The World of Factory Motorsport: A Mazda RX-7's Journey to Victory

In the world of factory motorsport, it's all about finding that perfect balance between power and weight. For old racing cars, it's often a matter of keeping those revs down, with owners advising drivers to push the car above 6,000 RPM for maximum performance. However, in this article, we're going to explore how the Mazda RX-7, specifically the one featured here, defied conventional wisdom and proved itself to be a force to be reckoned with on the track.

This particular MX-5 is not part of the top class, nor was it in the biggest capacity class, but it still managed to qualify on the front row of the grid and go on to win the race convincingly. To put its performance into perspective, it faced off against some of the toughest competitors in the sport, including a 3.0L BMW M5, a 3.0L Audi S4, a 3.7L Chevrolet Camaro, and even a few more powerful cars. The fact that it was able to keep up with these beasts is a testament to the innovative engineering that went into creating this rotary-powered masterpiece.

So, what's like driving this little car? It's a manic experience, to say the least. The engine screams away at low revs, making it sound like a wasp in distress, but as soon as you hit 8,000 RPM, it transforms into a high-pitched whine that's both exhilarating and intimidating. The fact that there's no power steering or servo assistance on the brakes only adds to the challenge, making this car feel more like a motorcycle than a conventional road car.

Despite its lightweight weight of just over 900 kilograms, the MX-5 feels surprisingly heavy, particularly when you're trying to hustle it around a corner. The steering is also quite physical, requiring a certain amount of heft and finesse to navigate. However, once you get the hang of it, the rewards are well worth the effort. With 225 horsepower on tap, this car can accelerate from 0-60 in under four seconds, making it one of the quickest cars on the track.

One of the most impressive things about the Mazda RX-7 is its balance and handling. The engine is positioned far back in the chassis, which makes it feel incredibly stable and planted, even when pushing hard. As you take a corner, the rear end will slide out just enough to make you want to countersteer, but it's always within your control. It's a truly magical feeling, like being connected to the car itself.

The Mazda RX-7's history in motorsport is well-documented, and its most famous victory remains one of the greatest stories in racing history. In 1981, a factory-prepared MX-5 won the SP24 Hours at Le Mans, taking down some of the toughest competition in the sport. It was a groundbreaking moment for Mazda, marking their first-ever 24-hour win, and cementing the MX-5's reputation as one of the greatest racing cars of all time.

Today, the MX-5 is still revered by fans of motorsport, its performance and handling unmatched by many modern road cars. In fact, we've had the chance to track test a few MX-5s in recent years, and they consistently deliver some of the most thrilling experiences on the track. Whether you're a seasoned racing enthusiast or just looking for a car that can push your limits, the Mazda RX-7 is an absolute must-drive.

As we look back at this incredible machine, it's clear that its success was down to more than just its raw power. The combination of innovative engineering, clever design, and sheer driving excitement made it one of the most compelling cars in motorsport history. Whether you're a fan of rotary engines or just love the thrill of racing, the Mazda RX-7 is an unforgettable experience that's sure to leave you breathless.

In conclusion, this MX-5 has truly earned its place as a factory Motorsport icon. With its impressive performance, handling, and driving excitement, it's no wonder why it remains one of the most beloved cars in motorsport history. So, if racing is your thing, or just want to experience something unique, be sure to check out our exclusive track test video featuring this incredible Mazda RX-7.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enthink of a sporting Mazda and you inevitably think of the ultra successful MX5 Roadster but delve deeper and you'll discover a braver and less conventional past a past defined by Ma's fascination with the rotary engine and a catalog of pioneering Motorsport achievements the most famous of these was Mazda's history making victory in the 1991 lemon 24 hours with the legendary 787b Group C car but there's another Master 24-hour winner one that defeated far more powerful opposition to win the 1981 Spar 24-hour race this wonderfully original RX7 in fact so turn up your speakers and come with us as we get to know this cracking car and experience the uniquely manic performance of Mazda's other rotary powered icon now the heart of the RX7 story is its rotary engine and it really is quite a bizarre experience I've never driven a two-stroke motorbike but it's very similar for what I've been told and for what I know of two bks it's all about revs and a minut power band and that's exactly what this car is the owner told me well normally with old racing cars it's all about keeping the revs down with this car the owner saying you best keep it above 6,000 and really nothing happens much below seven and yeah is f to R it to 8 and a half but that that's the world of the road engine it's you basically multiply everything by two so in conventional capacity terms this car is less than 12200 CC's but for equivalency Factory Motorsport it was rated at 2.3 l at Spar in 81 this car wasn't in the top class wasn't in the bigest capacity class so but it found itself racing overall against three lead Capri 3 l 5 Series BMWs and 5.7 L Chevy Camaros which kind of blows my mind really especially when you consider that not only did this car qualify on the front row of the grid but it went on to win the race convincingly what's it like to drive well it's it's a manic little thing as you can probably hear from the engine it's quite a physical car actually there's no power steering there's no Servo assistance on the brakes so although the car weighs just about 900 kilos ringing here it's a m got a much bigger feel to it and you need a certain amount of heft to hustle it around using Engine Tuning knowledge of the day they still manage to more than double the power output of the regular Road car so this car has 225 horsepower but that arrives at around 8,000 RPM so you've really got nothing much and then everything compressed into 1,000 RPM or so but listen to it what a hilarious machine the balance of the car is beautiful that engine is so far back in the chassis and so low and so light this it's just so wonderfully balanced you feel the front push you back off you get back on the power and the rear end slides a little bit but it's all in small amounts you can hear it Popp and bang and then it s protests a little bit until you get right up it and then it just flies from 7 to 8 and 1/2 back in the day they would be it to nine by in deference to the car's age and its owner we're not quite working it that hard but still what a brilliant little car I mean this is a we shouldn't forget what a significant part of Mazda's motorport history this is it was the first Japanese car to win the SP 24 hours and it really set ma are on the way towards their most celebrated 24-hour Victory which as we all know was at leamon with a fantastic 787b but this little RX7 it might look pretty much Road standard but it's an absolute Giant Slayer what a wonderful thing yeah it's funny when you look at the car and it looks very close to standard in its appearance and you look at the on paper performance so it's got 225 horsepower something like that but it weighs 900 kilos and to give an indication we've used my mean trophy Renault sport as a camera car which is a quick car by modern standards and it was really struggling to to keep Pace with a Mazda when we wanted to do some tracking and I it's not that I didn't expect it to be a quick car but I perhaps didn't expect it to to stack up quite as well against a car that's 34 35 years it's Junior some of the stuff that you you only get with a rotary or what I've learned you only get with a rotary the the more sensory things that you you get in a racing car so there's different smells obviously different sound cuz it's screaming away and it sounds like a little wasp at low revs and then it absolutely screams to 8 and 1 half th000 revs but they put two-stroke oil in with the fuel so you get some it's almost like a motorcycle in in the way it delivers its performance and some of the some of the excitement you get from it it's really hot in there as well I think rotary are notorious for the heat that comes off the the exhaust and you see you're sweating you've got the fumes you can pretty much smell your boots melting to the floor of the thing it's quite a heavy steering and it's quite a physical little car to drive so I think it would have been again much more demanding than perhaps you would imagine a car of that size and and power to be so Testament to Tom Walkin Shaw and P Don for for driving two drivers in a 24-hour race in that must have been quite an undertaking what a cool car if race cars are your thing why not look at our exclusive track test of Audi's r18 rron leemon winner or alternatively look at our Track Car of the Year videothink of a sporting Mazda and you inevitably think of the ultra successful MX5 Roadster but delve deeper and you'll discover a braver and less conventional past a past defined by Ma's fascination with the rotary engine and a catalog of pioneering Motorsport achievements the most famous of these was Mazda's history making victory in the 1991 lemon 24 hours with the legendary 787b Group C car but there's another Master 24-hour winner one that defeated far more powerful opposition to win the 1981 Spar 24-hour race this wonderfully original RX7 in fact so turn up your speakers and come with us as we get to know this cracking car and experience the uniquely manic performance of Mazda's other rotary powered icon now the heart of the RX7 story is its rotary engine and it really is quite a bizarre experience I've never driven a two-stroke motorbike but it's very similar for what I've been told and for what I know of two bks it's all about revs and a minut power band and that's exactly what this car is the owner told me well normally with old racing cars it's all about keeping the revs down with this car the owner saying you best keep it above 6,000 and really nothing happens much below seven and yeah is f to R it to 8 and a half but that that's the world of the road engine it's you basically multiply everything by two so in conventional capacity terms this car is less than 12200 CC's but for equivalency Factory Motorsport it was rated at 2.3 l at Spar in 81 this car wasn't in the top class wasn't in the bigest capacity class so but it found itself racing overall against three lead Capri 3 l 5 Series BMWs and 5.7 L Chevy Camaros which kind of blows my mind really especially when you consider that not only did this car qualify on the front row of the grid but it went on to win the race convincingly what's it like to drive well it's it's a manic little thing as you can probably hear from the engine it's quite a physical car actually there's no power steering there's no Servo assistance on the brakes so although the car weighs just about 900 kilos ringing here it's a m got a much bigger feel to it and you need a certain amount of heft to hustle it around using Engine Tuning knowledge of the day they still manage to more than double the power output of the regular Road car so this car has 225 horsepower but that arrives at around 8,000 RPM so you've really got nothing much and then everything compressed into 1,000 RPM or so but listen to it what a hilarious machine the balance of the car is beautiful that engine is so far back in the chassis and so low and so light this it's just so wonderfully balanced you feel the front push you back off you get back on the power and the rear end slides a little bit but it's all in small amounts you can hear it Popp and bang and then it s protests a little bit until you get right up it and then it just flies from 7 to 8 and 1/2 back in the day they would be it to nine by in deference to the car's age and its owner we're not quite working it that hard but still what a brilliant little car I mean this is a we shouldn't forget what a significant part of Mazda's motorport history this is it was the first Japanese car to win the SP 24 hours and it really set ma are on the way towards their most celebrated 24-hour Victory which as we all know was at leamon with a fantastic 787b but this little RX7 it might look pretty much Road standard but it's an absolute Giant Slayer what a wonderful thing yeah it's funny when you look at the car and it looks very close to standard in its appearance and you look at the on paper performance so it's got 225 horsepower something like that but it weighs 900 kilos and to give an indication we've used my mean trophy Renault sport as a camera car which is a quick car by modern standards and it was really struggling to to keep Pace with a Mazda when we wanted to do some tracking and I it's not that I didn't expect it to be a quick car but I perhaps didn't expect it to to stack up quite as well against a car that's 34 35 years it's Junior some of the stuff that you you only get with a rotary or what I've learned you only get with a rotary the the more sensory things that you you get in a racing car so there's different smells obviously different sound cuz it's screaming away and it sounds like a little wasp at low revs and then it absolutely screams to 8 and 1 half th000 revs but they put two-stroke oil in with the fuel so you get some it's almost like a motorcycle in in the way it delivers its performance and some of the some of the excitement you get from it it's really hot in there as well I think rotary are notorious for the heat that comes off the the exhaust and you see you're sweating you've got the fumes you can pretty much smell your boots melting to the floor of the thing it's quite a heavy steering and it's quite a physical little car to drive so I think it would have been again much more demanding than perhaps you would imagine a car of that size and and power to be so Testament to Tom Walkin Shaw and P Don for for driving two drivers in a 24-hour race in that must have been quite an undertaking what a cool car if race cars are your thing why not look at our exclusive track test of Audi's r18 rron leemon winner or alternatively look at our Track Car of the Year video\n"