Mazda RX-7 Spirit R Type A | Spotted
787B aside, rotary engine glory doesn't get much better than this
Mazda has yet to give us the rotary-engined sports car it’s been dangling in front of us for years, and it’s starting to get annoying. The company released the stunning RX-Vision concept back in 2015 that looked every bit the sports car Wankel fans had been craving since the RX-8 was pulled from sale in 2012, with Mazda going so far as to submit patents for – what appeared to be – a production-ready version.
Yet, here we are some eight years later and nothing has come of it. Unless you count the virtual RX-Vision and GT3 variant in Gran Turismo 7 - which I certainly don’t. And while Mazda does have a rotary-engined car that you can go out and buy right now, it’s lumped in with the quirky-but-limited MX-30 and serves only as a range extender. So if you’re looking for some Wankel action, you’ll need to turn your attention to Mazda’s back catalogue. An RX-8 is your cheapest option, of course, but if you want the best – short of a 787B – look no further than this RX-7 Spirit R Type A.
Launched to cap production of the company’s two-door sports car in 2002, the Spirit R was effectively an amalgamation of all the good bits from previous special editions for what Mazda described at the time as the ‘ultimate’ RX-7. Using the Type R as a basis, the Spirit R gained lightweight Kevlar-backed Recaro bucket seats (saving 10kg), forged 17-inch BBS alloys, cross-drilled brake discs and new Bilstein suspension. You can also adjust the carbon fibre rear wing’s angle of attack for a (probably not very noticeable) increase in downforce. Granted, the changes weren’t massive, but Japanese carmakers are the masters of marginal gains.
That’s the ‘Spirit R’ bit of the name explained, so what makes this a ‘Type A’? Well, the total production run of 1,504 Spirit Rs was split into three derivatives, with the Type A accounting for the most at 1,044. That’s a good thing, because it’s the best one. Type As are two-seaters with a five-speed manual gearbox, while the Type B is mechanically identical but adopts a 2+2 layout. The Type C, meanwhile, was also a 2+2 but ditched the manual gearbox in favour of a four-speed automatic. They’ve got rarity on their side with only 40 autos ever produced, but for the very best the third-gen RX-7 had to offer – get the Type A.
Power was the same across the board, all thanks to the now-defunct gentleman’s agreement in Japan. The official word is 280hp from a 1.3-litre twin-turbo and twin-rotor engine, which only has to shift 1,270kg minus the driver. We all wondered what Japanese carmakers would have been capable of had the 280hp power cap not existed, yet it produced countless driver-focused sports cars and, perhaps, we’d all benefit from bringing it back.
But I digress. Obviously, the best rotary Mazda commands the biggest price tag. This 39,000-mile example was imported to the UK in 2018 and is completely stock save for a KW suspension kit, though the ad suggests it still has its original Bilstein coilovers if you fancy reverting back. The price? £67,995. If that made you wince, just think that most Japanese icons of this era will set you back well into six figures. Instead, think of it like this: you’re getting the RX-7 equivalent of a Honda NSX-R for the same price as (checks classifieds) a VW ID Buzz. Probably best you don’t read too much into that, but there’s no denying you’re getting a heap of JDM awesomeness for a middling pile of cash.
SPECIFICATION | MAZDA RX-7 SPIRIT R TYPE A
Engine: 1,308cc twin-rotor, twin-turbocharged
Transmission: five-speed manual, rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 280@6,000rpm
Torque (lb ft): 232@5,000rpm
MPG: 20.3
CO2: N/A
Year registered: 2002
Recorded mileage: 39,220
Price new: N/A
Yours for: £67,995
CAR magazine reviewed this against the Porsche 968 back in the day and they were surprised how good the Mazda was (although they did say it felt flimsy in comparison).
My dream JDM garage is:
NSX (original)
RX7 Type A or Bathurst Edition
DC2 Integra R
A fabulous car, packed full of nostalgia for those of us who grew up playing Gran Turismo, but fatally flawed.
Don't forget you can pick up a Skyline GTT for 20k. Sure it doesn't have the tech, but they're still great cars.
I guess the Fast and furious helped with their popularity, but never came close to buying one, there were too many horror stories of them needing expensive engine rebuilds after 10k miles etc (how true these stories were I don't know so feel free to put me in my place) but wasn't going to find out, so went for much less risky and probably better option of the DC2.
I would probably want to know more about maintenance history if I was going to drop 70k on one.
The wankel isn’t that bad but people use them like a normal piston engine and then complain. They need an owner who understands how they work and to maintain them correctly.
Getting rid of the oil metering system and running premix in the fuel allows the use of modern high quality fully synthetic oils which help with engine longevity.
On the original system the sump oil was used in the combustion cycle to lubricate the apex seals which meant that you had to use poor quality oil and keep an eye on the oil level like a hawk. These two things meant a high level of failure of the engine when not properly maintained.
As I was scrolling down I fully expected to see a 6 figure price, so I think the price this is offered for is more than fair given the example.
Yes, they're more maintenance than the equivalent GTR but go in eyes open and you won't be disappointed.
! I had one back in the day loved it but wow was it thirsty! Drove from Coventry to North wales one weekend. Filled her up on the Friday before i set off. Had to fill it up when i got there. Drove round some glorious roads in north wales on the Saturday. Had to fill up again Sunday before heading back to Cov. Low & behold had to fill up again on the Monday morning on the way into work. Couldnt afford to do that nowadays probably work out at over £350.00 for that little jaunt! Great memories though
NSX (original)
RX7 Type A or Bathurst Edition
DC2 Integra R
Got to say the RX7 has aged beautifully. £70k seems a lot but then most of us can probably remember when RX7s were a lot cheaper, admittedly not that exact model of the RX7, but still.
! I had one back in the day loved it but wow was it thirsty! Drove from Coventry to North wales one weekend. Filled her up on the Friday before i set off. Had to fill it up when i got there. Drove round some glorious roads in north wales on the Saturday. Had to fill up again Sunday before heading back to Cov. Low & behold had to fill up again on the Monday morning on the way into work. Couldnt afford to do that nowadays probably work out at over £350.00 for that little jaunt! Great memories though
The RX in the feature is a very good buy. These cars suffered more than most through neglect and they don't stand it as well as some other cars. As a result you have a majority of modified cars with dubious histories out there and very few original unmolested cars like this one. As any collector or auctioneer will tell you, originality and provenance is everything.
2+2 seats just in case, manual, lightweight and fairly affordable with good ones from ~£20k.
Problem is I just don't trust it to be reliable even with good maintenance, I've heard they're pretty fragile too - not just in the engine department.
NSX (original)
RX7 Type A or Bathurst Edition
DC2 Integra R
Got to say the RX7 has aged beautifully. £70k seems a lot but then most of us can probably remember when RX7s were a lot cheaper, admittedly not that exact model of the RX7, but still.
As the article says, compared to other JDM legend prices this almost seems reasonable (I did say "almost"
) But the car does need more 'looking after' than say a Supra or NSX...Forums | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff