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1990 Mazda RX-7 GTO Navigation
The Mazda RX-7, chassis number 001, was the first of two GTO specifications built. It was driven by Pete Halsmer to six victories and was the car that scored the company's 100th victory.By Daniel Vaughan | May 2019
The 1991 GTO season was a battle royale with three factory teams going at it for the championship: Ford Mustang, Nissan 300ZX and Mazda RX-7. Mazda proved it didn't show up to finish second that year, though, as the driving combination of Price Cobb and Pete Halsmer combined to put their RX-7s in the winner's circle five times on their way to the Manufacturer's and Driver's Championships, with Halsmer taking the driver's crown. This car was Halsmer's race car that season. Powered by a four-rotor engine, this 2,200-pound car produces approximately 640 horsepower at 9,000 RPM.
The RX-7 was Mazda's longtime flagship sports car through the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, but the name 'RX-7 GTO' can be a bit misleading. 'RX' means 'Rotary Sports,' and '7' represents both the hierarchy and lineage of Mazda's Wankel rotary-powered vehicles. That's straightforward. What isn't is the name 'GTO,' which for street cars means 'Grand Touring Omologato,' or 'Grand Touring Homologation,' but in this case refers to 'Grand Touring Over,' referencing its engine capacity of over 2.5-liters.
The RX-7 GTO was created for the semi-production spec class, but by 1991, GTO cars were required to share their steel roof and glass windshield with cars you could buy on dealer lots, with the bodywork widened to accommodate wide tires and advanced aerodynamics. This RX-7 GTO, chassis 001 is powered by a four-rotor 13J engine, which was developed for the 767 Group C LeMans car that raced in 1988 and 1989. Where your run-of-the-mill RX-7 made 160 horsepower in street-going guise by 1991, the RX-7 GTO put up to 640 hp.
In 1991, Pete Halsmer piloted this RX-7 GTO to dominate the drivers' championship and helped Mazda claim the manufacturers' title as well. Three years after being retired from IMSA competition, GTO-001 returned to the track at the 1994 24 Hours of LeMans, where it finished second in class. This Mazda RX-7 is owned and maintained by Mazda North America Operations as part of the Mazda Heritage Collection.
The RX-7 was Mazda's longtime flagship sports car through the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, but the name 'RX-7 GTO' can be a bit misleading. 'RX' means 'Rotary Sports,' and '7' represents both the hierarchy and lineage of Mazda's Wankel rotary-powered vehicles. That's straightforward. What isn't is the name 'GTO,' which for street cars means 'Grand Touring Omologato,' or 'Grand Touring Homologation,' but in this case refers to 'Grand Touring Over,' referencing its engine capacity of over 2.5-liters.
The RX-7 GTO was created for the semi-production spec class, but by 1991, GTO cars were required to share their steel roof and glass windshield with cars you could buy on dealer lots, with the bodywork widened to accommodate wide tires and advanced aerodynamics. This RX-7 GTO, chassis 001 is powered by a four-rotor 13J engine, which was developed for the 767 Group C LeMans car that raced in 1988 and 1989. Where your run-of-the-mill RX-7 made 160 horsepower in street-going guise by 1991, the RX-7 GTO put up to 640 hp.
In 1991, Pete Halsmer piloted this RX-7 GTO to dominate the drivers' championship and helped Mazda claim the manufacturers' title as well. Three years after being retired from IMSA competition, GTO-001 returned to the track at the 1994 24 Hours of LeMans, where it finished second in class. This Mazda RX-7 is owned and maintained by Mazda North America Operations as part of the Mazda Heritage Collection.
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1990 Mazda RX-7 GTO
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