GXL, need i say more?

 

I know I am totally biased- but I am picking a model not on the list- my 88 vert! I know she is a heavy option-laden beeyatch (the absolute works- power everything and amazing-for-88 stereo) but I friggin love the excess and my old *** ain't top-speed oriented, but ride comfort oriented!
If this makes me not a popular guy on this forum, then so be it! I love my heavy sexy cruisin topless baby!

SO THERE!! *stepping of soapbox*

 

Yo,


GTUs 0wNz j0!!

*snicker*

Kevin
1989 GTUs "All the fun, none of the fat."

 

A sunroof delete base, manual steering and AC. With a 5 lug conversion, BBS Vert rims, GTUs 4.3 Rear-End.

 

ohh yeah, aluminum hood

 

let me say it again....88 GTU !

 

the ultimate N/A would have to be the N/A that Mazda designed to be the ultimate N/A, which would be THE GTUs!!!

 

GTUs!!

 

GTUs!

 

A base with a New Pineapple Engine, Miata Geared transmission, 4.3 GTUs Gears with a S4 LSD, and vert rims...

Hey thats my car!!!!

Soon to be installed Microtech LTX-8

 

Then why did Mazda soften the ride so much and add all of that extra weight in the process?

Isaac

 

Yo,

The GTUs had the Turbo II suspension, the "firmest" of all the S5 FC suspensions. I hazard a guess that the GTUs has the firmest ride out of all the S5 NA's.

Extra weight? It's the lightest of the S5 FC's...mine weighed in at 2710lbs.

Again, check Wozzoom's back to back comparo of the Sport vs. the GTUs. No contest.

GTUs.

Kevin
1989 GTUs "Not that I'm biased or anything...*snicker*"

 

The GTUs is no doubt the firmest and the lightest of the S5s, but not an improvement over the S4 in either category.

S4 versus S5? I'd take Kobayakawa's word over that of Wozzoom:

"...the Japanese Infini III and the American GTU, the latter a short-lived, much lamented, naturally aspirated version of the Infini and Kobayakawa's and author Yamaguchi's personal favorite of the period." (RX-7: The Mazda RX-7: Mazda's Legendary Sports car, pg 210.)

I'd venture to guess that if the RX-7 Sport had come with standard LSD and an aluminum hood the votes for this poll would have been cast much differently.

Isaac
1987 Sport "I'm not biased in the slightest... "

 

That is incorrect. The GTUs had the same suspension as the all the other N/A S5s. Firmest ride???... give me a break! All the S5 coupes have the same soft compliant ride.

The S5 Turbo, and all the other S5 coupes had the same exact springs, and struts (except for when equipped with AAS; then there were different struts, but the same wimpy springs).

All non AAS S5 FC coupes had the same exact suspension, except the Turbo, which got a heavier stabilizer bar. The heavier bar did not come on the GTUs.

See; bogus posts about the heavy duty suspension on the GTUs, is just one of the mistaken reasons people like to select it as their favorite. It was the same suspension as on the stripy base 89-90 GTU and Stripy base 91 coupe as well... but you don't see those people incorrectly bragging that they have a "Turbo II suspension".

The 86-87 Sport and 88 GTU had the true heavy duty suspension. The same suspension that the Turbo later came with (since it was on the 86 Sport year before the 87 Turbo was even made).

 

87 base model all the way babeeh!
Hrmm maybe I made this choice because i OWN one . Oh well...I love my base model and the factory spoiler it came with.

 

Yo,

From the GTUs brochure (Mazda Pt. #9999-92-4003-89):

"Special performance components, many of them shared with the RX-7 Turbo, contribute to a unique feel that sets this sports car apart. The specially tuned GTUs suspension delivers precise responsiveness and communication with the road."

Sport Compact Car (12/98):

"The later Turbos also had an aluminum hood, aluminum four piston calipers on the front, and stiffer springs, shocks and anti-roll bars. All the same performance goodies (except the turbocharger itself) were available on the GTUs, not to be confused with the more pedestrian standard GTU."

Road and Track (8/89):

"Once you've built up that head of steam and find the corner you thought was constant radius suddenly start to tighten, you'll be glad the GTUs has many of the Turbo's handling and braking mechanical pieces."

Mazda RX-7 Sports Car Color History (pg. 93)

"The new GTUs was almost, but not quite, the Turbo without the turbo. The GTUs shared suspension and brakes with the Turbo, but not that model's standard ABS."

Gee, sounds to me like the GTUs has some of the Turbo suspension pieces. If there are no differences between the "regular" and "turbo" suspension why do these professional automotive journalists keep pointing out that the GTUs has the "Turbo suspension"?

You say the 1986 Sport has the "true" heavy duty suspension (24mm front bar, 14mm rear bar), but then what is the GTUs suspension (24mm front bar, 14mm rear bar)?! Chopped liver it seems.

You might even be correct, you seem to know a lot about FC's. But I think your accusations of me making "bogus" posts and "bragging" about having a TII suspension...when everything I've ever read about my car points to the GTUs having the TII suspension...seems to be a bit far-fetched. I'm doing this why? To cook a poll?

I apologize that the GTUs is destroying all other NA models in the poll...even your beloved S4 Sport...but I'm sure with your constant anti-S5 rhetoric that you can turn it around.

Kevin
1989 GTUs "Moot point anyways, I'm running RB sways and Tokico Illuminas."

 

Go look up P/N... You'll see that the GTUs uses all the same suspension parts as all the other non AAS S5 coupes.

And all S5 coupes have the 24mm front bar. The turbo bar is just stiffer.

It was some marketing scam that a publicist said that the GTUs has many of the parts of the turbo suspension. While it did share the Springs and struts with the turbo (as did all the other non- AAS coupes), and of course the wheels, it was still all just marketing, to say it came with special suspension.

And no, I am not the least bit bothered by the GTUs winning a poll that 90% of the people that voted in have never drove 50% of the models in it.

But I have long term driven a 89 GTUs and a 88 GTU and a 87 Sport. So I know which one I like the best. but again, I bet 85% of the people who voted in this poll haven't even seen a GTUs.

And I am not knocking the GTUs, it was the most pure form of the RX-7 in the S5 cars. And would have been my choice hands down if I was buying a S5.

*edit... I should clairfy, so there are no missed understood info in my post, The long term driving of the three, I put 125000 miles on the Sport, 20000 miles on the GTU and about 3000 miles on the GTUs, but all I would consider long term VS a drive or two at the dealer or borrowing a buddies car

 

Icemark...its call market manipulation

 

I think this pretty much sums it up as of right now.. Seriously stock suspension isn't worth a damn today.

Ice said that most people that have voted have never driven a GTUs.. well I'll put in my 2 cents then.

I have driven Rarest's GTUs and my S4 Luxury as well. Differences?

With the GTUs I don't like the powersteering, IMO Mazda should have given the GTUs a manual steering rack, his car weighs more than mine but not by much.. on my invoice it lists my car at 2623.. I have probably taken off 50 lbs worth of stuff but you have to remember that figure is so low becasue of the 14in Aluminum featherweight wheels.. so by adding 16's I have added about 20lbs so I would say I am probably at 2600 flat. His car is faster.. I don't know if it's the VDI, lower milage, gearing or all of the above.. but when we "race" each other I pull right next to him until the 7K redline when I shift and then he pulls ahead after that.

His car is stiffer than mine and handles better.. but he also has DTSS removed, new poly bushings, new swaybars, a lower arm bar, new endlinks and MUCH better tires so it's hard to compare but my car does have more roll (I have the stock NA rollbars with stock endlinks) but it's not bad.. SERIOUS I out handle most cars on the road. His car is more rigid and has less rattles than mine.. I don't know how much noise my pillow ball mounts are making.. I have heard they are supposed to be really loud and make lots of pops and squeeks. I'm also not finished with my car.

What else? Well I have a sunroof that I LOVE and use all the time.. I have the Enkei spare and aluminum jack.. I know he has the Enkei spare but I don't know about the jack. He has the lower gearing so at 80mph he is a full 1K RPM higher than me, he has LSD and I don't.. serious thou.. I don't know how that really factors in because with his LSD it seems harder to corner than without.. his rear end wants to shoot out at all times while mine is more forgiving. Interior my s4 wins hands down becuase I don't have the stupid seatbelt tracks that I hit my head on in his car. He has better Seats thou. Oh.. while I have the 1 piston breaks he has the 4 piston.. I don't notice that much of a difference in stopping it's only with track days and break fade that his are really nice. Put it this way.. I have the parts for a swap and I have not done it yet becuase I would rather keep the rims I am running.

So what's the verdict? Damed if I know.. I was in 7th grade when my car was built and in 9th when his was.. I never had the chance to drive them stock off the factory line. I love his GTUs.. it's a sweet ride but my car isn't exactly crap. I love my car more but it's mine so I'm biased. I would probably say that the GTUs is the ultimate factory NA only because of the gearing and light weight factory meshies.. I prefer the looks of the S5 colored body molding but I like the interior of the S4 better so that's a toss up to me.

You know something odd that we noticed? His engine bay is clear coated so he has waxed it and it looks really nice.. mine isn't.. in fact my engine bay isn't the same color paint as my car is.. it's more of a gray than silver.. don't know if this is an s4 vs. s5 thang or what but I can't get the same bling factor he has no matter how much I wax my engine bay.

 

obviously the 88 gxl

 

87 GXL is my choice

 

^overweight, bloated (though not as bad as S5's)

I like chepo bases with good stuff bolted in!

 

hey I like my GXL, no need to rip on it. Its not even like half of this arguement makes a bit of damn sense anyways. 90% of the people on this forum have either re-done the suspension, removed weight, added weight by installing stereos and wheels or whatever, have ported and rebuilt engines, you name it. It doesn't really matter who weighed more or had more power than who 15 years ago. For all I know, you're GTUs could rip my GXL a new *******. And for all you know, my GXL could just as quickly do the same to any other model mentioned here.

 

So basically you are saying that the GXL is the best model as long as you convert it into a GTU?

What is so great about the GXL if you get rid of everything that defines the GXL?

 

nothing is great about it.. we just like defending our own cars. we just so happened to get a gxl.. besides my gxl is about as spartan as any other rx-7.. 2ndGen.rocket is right. power windows could be a good thing and it could be bad.. the adj susp. doesn't even work and there are no power locks... what's do different about it?