.
* Enthusia Professional Racing features all three generations of the RX-7.
* Forza Motorsport features both the FD and FC RX-7.
* Full Throttle (known as Top Speed outside Japan) was the first game to feature an FC3S in its 1987 release.
* Initial D features the FC and FD RX-7 which can be customized and driven.
* Juiced features the stock FD RX-7.
* Gran Turismo features racing and stock versions of the FC and FD RX-7.
* Gran Turismo 2 features more racing and stock versions of the RX-7.
* Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec features more racing and stock versions of the RX-7 and also offers the LM version as a prize car.
* Gran Turismo 4 features more racing and stock versions of the RX-7. Some RX-7s are also available in the Used Car Shops. The LM version again makes an appearance with notable engine sound effects.
* Gran Turismo HD will feature the Veilside RX-7.
* The Need for Speed features the 1993 FD RX-7.
* Need for Speed: Underground features an FD RX-7 that can be unlocked and then driven and modified in the game.
* Need for Speed: Underground 2 features the RX-7 with more parts available.
* Need for Speed: Most Wanted features the RX-7.
* Need for Speed: Carbon features the RX-7.
* R:Racing Evolution features the FC and FD RX-7.
* Sega GT also features the last two generations of the RX-7.
* Sega GT 2002 and its Online incarnation feature all three generations of the RX-7.
* Street Racing Syndicate features a customisable FD RX-7.
* Tokyo Xtreme Racer: Zero features all three generations of the RX-7, which can also be customized and driven
* Tokyo Xtreme Racer: 3 features all three generations of the RX-7, which can also be customized and driven
* Import Tuner Challenge Features the Mazda RX7 (1993)
* The Fast and The Furious Features the Mazda RX7 Infini and the original RX7