1990 Mazda RX-7

The Mazda RX-7 was produced from 1978 through 2002, with 811,634 produced during that time. The first generation was built from 1978 through 1980 and is commonly referred to as the 'SA22C'. It wore a design by Mazda's lead designer, Matasaburo Maeda, and was powered by a rotary engine. It had a low displacement which made it affordable to many Japanese buyers who paid an annual road tax in compliance with the Japanese Government dimension regulations. Despite its small engine, its overall weight and size were minimal, and its engine was installed behind the front axle, giving it excellent weight distribution and a low center of gravity.

The second-generation 'Series 4' was produced from 1985 through 1988 and the Series 5 from 1989 through 1992. The fuel-injected 13B-VDEI Wankel engine with two coaxial three-lobe rotors displaced 80 cubic inches and delivered 146 horsepower. An optional turbocharged version, known as the Turbo II in the American market, brought horsepower to 182 bhp.

The Series 5 was a slightly updated version of the Series 4. Changes were made to the styles and to the engine management, as well as several mechanical upgrades. The twin-rotor engine received 14 additional horsepower and the turbocharged version increased by 18 bhp. A four-speed automatic transmission received electronic shift controls and was optional on the convertible. A driver's airbag became standard on the convertible.

The aesthetic changes were led by Chief Project Engineer Akio Uchiyama, who drew inspiration from the Porsche 924.

The live rear axle was replaced with an Independent suspension setup. A rack-and-pinion steering replaced the old recirculating ball steering found on the prior FB series. Disc brakes were standard, with some trim levels receiving four-piston front brakes. Mazda introduced the Dynamic Tracking Suspension System (DTSS) in the FC. It added special toe control hubs that were capable of introducing a limited degree of passive rear steering under cornering loads. This allowed more responsive rotation of the rear during heavy cornering, giving it a more stable rear. Another new addition was the Auto Adjusting Suspension (AAS). The system changed damping characteristics according to the road and driving conditions. The system allowed for camber changes and provided anti-squat and anti-dive effects.

The turbocharger (Turbo II) had a twin-scroll design, with the smaller primary chamber engineered to reduce the turbo lag at low engine speeds. The second chamber opened at higher revolutions, offering 33 percent more power than the naturally aspirated version. The Turbo II was given an air-to-air intercooler with a dedicated intake on the hood, slightly offset towards the left side of the hood.

GTU
Mazda introduced the GTU trim level in 1989 and produced until 1990. They were built in celebration of the RX-7's IMSA domination. The GTU had manual windows, no rear wiper, four-piston front brakes, rear ventilated brake rotors, vehicle speed sensing power steering, one-piece front chin spoiler, cloth-covered Turbo model seats, leather-wrapped steering wheel, 16-inch wheels, 205/55VR tires, and a GTUs-only 4.300 Viscous-type limited-slip differential (all other FC LSD's were 4.100). The sunroof and air conditioning were dealer optioned. A total of 1,100 examples were built in 1989, with the last 100 re-stamped as 1990 models.

The third generation of the RX-7 (FD) would arrive in 1992 and remain in production for a decade.
By Daniel Vaughan | May 2019