zzdcar
Home
/
Reviews
/
Culture
/
This 1992 Mazda Efini RX-7 Type R on Bring a Trailer Is the Holy Grail of Rotary-Powered Mazdas
This 1992 Mazda Efini RX-7 Type R on Bring a Trailer Is the Holy Grail of Rotary-Powered Mazdas-July 2024
2024-02-19 EST 22:12:00

Image for article titled This 1992 Mazda Efini RX-7 Type R on Bring a Trailer Is the Holy Grail of Rotary-Powered Mazdas

As of early Wednesday, a practically new was on with a current bid of $7,777. And as much as I would love for that bid to stick — because that sequence of numbers next to a is just satisfying — it’s obvious that the luxury rebadged Mazda is worth more, especially to rotary fans for whom this machine represents the holy grail of the . There are still eight days left in the , but the price is likely to go up by end of this sentence.

The third-generation of the RX-7 is a legendary car to begin with, but the (or , if you insist) took the performance of the Japanese market RX-7 and wrapped it in a layer of luxury. In Japan, Mazda actually preempted Honda and Toyota with the idea of a separate luxury brand, which it named Efini. But the brand was short-lived, having appeared just as Japan’s burst.

Image for article titled This 1992 Mazda Efini RX-7 Type R on Bring a Trailer Is the Holy Grail of Rotary-Powered Mazdas

Mazda’s JDM luxury project ran from 1991 to 1997, which makes this 1992 Efini RX-7 an early model. That also makes the low miles on this 1992 RX-7 all the more impressive: the 1.3-liter twin-turbo Wankel rotary engine has only 27,004 kilometers (16,780 miles) on the clock.

The seller says they added about 700 miles to the odometer, which is almost as unbelievable as the clean condition of the import RX-7. Who could resist shifting through its five speed manual transmission, wringing this thing out to redline, and spooling the sequential turbochargers in the luxe RX-7 for thousands of miles, at least? Someone who fears the resale value of a rotary, I guess.

Image for article titled This 1992 Mazda Efini RX-7 Type R on Bring a Trailer Is the Holy Grail of Rotary-Powered Mazdas

The Efini badge is just a small part of what makes this RX-7 special, however, since the “Type R” is doing some of the lifting — as the lightweight version of the Mazda sports car. When new, this RX-7 made 255 horsepower and 217 lb-ft of torque, but some of its upgrades may have added a few horses: these include engine modifications to fit a beefier intercooler for the turbos, upgraded ignition and an upgraded air intake system. A MazdaSpeed muffler is the cherry on top.

While a baseline of 255 hp might not sound like much, the RX-7 Type-R only weighed about 2,800 pounds. This model has also been tuned to stop and handle better with upgraded front brakes, a coilover suspension and a limited slip differential. There’s also strut brace up front, and a chassis brace below. Those performance upgrades ought to make up for the black cloth upholstery in this luxury sports car. If I’m being honest, I’ll take a cloth bucket seat over leather any day — especially if those seats are fixed to the cabin of a ‘92 RX-7.

Image for article titled This 1992 Mazda Efini RX-7 Type R on Bring a Trailer Is the Holy Grail of Rotary-Powered Mazdas

Image for article titled This 1992 Mazda Efini RX-7 Type R on Bring a Trailer Is the Holy Grail of Rotary-Powered Mazdas

Image for article titled This 1992 Mazda Efini RX-7 Type R on Bring a Trailer Is the Holy Grail of Rotary-Powered Mazdas

Comments
Welcome to zzdcar comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.
Sign up to post
Sort by
Show More Comments
Culture
Toyota Is Moving A Prewar 700-Ton Press Machine Halfway Around The World
Toyota Is Moving A Prewar 700-Ton Press Machine Halfway Around The World
closed its São Bernardo Plant in November 2023, marking the end of its first overseas production facility. The closure caps off a period of continuous car production in São Paolo, , lasting over 60 years. The plant was home to a Komatsu 700-ton press that predates itself. And now...
Jul 4, 2025
Watch ABS Fail When MotorWeek Tests A 1997 Chevy S-10
Watch ABS Fail When MotorWeek Tests A 1997 Chevy S-10
MotorWeek’s is some of the on the internet. The long-running automotive news magazine has a treasure trove of tests after being on the air for over 40 years. Where else can you find detailed instrumented testing of long-forgotten cars like the or a ? MotorWeek’s recent Retro Review upload is...
Jul 4, 2025
I Entered My Lifted Miata In A Real Off-Road Race, Here's What Happened
I Entered My Lifted Miata In A Real Off-Road Race, Here's What Happened
I have two automotive loves: The first is the Miata, the second is off-road racing. For a while I raced air-cooled Volkswagens in the deserts of California and Nevada and I was lucky enough to co-drive in a class 11 stock bug in the Baja 1000 a few years...
Jul 4, 2025
Subaru Had It Right All Along
Subaru Had It Right All Along
When first came to the United States, it sold small funky cars that were decidedly un-American. As the company grew its own identity and became more established in the U.S., it became the first automaker to offer an all-wheel-drive passenger car in 1975. Subaru was also an early-adopter of...
Jul 4, 2025
I Can't Get Enough Of This YouTuber Who Builds Tiny, Fully Functional Scale-Model Cars
I Can't Get Enough Of This YouTuber Who Builds Tiny, Fully Functional Scale-Model Cars
I love tiny, of . I have a that is roughly half the size of a normal cat, and she’s perfect. I own a 2013 , which is like the miniature version of a normal-sized vehicle (at least here in Texas) — but beyond that, I also own a Hot...
Jul 4, 2025
2024 Kia EV9: What Do You Want To Know?
2024 Kia EV9: What Do You Want To Know?
At long last, we are about to get behind the wheel of for the first time. Sure, , and sure, , and sure , but hey — what can you do? Anyway, before we get behind the wheel of this three-row electric beast, we want to know what you...
Jul 4, 2025
Copyright 2023-2025 - www.zzdcar.com All Rights Reserved