MAZDA RX-7 - Everything You Need To Know (and SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT) | Up To Speed

- Stay until the end of this video because I have a big

announcement

about the future of this program. Yes, we did an Up To Speed ​​on the RX-7 a little over two years ago. No, you're not going crazy. It was our seventh episode of this series. This is

everything

you

need

to

know

to get up to

speed

on the Mazda RX-7. And I sounded like I didn't even care about this damn car, but guys, I want you to

know

I do. I love this car. I care about and love this car so much that I wanted to do it again.

Today we will talk about the revolutionary technology of this automotive icon. How it developed over the course of its life and delving into the incredible community centered around this car have seen a huge resurgence right now. (squeaky tires) Buckle up for the best reboot since Andrew Garfield's Spider-Man because this is

everything

you

need

to know to catch up with the 2020 Mazda RX-7 edition. (upbeat music) A big thank you Governor to Keeps for once again sponsoring today's episode of Up To Speed. You've heard of all the signs. One day you have follicles full and fluid with fun, the next day you're in the shower, bending that head of yours, you look down and what is that?

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50 or click the link in the description to receive 50% off your first order. That's K-E-E-P-S .com/uptospeed50 and now back to the show. Even the speed. Chapter one, Willy Wankel's Doritos Factory. Augustus Gloop is trapped in the apex seals. The old me was right about one thing. It would be impossible to talk about the RX-7 without talking about its engine. We really need to start with the engine because that's why this car is so unique. The RX-7 used what's called a Wankel rotary engine and if you've been watching Donut, you'll know we've talked a lot about this engine. - It's time to do a deep dive into the rotary. - The Wankel rotary.

Dorito's magical boss. - I love rotaries, I need to get an RX-7. - A rotary engine. - It's time to rotate. - And if that's not enough, you can listen to literally two hours of us talking about it in a two-part series on our Past Guest podcast. I'll put a link to that in the description below. The Wankel rotary engine was invented in 1951 by a guy named Dr. Felix Wankel, who is objectively in the top 10 funniest names in automotive history and there are a lot of funny names in automotive history. And it was designed to be an alternative to the piston engine.

The quick and dirty version of how this works will be covered in a technical talk. (upbeat music) An engine creates force by trapping the air-fuel mixture inside a chamber, pressurizing it, and exploding it. The force of those explosions moves the engine parts, which in turn move the rest of the tram. In the standard four-stroke engine, the pistons create these pressure chambers. In a rotary engine, they are created by a triangular rotor, hence the name. It does this by rotating around the inside of an oblong oval. As it moves, it creates space to draw in more fuel mixture while pressurizing fuel elsewhere on the oval.

They both have pros and cons, and if you want to know more details about it, watch those other videos. But surprisingly, the main benefits of a rotary engine are weight, power, and price, no matter what you've heard. The Wankel has a 3:1 power-to-weight ratio compared to a standard engine. It also revs to significantly higher RPMs and, since it doesn't have as many parts, is much cheaper to produce than a piston engine. In the 1960s, Mazda president Tsuneji Matsuda saw potential in the rotary engine and licensed it from NSU. NSU used to be Audi. Very cool. And NSU Audi was the first to learn it from Dr.

Wankel. Once they had the technology, a Mazda engineer named Kenichi Yamamoto solved the last big problem with the engine: the upper seals. There is a big problem with rotaries and that problem is very similar to the problem with the goals of my high school soccer team. As the triangle rotates, the points or vertices mark the inside of the oval and, over time, this means incomplete seals in the combustion chamber leading to engine failure. Then what do you do? A strip of graphite is placed over the apices that wear more evenly and preserve the integrity of the chambers, an invention called an apex seal.

Now NSU and Audi had a version of the top seal, but it was Yamamoto who really improved the design making this engine a viable option. So, with that problem solved, and with a bunch of boring legal stuff including the gas crisis you guys don't want to hear about, after those things were settled, it was finally time for this bad boy to be thrown into one of the most bad cars of all time. This is not an update on the rotary, this is an update on the RX-7, I'm talking about the myth, the cutest boy in the bowl, the RX-7.

Chapter two, the FB RX-7. Mazda's first car with the Wankel was the 1967 Mazda Cosmo. It was a halo car and would serve as a proof of concept for the rotary engine. In its next rotary model, Mazda went all out. The RX-3 Savanna was behind the Cosmo in the rotary lineup and developed a sporty reputation despite being a five-seat passenger car with no particular performance features. That's how much fun everyone had with the Wankel. Mazda saw this and said: Oh, you like fun, why didn't you say something? We can bring you fun. And they got to work on the RX-7.

Which would be a real sports car. For this car, Mazda took inspiration from the Lotus Elan and you can see it in the long, sloping bonnet with the damn headlights that open up and down. I mean these things seem really fast. Oh yes, I immediately realized that it is a very fast car, but I am a very intuitive person. You stink. Mazda now knew that customers might be wary of purchasing a high-performance car with a rotor as it was unfamiliar to them. So they did idiot tests on the rest of the car so as not to intimidate customers.

It's like when you try to get your kid to eat broccoli and you put a bunch of cheese on top. In this case, the cheese was super simple MacPherson struts up front and a simple live axle in the rear. Disc brakes at the front and drum brakes at the rear that any mechanic will be familiar with. The steering was a very simple worm and roller system rather than the more complex rack and pinion, now we'll come back to that in a minute. And if that all sounds great to you, know that it's a very, very simple standard setup and it was all done intentionally to make this car totally approachable despite this wild new powertrain.

However, the simplicity had a downside. None of this I just said is particularly sporty and this was a damn sports car. You know what I mean. Mazda wasn't worried, however, because what it lacked in performance technology it made up for in weight distribution. It is an attractive car, it has good weight distribution. And since the Wankels are so small, Mazda could place them low in the car and behind the front axle. They called it front mid-shift design. And that meant the RX-7 had a near-perfect 50/50 balance and a very low center of gravity. The car debuted in 1978, this first model was called FB and generated 101 horsepower.

However, people were still excited because the curb speed was only 2300 pounds so it could accelerate. Rotary engines, by design, must run hard or they accumulate carbon deposits. So Mazda recommended people drive a lot on the red line. And the enthusiasts said, okay, twist my arm, why not? It ran so well at high revs that Mazda had to install a warning chime to let you know you needed to back up because the car felt so good to be pushed. And before the end of the first generation, Mazda introduced a turbo version. Which increased the horsepower to 160. So considering the weight, this thing absolutely flew. (Wheels screeching) Chapter three, ABFC.

The second generation of the RX-7 would be completely redesigned, and instead of taking inspiration from Lotus, designers looked to the Porsche 924 and 944. Just as was the case during the end of the FB generation, these new FCs would have two engine options. The naturally aspirated 12A and the turbo 13B. This time, the 12A would make 146 horsepower and the 13B would make 189, almost double the original base model, which means, say it with me, more power, baby. It didn't even exist the last time you did this. I made you and you all made me. I'm not even real, I'm a product of your collective consciousness. - New RX-7. - Mazda took the opportunity to refine the entire package.

The FC was launched in 1986. So the RX-7 had been around long enough that they no longer needed childish mechanics. The most notable change was the upgrade to rack and pinion steering. The oversteer on the first RX-7 was very bad due to the worm gear and roller, but the rack and pinion helped clear it up a bit. Handling was also improved by the addition of a fully independent suspension and a dynamic drive suspension system that offered limited rear steering to fully correct oversteer. And disc brakes everywhere because it's no fun going fast if you can't stop. Overall, this generation had a much smoother feel, in line with the GT car.

Some enthusiasts were a little disappointed by the more disconnected feel, but it sold very well. I'm surprised people said this so long ago. It basically drives itself, it's like a primitive car. Now you feel like you're riding a skateboard. This generation would see some

special

models. There was a convertible, which was much cooler than James Gardener made it look in the commercial. - Take some time to get to know Mazda's new RX-7, but I warn you that anything else will spoil you. -There was also the 10th anniversary edition with 16 inch wheels, crystal white paint and bronze tinted windows, I didn't even know it existed.

And a rotor emblem on the front fender. The label read: "Very

special

, very rare." That's actually the same way I described Donut's new gas crisis t-shirt. Remember when I made a joke about making an oil crisis t-shirt? And you guys said, yeah, you should do that. Well, we did it. Go to donutmedia.com and get yourself a sweet oil crisis t-shirt. He's got a car sticking out of something and oil dripping everywhere. And then there are all the Milaze cars down there. It's one of my favorite designs we've done. I love the gas can on the front.

Go to donutmedia.com and get one. Even the speed. There was also a limited edition RX-7 GTU model designed to be even lighter for racing. That made sense because at the time, the RX-7 had a super impressive motorsport resume. Going back a little, to the beginning of its history, in 1979, the RX-7 placed first and second in the 24 Hours of Daytona. Then in 1981 it beat a BMW 530i to victory at Spa 24, which made a big statement, not only for Japanese sports cars in general, but also for this new triangular Wankel engine. Pro racers and cool but dangerous street racers started snapping up the RX-7, so Mazda made a model for them.

Chapter four, the yellow of the cartoon. The next major redesign came in 1992 with the FD RX-7, and that's why many of you are watching this video. Not only is the FD arguably the best RX-7, but it's one of the best Japanese sports cars of all time. For starters, it's absolutely beautiful. I mean, look at this thing. It is one of the most beautiful cars ever made. I love them. Mazda eliminated the trim around the exterior of the previous generation, for an incredibly clean, uninterrupted line. They even hid the door handle near the window so nothing interrupts the visual flow.

Very, very Mazda. While the first model was inspired by a Lotus and the second model by a Porsche, the designers at FD Mazda went their own way. It is simply timeless. And it's not just the looks that make the FD a legend. It bears repeating because it's so important to the car that the RX-7's weight distribution was incredible. It was so well balanced and the handlingit was so precise that you could just shake it. And this generation was a return to its more performance-oriented roots. It was a touring model, yes, but enthusiasts loved the R model.

The R stands for (grunting). It has a stiffer suspension due to the Bilstein shocks, they had an oil cooler so you don't overheat on the track, they had a front air dam and a big ol' spoiler, and finally, any video about the RX-7 will include a section on FDs. Ultra-smooth sequential twin turbo. All the videos make a big deal of this because that power delivery meant a boost for almost the entire rev range. Because rotary engines don't really generate much torque until they reach the highest RPMs, this was a game-changer for performance. It was incredible. So if everyone loved the FD so much, why did Mazda cancel it in 2002?

What the hell happened to him? Well some things. First of all, we've been talking for most of the video about how awesome rotary engines are, but if they're so awesome, why doesn't every car have one or literally any other car? Because it turns out they're kind of a pain in the ass (bleep). Remember those graphite apex stamps I was talking about? They break and wear out, quite a bit. And when they do, you may have total engine failure. To protect the seals, oil is injected into the engine, but that creates its own problems, which also have a little to do with another problem, poor emissions.

Wankels get really bad fuel economy and the 13V turbo in particular runs very hot. In fact, it was so hot that Mazda had to put a huge warning light right on the center console, and on top of all that, Ford showed up to the party and did what Ford does: ruin the party. Ford bought a majority stake in Mazda in the 1990s and set to work on a new car, the RX-8. No one will directly say that the RX-8 was intended to replace the RX-7, but the timing and name are highly suspect. The RX-8 attempted to solve many of the RX-7's problems, but in doing so created some real problems.

Instead of being a compact two-seater, it was now a strange four-door, four-seater, which meant it was longer and heavier. So that perfect weight balance was now ruined. They also tried to overcome the heat and emissions problems by getting rid of the damn turbo. Without the turbo, the RX-8 had very little torque, maxing out at 160 pound-feet. It's like a fucking '90s Honda. It has its fans, I don't want to poop on it, but the general consensus is that this car was a mere shadow of the thrill that was the RX-7. Chapter five, the legacy of the RX-7.

Now, one of the things I mentioned in the introduction to this video is the community and how the community around this car is having a huge resurgence right now. Something I didn't get into at all last time was how much this car means to people. For a car nerd, this is like being up there. This is like one of those, you know? It's practically on everyone's wish list. First of all, a whole generation of enthusiasts was basically created by things like The Fast and The Furious and Dominic Toretto himself drove a '93 FD. This '93 FD, if you pay close attention, you'll even see an animation of the inside of the engine, although I'm pretty sure they used V8 noises for it.

And if Fast and Furious didn't turn you into a car lover, a video game might have. And the RX-7 grew up along with driving games. So it's everywhere. Here it is in Gran Turismo, here it is in Forza, here it is in Initial D, here it is in Sega GT. You could literally grow up with the car playing in your room, if you were lucky enough to have a TV in your room. And if pretending to be a race car driver isn't your thing and you just want to watch racing drivers do their thing, there's a little thing called Initial D where not one but two of the main characters drive RX-7s.

And if you're not into imaginary racing at all, the RX-7 continued to rock the boat in real life, for example. Like I said, once it was established on the scene, that's where it stayed. In 1991, Mazda took everything it learned from the RX-7 and applied it to the 787B, which would win the 24 Hours of Le Mans. That would be the first time a Japanese car would win and it wouldn't happen again until Toyota. and Gazoo took it in 2018. There is a very, very interesting history in this race and if you want to learn more about it, I can't encourage you enough to check out our two-part podcast in the newspaper.

Listen to this. (engine roaring) Sounds like a pissed off pig. The RX-7 was also the winning car on the IMSA Circuit in the '80s. The RX-7 dominated the MCGTU series for 10 full years. From 1982 to 1992 it won more IMSA races than any other model. All of this means that there are some really special examples that the car folks have gotten into. We did a full bumper to bumper FD of High Low co-host Erin Parker, but I'm mentioning it again here so we can put it on screen because it's so sick, definitely one of the coolest cars my friends have.

And Erin is one of my best friends. Abel Obara has a virtual RX-7 empire as the most famous person to race a rotary engine. If you like rotaries, you should see what that guy is doing. You should also check out Rob Dom's RX-7. It's an all-wheel drive four-rotor beast that he's been working on for years. This thing is an engineering marvel. That thing is amazing, it has a million videos, you should check it out. And gosh, everyone's favorite crocodile, Hoonigan's Hert has a 450-horsepower RX-7 that's adorable nicknamed the twerk stud. It's a very, very cool car.

It is. Good work Hert. Now all these guys make awesome videos with radical cars, so technically they're my competition, but I have to shout them out because car culture is more fun when it's about community and that community is more radical when talking about something so unique. , as rare as it is absolutely legendary as the Mazda RX-7. Hey guys, for the first time in 167 weeks, we're taking a little break from Up To Speed. Nothing is changing, we just have some really big episodes coming up and we want to focus on them, plus I promised Nolan that he would teach him to ride a bike at the end of the summer and the summer is almost over.

So I want to be a good friend and teach my friend how to ride a two wheeler. We'll be back in about a month with bigger, badder, cooler, sweeter shows, until then, you can see me on the D-List, you can hear me on the podcast, and I love you. So post your RX-7 on Instagram, tag me @jamespumphrey, tag Donut @donutmedia. I'll tell you my story, I'll give you a little shout out. Thank you all for watching this video and all the other videos on Donut. If you liked it, be sure to hit the subscribe button and the notification bell so you don't miss anything.