Generally speaking, a second-generation Mazda RX7 FC car is most desirable in turbocharged spec. The boosted rotary is part of the quintessential RX-7 formula, but that’s not to say you should turn your nose up at a naturally-aspirated 13B RX-7. This GXL example represents the final year of the Series 4 models and comes with a lovely leather interior. Find it here on eBay with a $9,995 Buy-It-Now and the option to submit a best offer.
Right off the bat, I was set to call this an unmodified example. However, that feeling was short-lived as the poorly-fitting exhaust out the rear seems to suggest some level of modifications have been made. I get it, it’s hard to resist hearing the iconic whine of the rotary mill, but it sure is a bummer to see on a car that is otherwise stock. The power antenna is also stuck in the down position and the rear window tint may be another personal tweak of a previous owner.
Now, the modest modifications aside, the real upside is the interior. Generally, in Mazda and Nissan-speak, an “L” on the end of a model name denotes “Leather” or “Luxury” or some such marketing jargon. It can also spell the elimination of anything resembling a sport bucket seat, as people shopping cars for a leather interior also have no interest in generously bolstered buckets. This RX-7 combines the best of both worlds, with handsome gray leather and sport seats that hug the occupant.
The RX-7 has impressively low miles, racking up less than 50,000 in the time it’s been on the road. The seller notes everything works as it should and the car retains a clean history report. Given how many have been modified to the point that it’s not sensible to return them to stock, finding a clean example such as this is worth a closer look. Obviously, finding a turbocharged car in similarly preserved condition is the way to go, but beggars can’t be choosers. Which would you choose?
Foreign garbage?? Lol
Look inside your precious Chrysler products made in the last 20 years and you’ll find plenty of “foreign garbage”. At least foreign cars don’t hide where their parts come from like the big 3 do. I don’t prefer American cars but I don’t bash them either like a total tool. The RX-7 is nice, refreshing to see something a kid hasn’t messed with yet. Lol
Yes that’s what got my attention too was that Chrysler and not the Mazda.
As a young Army PFC in the mid 90’s I lusted after a 944 turbo I spied on the lot at Direct Rental Car sales in Augusta Ga. Unable to afford the insurance on it, the salesman showed me a red RX7 like this one. Not exactly a stump puller but man could you wind that thing out. With two rotors, six combustion chambers, four spark plugs and no turbo, Geico called it a 4 banger and full coverage was cheap. I have many fond memories of flogging the wee out of it on the remote parts of Ft. Gordon. I paid half the ask of this one, and if I had 10k to drop right now, it’d be on it’s way to me. But alas, my daughter got into a good school. Perhaps later…
Hey get off my lawn you meddlin’ kids!
Fun car to drive- One thing to watch for on turbo cars is the 2nd gear synchro –
If you floor it in 1st gear, redline comes almost immediately, so the 2nd gear syncros took a beating. I found that by just giving it about 2/3 throttle to get moving and then short-shifting to 2nd gear was quicker – the twin turbos, with the one small & one larger build boost VERY quickly – forget about the dreaded “turbo lag” ! The stock turbo cars were one of the quickest cars of their time
over an 1/8th mile.
It’s funny that the car in the listing isn’t even a turbocharged Mazda RX-7 but yet we’re talking about the first turbocharged car was American and blah blah blah, how did we even come to this? It’s also hilarious that a previous person mentioned that the founder of Toyota stole all his designs from Henry Ford and American auto makers and we should be ashamed of foreign cars, which is funny because I swear that Henry Ford was against unions and didn’t want to pay American Auto Workers Fair wages for many Years and fought and fought and fought to pay a fair wage.. this is the Henry Ford you’re proud of??lol
What else is funny is that I swear that for the last 25-30 years or so American Automobile have been crap whereas Japanese automobiles have been reliable dependable and economical. Where do you think Americans got the technology to start making good cars in the last 10 years? Yep, from the Japanese! So I guess that’s Payback for the guy who started Toyota stealing his designs in 1930 from Americans! Americans stole the technology back from the Japanese to start making good quality Dependable cars just like the Japanese were doing 30 years ago what American cars were crap.! It’s a vicious cycle, can’t we all just love cars in general? LOL
Garbage in my book is all Hummers, Corvettes, Toyota’s , Lexus and Scion as well as Sububans. I try not to discriminate. That is why you never see me commenting on cars I don’t like . I happen to like Mazda’s and Subaru after my Nissan’s. Plus I think RX7’s are cool.
Amazing what BF has become. A bunch of (obvious elderly) car bashers or disgruntled union auto workers (or both)
Beating on a very clean and desirable ride because of where it was made. Shame on you. The car is posted here for a reason. It isn’t the typical Camaro or Corvette or muscle car. There are other sites for them. Thank you BF!
Clean Japanese cars ARE on on the radar of the next generation of car collectors. It doesn’t take someone with a very high IQ to figure out prices and demand are on the rise unless you live under a rock.
To David Magrilla One of my drivers is an 05 Scion xB. I am proud to own it.It is unique and very roomy and fun to drive. Actually my wife and I fight over who gets to drive it. I rotate back and forth as does my wife. It has nearly 400K miles on it and counting with the original drivetrain that has had minimal maintenance and no signs of giving up and and provides a constant 38 mpg. Thank God for Japanese quality.
I had an 86 RX7 Blue with cloth interior. It was a standard car. Mazda offered a GTU and a GXL as well. The GTU had a cool rear spoiler and supposedly a sport package. But really I think it was just trim. Of all 3 I would rather have had the GTU. So here is the skinny on them from an actual owner. They do not like gas with ethanol in it. It is hard to start if your not running premium. That trailing rear steer rear end takes a minute to get used to. If you run Pirrelli P6’s on it, know that it does very poorly in the rain. Also it is very easy to snatch it up on two wheels like Uni Roy and Al during evasive maneuvers. Other than all that it is a fun car to drive. I liked the 1st gen RX7’s better for handling because of the fixed rear end. I tried to get in a 3rd gen but couldn’t close the door, which is sad because they are the prettiest in so far as body style.
Barn Finds, nice find here, my GF owned one of these back in the early ’90s and we both liked driving it but I preferred my Fox Mustang; the 13B was fairly gutless in the torque department without boost.
A couple corrections needed:
1. This is a naturally aspirated GXL, not a “boosted” Turbo II RX-7.
2. Your current hyperlink to the ebay auction links to a white convertible.
3. Feel free to “moderate” away unconstructive comments posted by haters.
How many Corvettes, Camaros, and Mustangs can one read about? I don’t even read those ads anymore. This car is a nice example of an RX7 and is straight out of my childhood. Nice find. Keep them coming
I had a ’79 and an ’88 RX-7 GXL. While the ’88 was a faster car, it was never as much fun to drive as the ’79. It was possible to break the rearend end loose on the ’79 and keep control, I’ve never had another car since that could do a 180 turn in quite the same way.
That being said though, the 2nd gen RX-7 was still a very fun car to drive. Any rotary is a blast to rev out!