Mazda RX-7

The Mazda RX-7 is a sports car which was manufactured and marketed by Mazda from 1978 to 2002 across three generations. It has a front mid engine, rear-wheel-drive layout and uses a compact and lightweight Wankel rotary engine.

The first-generation RX-7, codenamed SA (early) and FB (late), is a two-seater coupé with a rear hatchback. It featured a 12A carbureted rotary engine as well as the option for a 13B rotary engine with electronic fuel injection in later years. The second-generation RX-7, carrying the internal model code FC, was offered as a two-seater coupé with a 2+2 option available in some markets, as well as in a convertible body style. This was powered by the 13B rotary engine, offered in naturally aspirated or turbocharged forms. The third-generation RX-7, model code FD, was offered as a two-seater coupé with a 2+2 version offered as an option for the Japanese market. It featured a sequentially turbocharged 13B REW engine.

More than 800,000 RX-7s were manufactured over its lifetime.

Series 1 (produced from 1978 until 1980) is commonly referred to as the "SA22C" from the first alphanumeric of the vehicle identification number. Mazda's internal project number for what was to become the RX-7 was X605. In Japan, it was introduced in March 1978, replacing the Savanna RX-3, and joined Mazda's only other remaining rotary engine-powered products, called the Cosmo, which was a two-door luxury coupé, and the Luce luxury saloon.

The lead designer at Mazda was Matasaburo Maeda (前田 又三郎, Maeda Matasaburō), whose son, Ikuo ^[ja], would go on to design the Mazda2 and the RX-7's successor, the RX-8. The transition of the Savanna to a sports car appearance reflected products from other Japanese manufacturers. The advantage the RX-7 had was its minimal size and weight, and the compact rotary engine installed behind the front axle helped balance the front and rear weight distribution, which provided a low center of gravity.

In 1980, Mazda introduced a limited run North American model known as the Leathersport, or LS. The LS was essentially an uprated GS with additions such as LS badges on the B-pillars, exterior stripes, gold anodised wheels, brown leather upholstery, leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, removable sunroof, four-speaker AM/FM stereo radio with power antenna (listed as a six-speaker stereo, as the two rear dual voice coil speakers were counted as four speakers), remote power door side mirrors, and standard GS equipment. Two primary options were also available; a 3-speed JATCO 3N71B automatic transmission and air conditioning. The dealer could add other GS options such as a cassette tape deck, splash guards, padded center console armrest, and others. The LS was only available in three exterior colours: Aurora White, Brilliant Black, and Solar Gold. Some sources say 2500 LS model cars were built, while others say production numbers are unknown. The LS had exposed steel bumpers and a high-mounted indentation for the rear license plate, called by Werner Buhler of Road & Track magazine a "Baroque depression."

The Series 2, referred to as the FB (produced from 1981 to 1983), had integrated plastic-covered bumpers, wide black rubber body side moldings, wraparound taillights, and updated engine control components. While marginally longer overall, the new model was 135 lb (61 kg) lighter in federalised trim. The four-speed manual option was dropped for 1981 as well, while the fuel tank grew larger and the dashboard was redesigned, including a shorter gear stick mounted closer to the driver. In 1983, the 130 mph (209 km/h) speedometer returned for the RX-7. The GSL package provided optional four-wheel disc brakes, front-ventilated (Australian model), and clutch-type rear limited-slip differential (LSD). This revision of the SA22 was known in North America as the "FB" after the US Department of Transportation mandated a 17-digit Vehicle Identification Number changeover. For various other markets worldwide, the 1981–1985 RX-7 retained the 'SA22C' VIN prefix. In the UK, the 1978–1980 series 1 cars carried the SA code on the VIN, but all later cars (1981–1983 series 2 and 1984–1985 series 3) carried the FB code, and these first-generation RX-7s are known as the "FB" only in North America.

In Japan, a well-appointed version similar to the export market GSL arrived late in 1982, called the SE-Limited. This model received two-tone paint, alloy wheels shaped like the Wankel rotor, all-wheel disc brakes, a limited-slip differential, and a full leather interior. It also had the latest iteration of the 12A rotary engine, the RE-6PI, with a variable induction port system and 140 PS (103 kW; 138 hp).