1979 Mazda RX7 n/a review from North America
"This car was awesome fun every day and very safe."
What things have gone wrong with the car?
I never had a problem with the car except wearing out the clutch at 40,000 miles and normal wear and tear on the brakes.
General comments?
This car hugs you like a glove when you sit down. It rides low to the ground and handles with pinpoint precision. You can stop on a dime and turn on a dime. Many times it saved me from accidents by being able to respond so quickly and move out of harms way.
I was cresting a hill at forty miles an hour and got hit on the left rear quarter panel by a Nissan 300z doing eighty miles an hour. I went into a high speed spin on a bridge. The car kept its balance and spun in the middle of the lane. The passenger and driver were thrown together in a centrifugal spin while signs, trees, etc. slammed the windows and doors. It came to rest on the down side of the bridge embankment at at forty five degree angle. Gasoline smell was huge. Both passenger and driver walked away from the accident virtually unhurt. The balance and stability of that car saved our lives. The back of the car was completely smashed into a flat metal wall behind the seats. We should have rolled and burned if nothing else.
Awesome perfomance and I loved that car. It broke my heart that it was totalled since I had bought it from someone that only drove it once in a while on weekends and it was like brand new.
It is typical for a rotary engine to use a little oil. It is just the nature of the engine and the way it was designed.
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![]() ![]() | Cheap fun |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| Model Year | 1980 |
| First year of ownership | 1985 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 1989 |
| Engine and transmission | rotary Manual |
| Performance marks | 8/10 |
| Reliability marks | 10/10 |
| Comfort marks | 8/10 |
| Dealer Service marks | |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 7/10 |
| Distance when acquired | 2500 miles |
| Most recent distance | 42081 miles |
| Previous car | Mazda Mustang |
| Date of Entry | 21st August, 2006 |




