I've always thought the first gen RX7 was a really solid piece of design. From some angles I sometimes say to myself, damn my car is sexy. Especially when its parked next to another car. Anyhow I was looking at pictures of a Lancia Stratos today and I really started to see some distinct similarities. The Japanese usually are not ones to come out with an unprecedented design and if you just saw the RX7 you might think it was. I think the designer/design team was influenced by the Stratos. What do you guys think?


Notice the wedgey but still rounded-under front edge.





The windscreen and the sidemirros bare a striking, albeit more extreme resemblance

I think mostly though, its the cantilevered-looking roof that I see most between them




The Stratos is way more extreme in every way, and of course its mid-engined, but I like to think of the SA/FB as a sort of cousin.

 

more like this... lotus elan

 

Nah the Elan was the Miata. They are very close

 

Holy crap that stratos is UGLY from the side!

For some reason when I saw that I thought of this:

 

the stratos is an awesome car! i love it in fm2

 

I always thought that Mazda was copying the MGB. If you see a late model B like the '78 below parked along side an FB you will notice they have virtually the same proportions.

 

The styling was a combination of the Datsun Z cars (basic shape) and the LBCs of the day (light weight and low hp) with some Opel thrown in (headlights).

 

Classic monocoque coupe lines are common to a lot of the sporters of that day; you can see Porsche, ferarri, and even Jaguar influences in there, too. Even the Shelby Daytona shares a little DNA.

I always though the Opel looked a bit like a Vette that got left in the dryer a bit too long, heheh.

 

the SA does have some italian in it, like the campi wheels and sleek styling. they tried to make it too modern in 81, that's why FB's arent as cool.

 

82 Rx-7, 12A PP AzRR balance etc etc


messin with ya

 

I've noticed a Jag style influence and a Porsche influence on my SA.

 

i SHOULD have done what NODE said and put the PP into the SA, it would have been SO MUCH COOLER