Mazda RX-7 | PH Auction Block

RX-7s are hard enough to come by in the first place - let alone freshly restored ones...

By Matt Bird / Thursday, 3 September 2026 / Loading comments

The demise of the 2.0-litre MX-5 in the UK must surely be the death knell for interesting Mazda engines. For so long they’ve fought against prevailing trends (and legislation, seemingly) to keep fun alive, but now it would seem that the resistance has met its match. Pity. That being said, who better than Mazda to find a solution to the current problem? For decades they’ve pursued the unconventional powertrain options, never really that keen on diesel (apart from the latest straight six, remember) and clinging onto natural aspiration with its high compression petrols. Fighting the good fight, basically, so there’s some hope.

And Mazda wouldn’t be Mazda without the rotary engine. Of all the horses to back. Where very often, for European tastes at least, Mazda would appear behind the curve, there wasn’t a rotary innovation they missed. That attitude endured to more recent times, too, using a rotary as a range extender for the MX-30 EV. Only Mazda would have done such a thing, everyone else having abandoned the technology long ago.

We all know why: the engines require more maintenance than the average piston unit, as well as more oil and fuel. But a rotary really does create a driving experience like no other, so light and uncomplicated that it makes front-engined cars feel like the engine is under the dash. Engine-swapped Mazda rotaries are missing the point; as we all crave unique automotive experiences, an RX-badged Mazda is truly special.

While the 8 is the (in)famous one, the RX-7 is undoubtedly Mazda’s finest moment with a rotary. It was beautiful, it was fast, it was great to drive… and then it was in Tokyo Drift, introducing a whole new generation of fans to the joys of Wankel. And Veilside. While the RX-7 was sold in the UK 30 years ago, it was a slow seller, so most that are around now (should you find one) are Japanese Domestic Market imports like this one.

Except this PH Auctions car isn’t your average JDM RX-7. Having been in the UK for more than 20 years, it’s recently been subjected to an extensive mechanical and cosmetic restoration - to the tune of more than £30,000. It’s there for all to see in the receipts, parts quite literally overnighted from Japan by a specialist to bring this glorious RX-7 back to its best. As well as getting the rotary firing on all cylin… no, not that. Of course. Fit and well again, let’s say.

So much has been replaced that it’d probably be easier to mention what hasn’t been done than what has. The bare metal respray and engine rebuild are the big ones, of course, but when the invoice also mentions the armrest cubby box (£135), the door map pocket with lid (£186), plus a whole load of trims and seals, it’s clear someone really sweated the details with this.

They also resisted the urge to make anything too OTT. Yes, the exhaust isn’t stock, but everything else is, and that’s rare for an RX-7. For any Japanese car of the 1990s, really. And when you have a rotary, a better exhaust is pretty much mandatory. Otherwise, from steering wheel to spoiler and dials to seats, it’s a 1994 time machine.

Which makes this, if not quite an incomparable RX-7, then an extremely good one. There are always fewer around than Skylines and Supras, and it’s very seldom that cars come up with so much spent so recently. Mazda’s glory days aren’t likely to look any less desirable as an uncertain future looms, put most simply. Bidding opens next week.

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