^Carol, you really need to get into another FD..... pronto

 

Probably an M3 or Porsche

 

Agreed. Definitely very affordable. Most of the modified ones you see up for sale are well done so buying a modded one actually is a good idea. I wouldn't suggest buying without some form of forced induction. They're also incredibly easy to own and enjoy. I've been having a blast with my elise. Sure the elise isn't as fast as my FD but it is more enjoyable at lower speeds. Best beater ever.

 

What about a BMW Z4 coup?

Maybe with the M package?

 

Since my wreck, I've been debating about what to replace my car with.

I've thought about a Z4 coupe, a new Miata, a Lotus, or a number of other options.

I can find similar to better performance, and other types of cars can be fun, but I keep coming back to the fact that nothing looks quite as good as an FD RX7. I used to find myself just staring at the curves of the car, and every time I consider something else, I'm almost turned off by the ugly shapes.

 

That's the thing: as a package, the FD is so hard to beat: styling, tech, performance, uniqueness. I'm intrigued by the C8 Corvette - it looks like it has a lot going for it. But in two years, they'll be *everywhere*. So much for unique. The other issue is I really want a manual transmission. Track days will be few and far between for me, so I want to enjoy the driving experience on public roads. I don't need 5 msec PDK gear changes. Maybe the Cayman?

 

Would never get rid of my FD but the new 718 GT4 would be my first choice. Small, light, great handling, power, manual trans, looks good.

 

I'll be selling mine to get a 2022 Corvette depending on how that car shakes out by then.

 

After recently owning and driving some of the JDM "Legend" cars I will say that I would choose my FD over my NSX and R32.

NSX
-----
Good:
- steering is sharper and more precise than the FD
- gets much more attention than the FD
- low maintenance (it's a Honda)

Bad:
- not as balanced as the FD.
- not as rewarding to drive or as fun in the twisties
- Interior is tiny and extremely tight
- no soul and feels very bland


R32 GTS-t (not GTR)
------------------------------
Good:
- large interior (very roomy)
- makes a glorious noise

Cons:
- Some pieces are very expensive because of "GTR tax"
- Noticeable front end push from the big RB20
- stock suspension arms offer limited adjustability


It's hard to explain but my FD is just more of an experience than my NSX or R32. When I get everything right, I feel like I'm part of my FD. It's something that I can't explain. I don't get that in the other two.

 

With the NSX how was it power-wise compared to the FD? I know that's always been one of the downsides with the NSX, it makes OK power but it's pretty much strung out power-wise unless you want to get exotic with superchargers/turbos. Typical NA bolt-ons don't make that much more power.

I've been for a ride in an NSX, never driven one though.

Dale

 

Agree. Without a supercharger, the NSX's don't really have much power. They handle great and have a nice interior, though. The FD is still my favorite car of all time.

 

My FD has about 400whp now and weights around 2700lbs so it's a rocket ship and doesn't compare my naturally aspirated NSX in a straight line.

The NSX by itself has plenty of power. Mine has headers, test pipes, and an exhaust so it's probably pushing around 240whp from the 3L C30A. The V6 is a completely different animal than the high strung four cylinder B and K motors (although I haven't driven a K24 swapped car yet). There is plenty of torque in the lower rev range. On the highway, I can keep it in 5th and have no problem speeding up to pass people. The real magic for spirited driving is the transmission's gearing and how Honda paired it to the engine's power band. Second gear is very long and you'll be going ~130km/h (~82mph) before you reach the 8200rpm fuel cut. This always keeps you in the power band on twisty roads with plenty of room to run. In the FD, I am almost always in third because it keeps me in the power band (second is mostly useless) but I sometimes drop out. During autocross, I find the FD's gearing is mismatched for really tight areas (at least with my single turbo setup) and I have frequently wished for 10-15km more in second gear.

With the same driver and a proper setup I feel my 400whp FD would have a hard time getting away from my 240whp NSX on a very twisty road. But as soon as they'd come to even a little straight stretch, the FD would be gone in the blink of an eye.

All these people saying that the NSX needs 100 more hp are foolish. They are mostly car reviewers that have driven the car for 1-2 hours on a track and not fully experienced it. The power of the NSX is very well paired with it's gearing and perfectly suited to the chassis. It does not need more power.

 

I'd look at getting a 2002 Nissan Silvia Spec-R, as they are being imported into Canada now. RHD would be a nuisance, but I mostly drive my FD out to country roads, away from traffic.

 

Good choice, but if you're looking to spend about 1/2 the $100K required for a new GT4 would suggest anyone consider a used 981 Cayman S or GTS. Awesome cars to drive, handle great, sound great. Closest thing to an FD I've found for reasonable dollars.

 

I'd probably get a C6 Corvette or ND Miata since there's too much congestion to really use the power of the 'vette - or the FD for that matter... Alternatively, an Aston Martin DB* or a Maserati if I like how they drive.

 

100% agree on city life sucking the fun out of a high power car. Much more happy doing my evening FD drives now that I live in the county.

The NB2 Miata I had for a while was fun anywhere and any time. No stress.

It would probably be an ND or NC Miata for me as well. Cheap, great driving feel, and can kick *** in STR trim at the local autocross with minimal time and $$ investment.

 

If I had to give up my RX7 then I'd look at a Lotus Evora or Emira, the exige is too small, OR I might build a GT40 replica.
I'd also quite like an Aston Martin Vantage V8 or a Jag F-type R, though these are really GT cars, not sports cars.

 

No FD here, but for the price they are going and seeing the engineering on a new vette cut away (full car) at a race. No way I would pic an FD over a new vette. Peace.

 

Here's my shortlist of lightweight somewhat affordable driver's cars, though it is not very short anymore.

S2000 (tested)*
E30 (tested)*
190E 2.3-16V*
981 cayman
ZD8 BRZ (tested)*
RX8
AW11 MR2*
Alfa Giulietta Spider*
Lotus Elan (S2?)*
FD RX-7 (tested)
Miata (tested)
AE86
NSX
early air-cooled 911 (tested 911sc)
240SX (tested)
944/968 (tested)

If there's one thing I could change about the FD, it would be to make it more responsive. There is a rubberiness to the controls that has been engineered out of more modern sports cars, and I wish there was some way to combine the uncompromised design of a 90s car like the FD, with the engineering and driving characteristics of a more modern car. Performance upgrades like coilovers, larger wheels, and big brakes get you part of the way there, but a lot of the precision feel comes from the stiffness that is baked into the chassis, so there is only so much you can do with a 30 year old design. I recently had a new BRZ for 24 hours and was blown away with how it performed on a backroad. There are things about it that disqualify it for me as a long term keeper, but it has me looking at newer cars in a different light, and I'm thinking about trying to pick up an RX-8 as a second car.

 

If only there were ways to stiffen the FD...

 

Worked for independent Honda / Acura and then later a dealer for some time. Drove na1 and na2 and considered buying na2 before covid. K swap is seriously sacrilegious. Crazy what people say and do these days...

E39 m5 was a great all around daily and grocery getting vehicle. I also think the could Rx8 appeal to a post-FD owner depending on what they're looking for and is a little gem that most enthusiasts generally sleep on imo in its' own right.

 

i had a regular 190E 2.6 for a while. it has some potential. its very quiet inside, its really on par with modern cars here. it rides really well too. its very soft, so it moves around a lot, but handling is still quite good.

the bad part is the drive train, which the 2.3-16v hopefully would fix. the engine makes no power anywhere, its CIS injection which sucks. the Mercedes automatic is unfathomably bad, its a 4 speed, and its starts in second, and then there is no overdrive, so its either bogging or revving sky high. it just makes no sense, why have a 4 speed and then only use 3? the manual trans Mercedes i've driven have been worse...

oh and its got the Mercedes quality, so you need the sticker that says "the parts falling off of this car were made with pride in West Germany"

that being said though the car is not some giant land yacht, and its got this everyman quality, you can take it anywhere and its welcome. if i did another it would get a Rotary (i've seen it) or one of the bigger Mercedes engines, the M103 came in a 3 liter, and that would literally bolt right in

 

That's funny, I had a regular 190E 2.6 as well. It was basically like an S-class in a smaller package in terms of the quality and the way it rode. The multi-link rear suspension was a work of art, and Mercedes spent more developing that alone than some manufacturers spend on an entire model.

I still have a special place in my heart for Mercedes, as the quality and depth of engineering is on a different level, and is something you have to experience first hand to understand. The Euro 190E 2.3-16Vs were much sportier than the ones we got over here, as they were lighter and had higher compression more powerful engines. That said, there is a lot of luxury baked into even the Cosworth models, and it would take a lot of work to get the steering and shift action in particular to not feel like a bus. Personally, I like my Mercedes full grandma spec automatic, and wouldn't mind wafting along in a carved-from-granite piece of German engineering, a W123...

 

Miata Club or GR86 are about the only two that don't cost an arm and a baby's leg. New anyway.

 

the 2022 ND Clubs have been sold out for months, and you'd need to wait until the 2023's which is September.

that being said the club just adds the option to have the Brembo front calipers and Recaro seats (in the US), so if the GT seats work, then that would be the exact same thing.