Mazda RX-7 1988 News

A reborn Mazda RX-7 was never ‘on’, says Mazda.A new version of Mazda’s iconic RX-7 sports-car is officially dead. In fact, the project was never “on”, the managing executive officer of Mazda, Masahiro Moro, has formally confirmed.Despite consistent speculation over the past three years Mazda was planning a rotary-powered sports-car in time for the engine’s 50th anniversary in 2017, Mr Moro has ruled it out once and for all -- even though development continues on the engine.Speaking to Australian media at the Los Angeles motor show overnight, Mr Moro said: “Rotary engine development has continued. We have allocated some resources to keep developing engines (but) we never ever put a program of a sports car. That’s not on and off, that’s off.”Mr Moro said engineers and enthusiasts inside Mazda were pushing for a reborn RX-7 or RX-8 sports-car but the company will instead invest in its mainstream models and more fuel-efficient engines to meet strict fuel economy targets in 2020.a successor to the turbocharged Mazda3 MPS hot hatchCX-9 seven-seat soft-roaderthe superseded CX-7“range extender” for an electric vehicleexperimental Mazda2 hatchback

The first series Mazda RX-7 was a milestone car for both Mazda and the general car buying public. Launched in 1978 it was a key car in changing the public’s perception of Japanese car manufacturers from builders of cheap bargain boxes to builders of quality affordable and accessible performance cars for the everyman. For Mazda it basically saved them. Before the RX-7, Mazda were having a difficult time in the American market as their whole strategy was tied to the Wankel rotary engine _ which had built a reputation for a poor fuel economy to power ratio. Fuel economy was coming to the fore as a priority for the buying public. The early 70s was a time of OPEC-introduced fuel shortages and the start of stringent emission controls. Mazda required a breakthrough car, and with the RX-7 they got it 100 per cent right. It was a significant hit in both the American and Australian markets. Leading motoring journalists were unanimous in their praise for the revolutionary sportscar. The RX-7 won numerous awards and was named by Road and Track magazine in their 10 Best Cars for a Changed World and 10 Best Cars of the 80s lists. It also made Car and Driver’s list of Top 10 cars five times. RX-7 development commenced in 1975 at the instruction of Mazda board member Sinpei Hanoka. The brief was for a small lightweight two-seater sportscar with a chassis specifically designed around the compact Wankel engine. This project would be Mazda’s third attempt at a halo sportscar. The first was the Cosmo, was a limited production hand built classic. The second was a failed attempt to build a two-seater from a shared sedan chassis, a project that was abandoned in 1973.In March 1978 the production RX-7 was introduced to the international motoring press at Hiroshama, Japan. It was a hit and press coverage was full of praise for Mazda. The advance press and excellent coverage in Australian magazines converted into sales for Mazda here. Australian, along with America, seemed to like everything about the car. Curiously, it was not as successful in England or the rest of Europe. Drivers loved its road manners and performance. Handling was universally praised and few significant problems were ever reported. In September 1982, Road and Track surveyed 200 owners and their summation was “when it comes to performance, handling and reliability, the RX7 offers more fun per dollar than any other sportscar”. The same holds true today, with current market prices between $5,000-15, 000. The RX-7 also had a very successful race career here with Allan Moffat.  In 1982 he won the Lakeside and Surfers Paradise rounds of the Australian Endurance Championship. In 1983 he won the Calder Park, Wanneroo, Surfers and Oran Park to take the Championship. He also won the Sandown 500 race and got two thirds and a second in the Bathurst 1000 between 1982 and 1984.Mazda RX-7 1st Generation Built: 1979 to 1985No. Built: 471,018Series 1 – 1979-80 Series 2 – 1981-83Series 3 – 1984-85Engine: 12a - 1.1L, 2 rotor 109 kW naturally aspirated Transmission(s): 4-speed automatic, 5-speed manualDimensionsWheelbase: 2420 mmLength: 4285 mmWidth: 1689 mmHeight: 1260 mmCurb weight: 1,191 kg - 1,393 kgFuel consumption (city) - 13 km/litreFuel consumption (highway) - 8 km/litre

After being a smiling model on quiz shows The Price Is Right and Temptation, McGregor has landed a gig hosting the Foxtel reality show, Blood, Sweat & Gears."It was always the next step," McGregor says. "I meet people saying they love Temptation, but it's so hard to get your personality across when you're just smiling in the background."A graphic designer by trade, 26-year-old McGregor spent the past two-and-a-half years in Nine's Temptation family with Ed Phillips and Livinia Nixon.McGregor admits he's not "the craziest car fan," but didn't hesitate when it came to auditioning for BS&G."To be honest, I got a phone call from one of the guys at Foxtel asking me if I would like to audition for it," he says. "I never knock back an audition, even if I don't think I'm suited to it."He may not be a revhead, but the Aussies on the show certainly are."They're absolute nuts. It's like a religion to them. Since I have had the gig, I have had so many people come up to me and tell me a story about their cars," McGregor says.The show pits seven guys and their beloved cars against each other.The contestants are;Andrew: Japanese Import (Nissan 200SX)Andy: American Muscle(Chevy Corvette)Dave: Classic Australian(Holden LJ Torana)Dimitri: Classic Australian(Ford GT Falcon)Dominic: Performance Rotary (Mazda RX7)Jeremy: Australian Muscle (Holden Commodore VL HDT)Mohamed: High Performance European (Ferrari 350 Modena)Official judges are Ian Luff, a former race driver, and Nathan Luck, a motoring journalist. Each week, the revheads and the cars will be put through a series of tests. While the drivers will know who wins each stage, they never find out their placing on the leaderboard. McGregor says it adds to the tension."They don't know who is doing well and the challengers get a little angry and eaten up inside," he says."These guys think their car is the best. But they find out a few things about themselves as drivers - maybe they're not as good as they thought. I think it will get people into the show."While McGregor is enjoying his debut as TV host, he is unused to seeing himself as a presenter."You're always your own biggest critic and it is still kind of strange when I see myself. But I love hearing feedback, even when it's bad. It makes you better at what you do."

Now reality television will enter the world of car lovers, with a new series that goes in search of Australia's best car and driver. Blood, Sweat & Gears is a new show which will debut on FOX8 next month, with seven finalists competing for the title of the best driver and the best car, not to mention the bragging rights that come with it. Advanced driver training instructor Ian Luff is a judge on the reality show, which he describes as a motoring version of Survivor, even featuring a car council and a whole series of challenges. “It's a show about people and their cars in a competitive environment where everyone wants to win, but naturally, there's only going to be one winner,” Luff says. The seven finalists, who come from all over Australia, previously had their cars featured in car magazines and were selected by people in the industry to take part in the series. And there is a diverse range of machinery on show, from Japanese imports, a Nissan 200SX and a 800hp Mazda RX7, to classic American and Australian muscle cars, such as a 540-cubic-inch Chevy Corvette, an original VL Brock Commodore, an LJ Torana and a classic Ford GT. And you can't have a competition about the best and fastest cars without a Ferrari. “The cars were supposed to be the stars, but you have to remember people drive cars, they own these cars, the people and personalities tend to overshadow the cars,” Luff says. “These cars are their passion, they built them, spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on them and you're dealing with male egos here.” And it seems putting seven rev-heads together with their prized possessions is a recipe for disaster generating some fairly heated moments making for, of course, some great TV. “It was all about egos, big boys and big toys,” Luff says of the contestants, who were put through a series of tests, from navigating their own powerful cars through slalom courses, accelerating and suddenly braking on skid pans, to testing the engine on a dyno or on the quarter mile at an air strip. On one challenge, Luff jumped into a Hyundai i30 and set a time he expected the seven competitors to beat. Not surprisingly, Luff says most were a little too confident and eager. Six of the seven drivers spun out. Ferrari owner Mohamed Ibrahim, in particular, was not happy as his “very powerful” car began to lose control around the bend, and went into safety mode, turning itself off. The Mazda RX7, a car Luff calls a “stealth bomber” was the only car to make it through successfully, beating Luff's time by two-tenths of a second. “When you see enthusiasm exceed ability it's just the most amazing thing, where testosterone and ability don't work together,” he laughs. And it wasn't just the car against car, with all seven drivers having a turn in the i30 for one challenge, to see who could do the best. It then came time to jump into an old Ford Fairlane, which lacks the benefit of modern technology. Ibrahim says although car fanatics can get competitive both behind the wheel and when talking of their cars, the program was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. “It was excellent, the best week of my life,” he says. “We were working with a team we never met before and at the end of the series you miss them. Straight away we became like best friends in a matter of a couple of days.” Having rebuilt more than 500 cars in the past six years at his smash-repair business in Condell Park, Ibrahim has the credentials. In four days, he got his 2003 350 Modena ready for the show. Having spent $350,000 on the car, including enhancements such as 22-inch wheels, a twin turbo, a paint job and red leather interior, Ibrahim was ready to show Australia he and his 5.6-litre V8 car really are the best in the country. “I know pretty much everything to do with cars,” Ibrahim says. “My one is definitely the best, there were a lot of old cars but I like the later models.” Ibrahim says he loved taking part, but didn't learn anything new from Luff. “I reckon I could give him a lesson,” he jokes.  

The re-birth of one of Mazda's popular sports cars, the legendary RX-7, might be just over the horizon. There has been speculation about the revival of the rear-wheel-drive, rotary coupe that ended li