![]() Now add in a melee of thundering race cars, each fitted with the latest in 1970s brakes and drivers with bravery the size of their handlebar moustaches, and you see what sort of spectacle a classic Bathurst 1000 would have been. Basically, imagine an Antipodean Spa-Francorchamps, with 40✬ days, out-of-nowhere thunderstorms and the distinct possibility of hitting Whoopsy, Skippy the bush kangaroo’s unlucky cousin. And perched at the tippety-top of Australia’s touring car calendar was Bathurst, and its genuinely fearsome Mount Panorama circuit. Not the V8 SUPAHCAHS YEAH MATE GEDDITINDOYAH, but actual touring cars from all over the world, not just places Australians have heard of. Offered in coupe, sedan, or wagon forms, the RX3 remained on sale until 1978 - right when the RX7 came to life.What Australia used to have is touring car races. Choosing the more well-appointed and stable Grand Familia - also called the 808, Mazda dropped in a 2-rotor rotary engine and dubbed it the Savanna in Japan, but called it the RX-3 in North America.įirst sold in 1971, the RX-3 offered a unique sporty experience in a practical (and good looking) package and was the hit Mazda so desperately wanted for their rotary developments. Sticking with it as a way to differentiate Mazda as an innovation-focused brand, attempts like the Cosmo and Familia did work, but were small victories compared to what Mazda really wanted out of the engine, as both cars had their shortcomings. Citroen as well gave the rotary a shot, and while they didn't bankrupt themselves, the venture left its mark on their funds without any solid results to speak of. Mazda was not the first automaker to use the rotary either, that honor goes to German NSU and their Wankel Spider, but, Mazda would be the one to stick with it even as NSU lost all their money chasing a way to make the engine viable. RELATED: Here Are Coolest Automotive Technology Innovations We Look Forward To Using the reactor's heat as an integrated heat-exchange system, the Phoenix Project became a success - achieving 50% improved efficiency with this heat-exchange system. Achieving 20% improved efficiency right off the bat, Mazda engineers made a huge leap when examining the thermal reactor. Yet, soon after this, the Oil Crisis would present another obstacle for Mazda, as the rotary engine was still rather unrefined, and inefficient. Launching the "Phoenix Project" in 1974, Mazda set a goal of 40% improved fuel efficiency for rotaries over the course of 5 years. ![]() Working around this issue, Mazda created a "thermal reactor" system that would effectively burn away remaining hydrocarbons in the exhaust. Trying to bring the car to America, Mazda was stopped in their tracks by the 1970 Clean Air Act, as the new rotary produced far too many hydrocarbons to pass the new restrictions. RELATED: Race Cars For The Road: The 10 Coolest “Homologation Specials” That Were Sold To The Publicĭebuting their second attempt a rotary-powered car after the Cosmo, in 1968 the Mazda Familia Rotary was released and was intended to be a global export for Mazda. Making just 35 of them as homologation specials, the RX-7 SP road car had around 60 unique modifications to it, including plenty of carbon fiber, a bigger fuel tank, massive brakes, lowered weight, and around 40 more horsepower, making it one of the rarest and most badass RX-7 special editions. The results were successful, and the RX-7 claimed four 12 Hours of Bathurst victories in a row. Not willing to let that happen, the head of Mazda Motorsport Australia created a wicked stripped-down, advanced version of the RX-7 called the SP. Returning with vengeance to Bathurst in 1992, the new FD generation RX-7 lead the pack by 3 laps, taking an immediate victory.īut the car in question here was spawned from an even fiercer fight for victory, as after 3 consecutive Bathurst wins, competitors like Porsche fought hard to create a car that could dethrone the RX-7. Making a good showing in the Australian Touring Car Championship (ATCC) during the '80s, but failing to win at Bathurst - the most prestigious Aussie race, the '90s would see the RX-7 annihilate everyone who stood in its way.
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