Tuesday 26th May 2015

Mazda RX-7 Spirit R: Spotted

Another low-mileage JDM hero, a slightly more palatable price this time

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The Japanese sports car love-in will cease soon, promise. It's simply that opportunities to feature the Mazda RX-7 Spirit R, and indeed the Honda NSX-R, don't come around too often. While they're available it's only right to talk about them, isn't it?

Fast car, just two exhausts? Heavens above!

Like the NSX-R, the Spirit R is the ultimate as RX-7s go. Again a more driver-focused version solely for Japan, the Spirit R was a run-out special in 2002 as the 7 made way for the RX-8. The R is distinguished from a regular FD-3S by those fantastic Recaro seats (saving 10kg), the 17-inch BBS wheels, new Bilstein dampers and bigger brakes. Not as extensive as the Type R modifications but significant enough. Even the original press release is pared back to the basics; no excess or frippery, simply what the car is and what it costs. Just 1,500 were made.

It would appear the rise in classic values is finally starting to influence Japanese cars too. An NSX-R found in the classifieds four years ago (common as muck, these Hondas...) was £45K; today a similar example is more than twice that. Though this RX-7 is some way from that, to see one at £22,995 is still a surprise. Having said that, the mileage is incredibly low (just 13,000), the condition pristine and the whole car standard bar an updated navigation system. Furthermore, when there are UK cars at £15K (when did that happen?!) the extra money for the Spirit R doesn't seem that unreasonable.

This is a good view...

But it doesn't seem appropriate to compare Japanese-sourced cars with UK ones, so what else could tempt you from an RX-7 Spirit R? An R32 Skyline GT-R perhaps? Different in approach to the the Mazda but similarly legendary in the eyes of many, low mileage versions of the Nissan are now above £20K as well. For a more modern alternative there's the Impreza WRX STI Spec C Type RA-R (the spec is even longer than the name; it sounds pretty special).

The advantage the RX-7 will always have over those cars however, and indeed many originally available in the UK, is the way it looks. Even though it was first launched in 1991, this shape of RX-7 remains fantastically pretty. The Japanese manufacturers aren't renowned for cohesive design but heck is it good when they do pull it off.

As always with such sparsely used cars, it almost seems wrong to drive this RX-7 extensively. But then it's not hugely expensive as limited edition icons go and you suspect the drive would be more than worth it. There are certainly others available if the Spirit R is too nice!

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MAZDA RX-7 SPIRIT R
Engine: 1,308cc two-rotor rotary, twin-turbo
Transmission: 5-speed manual, rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 280hp@6,500rpm
Torque (lb ft): 217lb ft@5,000rpm
MPG: N/A
CO2: N/A
First registered: 2002
Recorded mileage: 13,000
Price new: £32,535 (UK market price)
Yours for: £22,995

See the original advert here.

[foxhounduk]

£22,000? You must be jokin.

[soad]

Rare model hence the price hike.

[lee_erm]

Worth every penny if yo ask me!

[GravelBen]

Lovely things, had some good trackday cat & mouse sessions with one in the turbo MX5.

[daveco]

This has to be the nicest looking Japanese car ever built, and it had the performance to go with it.

I would think despite the flaws of the rotary engine that this is likely to increase in value for the very reason it is an engineering rarity.

[FD3Si]

foxhounduk said:

£22,000? You must be jokin.

Why? Spirit Rs are highly collectable in Japan, and they've never been that cheap here either. Whilst in nowhere near the same ballpark as NSXs, prices are slowly but surely rising for the good examples.
They're also bloody wonderful cars.

[danjama]

lee_erm said:

Worth every penny if yo ask me!

Agreed.

[knebworth01]

Such a will I/ wont I car.
Great looking, interesting tech (the engine) & great performance make you want this car, but constant fears of terminal engine wear will always put you off.
That said, I'd still have one. £22k seems a bit rich though.

[TheFinners]

foxhounduk said:

£22,000? You must be jokin.

When a gen 1 NSX-R can command £95k I'd call £22k an absolute bargain!

[marcosgt]

"Will I? Won't I?" - Really guys, of course you WON'T, because you're scared of the fragility of the rotary engine and the fuel costs and because, deep down, you still measure a car by it's 0-60 time and whether it has a V8 or not.

A Marmite car, for sure, and only those who like what it offers will appreciate it. For those who do, £22,000 sounds a bit of a bargain!

M.

[unsprung]

A compelling, original and rare car. However, at that price, and depending upon one's intended use... The asking price could buy a lower-spec RX-7 of the same series as well as a lot of mod's / upgrades.

[Happyjap]

unsprung said:

A compelling, original and rare car. However, at that price, and depending upon one's intended use... The asking price could buy a lower-spec RX-7 of the same series as well as a lot of mod's / upgrades.

I agree with you Mr Unsprung too much money and by no way nicest Japanese car for this you must look no further that Toyota 2000GT, I have personally driven this car and it performs like a 21 year old fitness instructor (female) but this car are.

[Happyjap]

much better in red

[Krikkit]

Bit of a different scale to get a 2000GT though!

[Happyjap]

Krikkit said:

Bit of a different scale to get a 2000GT though!

??? What does this mean? Pardon my english not well.

[Axionknight]

Happyjap said:

??? What does this mean? Pardon my english not well.

He is joking, because it is a picture of a model and not the actual car.

[Krikkit]

I'm joking because a 2000GT is £1,000,000 compared to £22,000 for a Spirit-R.

[Happyjap]

Axionknight said:

He is joking, because it is a picture of a model and not the actual car.

Oh thank you for clarifying that, yes of course model but real car. I did model incase not to post someones real car and offend them without permission.

[dbdb]

I have long admired the RX7.

[cocopop]

Lovely car. Cheap for a Spirit R.