The RX-7 (FD)has always been one of my favorite cars - but I’ve never driven one.



I’m in my 20’s and make a solid salary, though I’m hoping to be in an excellent position to buy one in the coming years. I would want to be a homeowner and have a garage to keep it, as well as have disposable income for maintenance, etc. I’m all aboard for maintaining and living the lifestyle of a rotary - wouldn’t mind working on it, etc. While I could technically afford one right now from a financial perspective, it isn’t really a smart decision - but I still want to experience an RX-7 and know for sure if it’s the car for me.



Now that these cars are older, It’s not like the 90’s were there would be new/used ones readily accessible for test driving.



So, how can someone in my position get behind the wheel of one? Or even get a chance to work on one and see its quirks? I know Turo could be an option to maybe rent one for a couple hours but I haven’t been able to see anyone listing their car for rent - no surprise there, I’m sure most owners are incredibly protective and nervous even driving their own car, let alone letting a stranger drive it. Though, I’m in a financial position to be able to pay a steep fee to drive/experience one and see if it’s for me and whether or not I’d want to commit to owning one in the coming years. Wondering if this is a good idea or even realistic?



Would it be more logical to maybe get into an FC and experience my first rotary that way?

 

Some say (including Mazda) that driving a Miata has a similar feel to driving the FD.

 

interesting… I sat in a new Miata 6-speed on display and it was very intuitive and driver focused from an interior design perspective - I was impressed.

 

Meanwhile, select any of the POV driving videos on this thread.

https://www.rx7club.com/3rd-gen-gene...149774/page15/

 

 

the ND/ current Miata actually does feel a lot like the FD, the seating position, being able to see the tops of the fenders, etc are all the same
the ND does not shove you in the back the same way, but its actually almost as fast as a stock FD

 

oh yeah I’ve seen many of those, including maintenance videos, etc. I’d still love to like do a ride along in one or maybe even drive it so see how it feels. Playing Forza Horizon with the cockpit view is the closest I have got lol

 

FD feels unique in a couple of ways.

You sit deep down inside this tiny form fitting interior and somehow have amazing visibility from all sides and back.

A miata with hardtop lacks this visibility and top down feels completely different (out in the open vs safely cocooned in a snug interior like FD).

Driving dynamics- feels pretty good for an old mazda. Newer miatas and rx8 have better driving dynamics in my opinion since that became Mazdas focus.

Power delivery is also unique. Love it and hate it, the sequential turbo rotary feels like nothing else.

The ability of modifications to amplify the character of the FD, both positive or negative is unprecedented.

Besides the sequential turbo system- easy to work on.

 

Meanwhile I've owned a FD going on 7 years and have still never driven one lol

 

I would guess, without any proof, that most owners spend more time sitting looking at their FD, than sitting in it driving.

Once you have driven an FD, you can sit anywhere and remember the feeling.

For me, the feeling goes back 45 years, a weird combination of driving my 1953 Fargo three speed and ripping through the Rocky Mountains in an RX3.

 

It's always a good idea to drive a car you are considering before buying it. You might hate driving it or not fit in it very well.

 

Make friends with people in the local rotary club; once they know you they might be more likely to let you have a go

 

I agree you might find someone willing to give you a ride or let you drive if you get to know local owners. I've let a few friends or acquaintances drive my car at autocross events, it's a pretty safe place to get the feel for a car like this. A mosty-stock FD isn't very competitive, though, I'm usually slower than half of the cars out there.

The interior is a very snug fit compared to most other cars, even Miatas. If you're tall or heavy compared to 1990s Japanese body types, be prepared that you might not fit. And it's very low, at 20-something you will probably be OK but if you've got back or knee problems it might be painful to get in and out of.

 

If it’s any consolation, I never drove mine either before purchasing.

With the exception of getting a pity ride from the dealer when I first saw it. I kept seeing the mag advertisements. When my old man took our 626 in for service, I finally saw her in the flesh. Never forget that day. Brand new sitting in the showroom beside a 323 and another 626.
The sales guy must’ve been bored or he actually took pity on me and asked if I wanted to go for a ride. They had 1 for test driving. I couldn’t drive of course since I was 15 or so. That test drive put me on the straight and narrow path of obtaining one as soon as I could afford it. Never felt a vehicle perform so close to a race car for the street.

4yrs later, I picked up my 94. Haven’t stopped the adventures since..

 

I've owned mine for nearly 2 years and haven't driven it yet. ****, I've never driven a rotary, or even ridden in one. It's almost done though and I should be driving it next month! If I don't like it, I'd just sell it. But I'm a miata nut and have 3 of those, so I honestly can't see not liking it. We'll see!

I also bought my 323gtx without driving one. ****, most cars I've bought without driving them! If you like it, and have done your research on it, I say go for it. You can always re-sell it if you don't enjoy it.

 

heh. I'd only been on a ride along in an FD before mine as well... only difference is mine was also the first time I'd been in a RHD car as well! Luckily I actually prefer it for my toy cars now; feels more natural to me.

 

Frankly, I am reluctant to let anyone else drive my car because:

1. I am afraid they will inadvertently break some interior plastics by, say, actually leaning on the armrests;
2. Several times I have let others drive my car who thought it was normal to red-line the 25 year old car on every shift; and,
3. My car is RHD, and LHD drivers tend to drift across the middle line unconsiously. when driving it.

 

I also dealt with the same thing, having never driven or been in an FD before buying one. However, I've had a few C6 Corvettes and I always thought the car kinda feels like a small Corvette with a really cool sounding and feeling engine in it. They definitely don't give a bad driving experience, IMO. Depending on where you are in the midwest, maybe I could take you for a spin in mine before you decide to pull the trigger.

 

Where are you located?

 

I have seen many sets of FD seats removed from cars where the drivers seat is quite worn, but the passenger seat is near mint.

So I suspect FD drivers are somewhat reluctant to even have passengers in their cars, or otherwise prefer to be alone, when carving up those mountain canyons.

 

Or no one wants to ride with them due to scary driving or anti social behavior

 

It really isn’t a vehicle you can ride along with your better half. Women don’t care how old the car is. They care whether it has a cup holder, lit up vanity mirror and if the seats come with heaters. Not to mention every time they get in and out they manage to scratch the scuff plates. I get that their name implies they’ll get scuffed, but in reality it’s almost impossible to scratch them. Unless you use it as an actual stepping place. It’s not even the shoes that cause it, 9 times out of 10 it’s their luggage of a purse they haul around.

While I had the stock leather seats in very good condition, the driver side was starting to show some wear. The passenger side was practically new. Thankfully I managed to find a set of RZ seats before they got crazy expensive. The previous owner must’ve come to the same conclusion because our driver side was completely brand new. While the lower edge closer to the door was starting to show a tear and the side bolster was showing some threads too on our passenger side. Found a local automotive reupholster shop. Seat looks completely brand new again.

 

I would be shocked if anyone was renting an FD out on turo or another rental service, they're too sensitive to neglect/abuse and fragile inside. Go to some local car shows and see if you can find any FD owners willing to give you a ride in it at least. I've never driven an FC, but I've been told the FD is a big upgrade from the FC, owning one would probably only inform you of whether you like Wankel engines or not.

I had only ridden in an FD when I bought mine in 2024, the ride did help to reinforce that I wanted to buy one but I didn't buy the FD for an unrivaled driving experience, and that's my biggest piece of input on deciding. I bought it because I was sure I wanted an FD, I think this is a car you have to specifically want for reasons beyond the driving experience itself, especially objective measures. For the same cost, you can pretty easily pick a better objective example just about any characteristic a sports car has; chassis (i.e. 987 Cayman S), performance (i.e. C6 Z06), interior quality (most european cars), durability (just about anything ), I think the FD is a car you have to subjectively want. I agree with the Corvette comparison. I've haven't pushed my FD's handling yet, but my general street driving impression of the FD feels similar to Corvettes. It's low, wide, and has a stiff chassis and ride and quick steering. The most unexpected thing about driving an FD to me was the feel of the engine, even having seen dyno graphs the abundance of low end and mid range torque was the biggest surprise. I'm used to turbo lag, the FD has very little, and makes a lot of torque down low, it feels closer to a NA V8 than a turbo 4 or 6.

 

@varg Referring to the sequential turbo set-up, I presume.

 

I bought my FD used from a local dealer - they let me test drive it a bit.

Rx7club is a good start - see if there is a local chapter of rotary owners and start attending lapping days and track classes.