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Since Mazda's EPC came my way, I thought to gather some data regarding Spirit R Rx7s, and produce some statistics for general interest purposes. A while back, Gomez in Australia managed to gather in one database all information about the collectible rx7s, however, as expected, this database is not publicly available. Thus, I embarked on the tedious work of entering the data in excel format.
It seems that the first ever produced Rx7 SR had VIN number FD3S-604509 (9th of April 2002) and the last one had VIN number FD3S-607313 (26th August 2002).
Nice! I didn't realize the Spirit-R was pretty low production numbers.
I'm sure this is somewhere, but for the unenlightened what is the differences between Type-A, B, and C?
Dale
Stuff that is the same:
Gray Meter Cluster with logo, cluster surround/AC panel/shifter cover/door panel are a lighter gray than all other models, shifter and ebrake have red stitching, floor mats are black/gray checkered and have a red outline, sticker on the Left and Right fender, red non adjustable tower bar, aluminum plate with 1 of 1500 numbering on left side of firewall.
Stuff that is different:
TYPE A: Black floor carpet, Red Carbon Kevlar tilt recline Recaro Bucket Seats, Tach starts at 6 O'clock position, Aluminum passenger floor plate with half sized floor mat, rear cargo bins, gun metal 17" BBS wheels, 17" brakes with red caliper, cross drilled rotors, steel braided brake lines, Bilstien Shocks, 4.3 Diff, 280hp N3G1 Turbos and exhaust, manual trans, 1270kg.
TYPE B: Red floor carpet, Red leather seats*, Tach starts at 6 O'clock position, full sized floor mats, red rear seats, light silver 17" BBS wheels, 17" brakes with red caliper, cross drilled rotors, normal brake lines, Bilstien Shocks, 4.3 Diff, 280hp N3G1 Turbos and exhaust, manual trans, 1280kg.
TYPE C: Red floor carpet, Red leather seats*, Tach starts at 8 O'clock position, full sized floor mats, red rear seats, light silver 17" BBS wheels, 16" brakes with red caliper, normal rotors, normal brake lines, normal shocks, 3.9 Diff, 265hp N3C1 Turbos with N3G2 exhaust, and automatic trans, 1280kg.
* (Spirit R Type B &C Red Leather seats are identified by the black seat belt strap and controls, and side plastics, all other years and model types are fully red)
Apologies for bumping an old thread, but this came up as part of a Google search and I feel I need to correct it.
Originally Posted by laujesse
OP, thank you for compiling this data!
Stuff that is the same:
Gray Meter Cluster with logo, cluster surround/AC panel/shifter cover/door panel are a lighter gray than all other models, shifter and ebrake have red stitching, floor mats are black/gray checkered and have a red outline, sticker on the Left and Right fender, red non adjustable tower bar, aluminum plate with 1 of 1500 numbering on left side of firewall.
Stuff that is different:
TYPE A: Black floor carpet, Red Carbon Kevlar tilt recline Recaro Bucket Seats, Tach starts at 6 O'clock position, Aluminum passenger floor plate with half sized floor mat, rear cargo bins, gun metal 17" BBS wheels, 17" brakes with red caliper, cross drilled rotors, steel braided brake lines, Bilstien Shocks, 4.3 Diff, 280hp N3G1 Turbos and exhaust, manual trans, 1270kg.
TYPE B: Red floor carpet, Red leather seats*, Tach starts at 6 O'clock position, full sized floor mats, red rear seats, light silver 17" BBS wheels, 17" brakes with red caliper, cross drilled rotors, normal brake lines, Bilstien Shocks, 4.3 Diff, 280hp N3G1 Turbos and exhaust, manual trans, 1280kg.
TYPE C: Red floor carpet, Red leather seats*, Tach starts at 8 O'clock position, full sized floor mats, red rear seats, light silver 17" BBS wheels, 16" brakes with red caliper, normal rotors, normal brake lines, normal shocks, 3.9 Diff, 265hp N3C1 Turbos with N3G2 exhaust, and automatic trans, 1280kg.
* (Spirit R Type B &C Red Leather seats are identified by the black seat belt strap and controls, and side plastics, all other years and model types are fully red)
Spirit R Type B didn't come with normal brake lines, they came with the same braided brake lines just like Type A. This is actually noted in the brochure dot points in the above post. "Rigid stainless mesh brake hose"
The only differences between Type A and Type B are:
1. Wheel and wheel cap colour.
2. Passenger side foot rest.
3. Type A has a kneepad for the driver's right knee screwed into the door trim. Type B (and indeed all other series 8 models) have a kneepad for the left side only
4. Type A = black carpet; Type B = red carpet
5. Recaros + bins vs red leather 4 seats
That is all. They were the same price brand new.
Floor mats were an option at the time of purchase, not standard. Even now cars coming through auction can be very low km with no floor mats because they weren't purchased at the time of original sale.
Type C (like all series 8 autos) came standard with the arm rest console lid and no cigarette lighter. Type A and Type B came standard with the ashtray in that position.
Type C is 255ps not 265ps. All series 8 autos are 255ps. As an auto base, it also has only 1 oil cooler. Only the type RB manuals came with the 265ps combo.
Originally Posted by Carpe_Diem_7
So, the obvious question is: which numbers out of the 1500 were duplicated by Mazda?
Since the id tags are numbered 1 to 1500/1500, that essentially means four numbers have been duplicated? Or something else is going on?
Four vehicles were likely promo / test cars. There's a few photos of these around the web that were used for advertisements etc. Here is a Titanium Grey Type A used for an MPS ad. Interestingly the car has the optional silver BBS wheels from the version 6 Type RS (RZ style design that differs from the BBS RG-R featured on the Spirit R).
This was pretty much the only limited edition car Mazda stuck to the limit. They made 325 of the "175 limited" Type RZ and 650 of the "500 limited" Type R Bathurst R.
The id tags were not allocated sequentially. My Spirit R is no. 1414 of 1500 but the 66th last by VIN. Another Spirit R was made on the same day as mine - about 5 Spirit Rs later and is 1483 of 1500. Way off!
So, the obvious question is: which numbers out of the 1500 were duplicated by Mazda?
Since the id tags are numbered 1 to 1500/1500, that essentially means four numbers have been duplicated? Or something else is going on?
in addition to the promotional stuff, with the 3000/3000 30th anniversary miata, Mazda has one fall off the truck and get damaged, so they made another one. they actually fixed and resold the damaged one, so its 3001 of 3000
Most importantly this mean there are/were 1044 sets of the Recaros made. Who knows how many sets are left. Does anyone know how many of the rz Recaros were available?
Most importantly this mean there are/were 1044 sets of the Recaros made. Who knows how many sets are left. Does anyone know how many of the rz Recaros were available?
plus whatever went into the parts side, oh yeah and all the miata ones that get sold as Rx7 seats cause it is more $$
I’m just happy I was able to get a set.
I wonder if the serial number is catalogued? I know the seats come engraved with a serial # on them.
On another note, I have always seen spirit r’s in the typical grey or white. Now that I’ve seen the chart, I always wondered if they made any in red. Goes to prove, since it’s inception, vintage red was always offered.
Hold on, so this means that obtaining a VR spirit R type A is even more rare than owning an RZ?? Who would’ve thought!
Yes the red Spirit R is relatively rare. But Vintage Red was not made in high numbers full stop for the series 8, as the colour had been going for a LONG time and consumers were likely bored of it. Plus Mazda had introduced a whole bunch of new colours to drive sales, notably Innocent Blue Mica, which is the most common series 8 colour. Only 8% of ALL RX-7s from 99-02 were red.
The other factor is the Type B and Type C don't look very good with red exterior on red interior. I was very close to buying a Type B in red but one of the factors that held me back is it just looked **** with red exterior, bright red carpet and a earthier red leather seats. It looks kind of OK with the Type A black carpet and red recaros, but I much prefer the contrast of the red seats against non-red interior. This really just a matter of taste and there will be some people that would absolutely covet a red on red Spirit R. I know of an owner of one in Melbourne and he gets inundated with requests to buy his car.
Also, when talking about rarity, it depends on what level of granularity you want to adopt. There were 325 version 6 Type RZs made (yes, Mazda made 150 more than they said publicly), but there were only 244 version 6 Type RS in Innocent Blue Mica - and only 92 in red. I don't think people regard this as a rare combo, but it is. There were only 36 silver version 6 Type Rs made - technically that is even rarer than owning a red Spirit R Type A - but I don't think that ultimately means much in the grand scheme of things.
Originally Posted by cr-rex
Most importantly this mean there are/were 1044 sets of the Recaros made. Who knows how many sets are left. Does anyone know how many of the rz Recaros were available?
There is more than one style of Type RZ Recaro. There are the red Type RZ Recaro in the version 6 RZ that look very similar to Spirit R but with a different style exposed carbon kevlar back, then there are the black Type RZ Recaros which evolved all the way back to the original Mazda M21020 prototype in 1992 (shown below)!! This was then used in the Aussie RX-7 SP:
Personally, I don't get the fuss about the Recaros. Many people I know who have owned the Type A or RZ didn't find them particularly comfortable and I know a lot of Japanese owners swapped them out - and the side bolsters wear so easily. The fact Mazda sold 420 of the Type B when it was exactly the same price as the Type A says a lot in my view. The Type A was promoted as the flagship and is still regarded that way in the fandom, but any one of those 420 original buyers could have bought a Type A at the same price, and yet didn't. I have also noticed the Type Bs are more likely to be unmodified second hand, which suggests perhaps that it was more likely to attract a particular kind of owner. I might be in the minority, but I always preferred the Type B to Type A, so I guess I have something in common with the 1/3 of Spirit R buyers who preferred the Type B over Type A
Yes the red Spirit R is relatively rare. But Vintage Red was not made in high numbers full stop for the series 8, as the colour had been going for a LONG time and consumers were likely bored of it. Plus Mazda had introduced a whole bunch of new colours to drive sales, notably Innocent Blue Mica, which is the most common series 8 colour. Only 8% of ALL RX-7s from 99-02 were red.
The other factor is the Type B and Type C don't look very good with red exterior on red interior. I was very close to buying a Type B in red but one of the factors that held me back is it just looked **** with red exterior, bright red carpet and a earthier red leather seats. It looks kind of OK with the Type A black carpet and red recaros, but I much prefer the contrast of the red seats against non-red interior. This really just a matter of taste and there will be some people that would absolutely covet a red on red Spirit R. I know of an owner of one in Melbourne and he gets inundated with requests to buy his car.
Also, when talking about rarity, it depends on what level of granularity you want to adopt. There were 325 version 6 Type RZs made (yes, Mazda made 150 more than they said publicly), but there were only 244 version 6 Type RS in Innocent Blue Mica - and only 92 in red. I don't think people regard this as a rare combo, but it is. There were only 36 silver version 6 Type Rs made - technically that is even rarer than owning a red Spirit R Type A - but I don't think that ultimately means much in the grand scheme of things.
There is more than one style of Type RZ Recaro. There are the red Type RZ Recaro in the version 6 RZ that look very similar to Spirit R but with a different style exposed carbon kevlar back, then there are the black Type RZ Recaros which evolved all the way back to the original Mazda M21020 prototype in 1992 (shown below)!! This was then used in the Aussie RX-7 SP:
Personally, I don't get the fuss about the Recaros. Many people I know who have owned the Type A or RZ didn't find them particularly comfortable and I know a lot of Japanese owners swapped them out - and the side bolsters wear so easily. The fact Mazda sold 420 of the Type B when it was exactly the same price as the Type A says a lot in my view. The Type A was promoted as the flagship and is still regarded that way in the fandom, but any one of those 420 original buyers could have bought a Type A at the same price, and yet didn't. I have also noticed the Type Bs are more likely to be unmodified second hand, which suggests perhaps that it was more likely to attract a particular kind of owner. I might be in the minority, but I always preferred the Type B to Type A, so I guess I have something in common with the 1/3 of Spirit R buyers who preferred the Type B over Type A
Indeed, everyone has their own taste. Which is why I got the black RZ Recaros for my car. I find the red on red interior way too much. Leaving the interior completely black is perfect.
As for the seats, having the black leather in a high performance vehicle such as the RX7 is a no go. The car is basically a little oven. Seeing as how the majority of us take our cars out in nice weather, the interior gets cooked. Especially if you’re still running stock twins. That was the biggest difference I noticed when I went single turbo. Those stock twins basically negate running the interior cabin fan for anything other than heat dissipation from the engine bay. The first time I was able to run with the single turbo was a revelation! Who knew the cold setting in the vehicle actually worked when you don’t run the a/c.
Besides not having your body stick to a leather surface, running the Recaros gives you more interior room. Not that I ever needed it since I’m basically average Japanese height and the FD fits me like a glove. The weight savings is a big plus over the leather seats. You don’t realize it until you install the Recaros. Those damn leather seats weigh a ton! You also gain some headroom. Added bonus for those needing to wear a helmet on track days. .
As for the wearing of the sides, that goes for any seat in any vehicle. Which is why I made sure to get the side sleeves to protect that side of the seat whenever I do drive it.
I basically do this for any of my cars. Having a worn out driver seat really hurts the overall outlook of any vehicle.
I absolutely love the Recaros. I think having a semi exclusive seat made for the vehicle is an added bonus.
Do you know which kevlar pattern goes with which series?
Sorry, I think I confused myself with this one. I think the version 6 RZ and Spirit R Type A red recaros are the same. It's the earlier RZ that differ - the kevlar is less gold and more matte - I don't believe it has the gloss clear coat the later Recaros have.
The only difference i have been able to spot is the lack of tilt rails. Otherwise they are as far as i can see identical in every way.
EDIT:
I was looking for something else in the JDM EPC tonight and thought i should check this up.
The part numbers for the actual Roadster RS-LTD and RX-7 RS/RZ/Bat/Sp-R Recaro kevlar shells are identical: F104-88-6H0 for the right side seats and *6J0 for the left side seats.
So, the only difference between the seats are the rails. The Roadster ones bolt straight to slide rails, while the RX-7 ones have a tilt option between the rails and seat.
The only difference i have been able to spot is the lack of tilt rails. Otherwise they are as far as i can see identical in every way.
EDIT:
I was looking for something else in the JDM EPC tonight and thought i should check this up.
The part numbers for the actual Roadster RS-LTD and RX-7 RS/RZ/Bat/Sp-R Recaro kevlar shells are identical: F104-88-6H0 for the right side seats and *6J0 for the left side seats.
So, the only difference between the seats are the rails. The Roadster ones bolt straight to slide rails, while the RX-7 ones have a tilt option between the rails and seat.
So many resourceful people!
I wish I kept the pics of the numbers I saw engraved on the seat. They’re practically impossible to view once you bolt them into the car. However, those numbers do vaguely seem familiar.
The only difference i have been able to spot is the lack of tilt rails. Otherwise they are as far as i can see identical in every way.
EDIT:
I was looking for something else in the JDM EPC tonight and thought i should check this up.
The part numbers for the actual Roadster RS-LTD and RX-7 RS/RZ/Bat/Sp-R Recaro kevlar shells are identical: F104-88-6H0 for the right side seats and *6J0 for the left side seats.
So, the only difference between the seats are the rails. The Roadster ones bolt straight to slide rails, while the RX-7 ones have a tilt option between the rails and seat.
^THIS IS WRONG INFORMATION!!
STOP SPREADING FALSE INFORMATION PEOPLE! I have owned in the past RS Miata kevlar seats, RZ 1995 FD kevlar seat and Spirit R seats. Part numbers ARE DIFFERENT. There is a relevant thread somewhere where I have put pictures as well to document it! Also, Spirit R kevlar seats have the manufucture day printed on them, so if the seats have been constructed from Spring 2002 onwards they are defo Spirit R seats!
^THIS IS WRONG INFORMATION!!
STOP SPREADING FALSE INFORMATION PEOPLE! I have owned in the past RS Miata kevlar seats, RZ 1995 FD kevlar seat and Spirit R seats. Part numbers ARE DIFFERENT. There is a relevant thread somewhere where I have put pictures as well to document it! Also, Spirit R kevlar seats have the manufucture day printed on them, so if the seats have been constructed from Spring 2002 onwards they are defo Spirit R seats!
Then you have to come here and tell that to the EPC…
i am talking about the seat shell, not the seat assembly. The assembly is different due to the different rails.
Here are the screenshots from the EPC. The first is a Spirit-R VIN, referenced under as Spirit-R and TYPE-RZ. The second is from a Roadster RS Ltd VIN, referenced as RS-LTD under the part number.
As you can see, the part numbers is identical for the seat shells, and thus the seats are identical except the rail configuration. My set or RS-LTD seats have a sticker on them saying "März 93" suggesting they where manufactured in by Recaro in Germany.
07-25-19, 04:40 PM
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