A sports car has always been considered a thing of beauty. It’s like the equivalent of having a drop-dead gorgeous partner, minus the nagging. However, even though there are a lot of these vehicles around, we tend to associate the cool sports cars with the likes of Lamborghini, Ferrari, or Porsche. With their quality, performance, and sleek appearance, we can’t blame you. But we’d like to let you know that there’s more than just your occasional Italian sports car. Take for example, the Mazda RX-7.

For those who just happened to hear about this car for the first time, the Mazda RX-7 was produced from 1978 to 2002. Originally, it sported a Wankel rotary engine and a front-midship, rear-wheel drive layout. The car was initially offered as a two-seater in the United States, Japan, and Australia, with rear seats made available as an option. Because of the vehicle’s stellar performance, the Mazda RX-7 became part of Car and Driver’s Ten Best list five times.

During its run, the Mazda RX-7 has a total of three generations. But since we’re focusing on vintage rides (and to keep us from overloading you with information), we’ll stick to the models produced during the first generation. There were a total of three series produced during this time. Series 1 ran was produced from 1979 to 1980. This version of the RX-7 sported exposed steel bumpers an innovative high-mounted indentation-located license plate. This first series also offered a variant called the LS or Leather Sport. This sports car was given an LS badge, full leather upholstery, sunroof, and gold-colored alloys. A total of only 3,000 LS were ever made.

Series 2 had a production run that spanned from 1981 to 1983. This version of the Mazda RX-7 sported plastic-covered bumpers that were now integrated into the vehicle. It also came with wide black rubber body side moldings, wraparound taillights and updated engine control components. Aside from these updates, Mazda equipped the second series with a GSL package that gave the sports car optional 4-wheel disc brakes and a front ventilated, clutch-type rear limited slip differential.

The last of the first generation RX-7 was the Series 3. Produced from 1981 to 1983, the Series RX-7 was given a new lower front fascia and sported a different instrument cluster. The suspension was given an upgrade by adding tougher springs and shocks. The external air-oil oil cooler also made a comeback in this model after being removed in 1983. Now just like the second series, the Series 3 was also given a GSL package that allowed the sports car to be equipped with a fuel-injected 1.3-liter 13B RE-EGI engine. The package also included the standard rear disk brakes and clutch-type rear limited slip differential.

Thanks to these features, the Mazda RX-7 has been able to establish itself as one of the premier sports cars around. And it’s able to do that by giving you an array of features while not being as expensive as its Italian counterparts. Not bad, right?

Source: Wikipedia