So I'm currently in a heated debate regarding the final FD to ever be produced. I have been accused of dreaming this all up in a magical hallucinogen induced fantasy land. Here is what I remember:

A picture from the side of the car of a silver colored, non-painted FD with gold mazdaspeed wheels and a caption or blog post something to the effect of:

"This was the last RX-7 ever produced. It was made with all aluminum body panels, the front fenders were 15mm wider than stock, and something something something, wake up you're dreaming "

This was in some FD blog that I can no longer find... google turns up nothing... the saved pictures I have are buried on some external hard drive someplace far far away if they still exist. Someone tell me I'm not crazy.

-Heath

 

I'm just making an educated guess, but I think you are going to lose your bet. I dont think Mazda produced such a vehicle as a production car.

 

I'm sure about that as well as the final FD's were all Spirit R's. Maybe the final FD was some executives little toy but the wider fenders and all aluminum fenders would cost too much to manufacture for one vehicle only.

 

Spirit-R RX7

 

Are you thinking of this car?



IIRC the B spec had aluminium front wings and was made in 2002.

 

Yeah I think that's the one but there's a picture of it not painted... raw finish. Mazda supposedly said, ok screw it... last one, throw aluminum in the dies, who cares. Somehow I recall it getting painted white, but maybe it was silver.

 

hot on the trail... this picture was after the terrible graphic "wrap" . The before picture features super lightweight aluminum goodness



someone here has to be more FD3S deep web than me.... This could be the same car as the b-spec above in various stages of finish. I spy the same mazdaspeed rear wing, lip, and wheels

 

I believe the wheels we're made by Desmond too....If I'm thinking of the right car.

 

Those are not the same 2 car in the photos. The white car has fog lamps, different front running lights, and is lower than the silver car. The white car appears to have a sunroof, and maybe a rear wiper (hard to tell for sure). It doesnt look like the white car has red seats either.

 

This is the 1999 "RX-7 MAZDASPEED AL. Concept" car which was displayed at the 2003 Tokyo Auto Salon.
From the 2003 TAS Mazda Press Release:

Refresh (based on used MAZDASPEED vehicles)
7. RX-7 MAZDASPEED AL. Concept
- A used Mazda RX-7 has been given a make over with aluminum front and rear fenders and doors. The concept vehicle has been reduced in weight and features MAZDASPEED aero parts.

Source: MAZDA:Backnumber | News Releases

 

Aluminium rear fenders basically = aluminium car. I think its more likely that that info is incorrect and just the front fenders are aluminium.

I guess technically you could cut the rear arch panel out of a stock car at the joints and glue in an aluminium rear arch panel, filling it to match the roof & sill, seems unlikely as its structural, though.

 

That will take way too much effort. I would believe it more if it aluminum front fenders and doors. The only reason i know that picture is an official mazdaspeed picture is because they did the same when showcasing the mazdaspeed rx8 when it first was released with the same background and style of picture. Though i do believe mazdaspeed doing this type of project but not mazda and not for a production car. If mazdaspeed did this, this shouldn't be too hard to find, just looking up mazdaspeed rx7's.

 

The very last FD was a titanium Spirit R Type A with a VIN of FD3S-607313....built on 26th August 2002.

The alloy FD you refer to had front/rear fenders and doors in aluminium, as well as the hood (bonnet).

It was an earlier car that was modified.

 

Yeah, that website is wrong.

607290 may well be #1500, but the Spirit R stainless plate in the engine bay was not allocated according to the order that the cars came off the line.

607290 was produced on 23rd August 2002.

 

Google is failing me, I want better pics. Interested to see how much is ally on this car . From that pic, the roof could be too, wonder what the final weight was.

 

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

So I was kinda right... these were the last pieces out of the FD dies at the factory. So ok the car was an older model but the panels were the last out of the molds before they were retired for good.

moar pics please~!

 

Happy to help.

Here it is all painted up. As above, note the seats and combo light treatment. It started life as a white 2002 Type R Bathurst. Note also the removal of the foglights....can't be considered a lightweight concept with extra weight options still on it, can it??!

 

Outstanding. Any weight figures?

 

Unless I'm mistaken every FD3S ever created had an aluminum hood. It's very possible the front fenders and doors were also made of aluminum, but as stated above by Ceylon it's very unlikely the rear fender/quarter panel was.

I'm curious though how you'd magically get a 15mm wider fenders from the die used to make the standard fenders?

 

Ceylon is wrong in this instance.

Yes, every FD had an aluminium hood.

This particular concept FD also had alloy doors, front guards and rear quarter panels. That's clearly stated in the pic that I posted.

 

I have a set of aluminum front fenders (guards, Aussiespeak) somewhere that were bought back from Japan. I'll go digging and see if I can show you guys.
IIRC they are stock, not wide or special other than the material.

 

I have that very car as the background on my computer at work. Theres also models of it for sale. I wish I knew it was the unicorn that was being searched for. The image I have though has a bunch of Japanese written on it. Probably all the information that you want to know. I'll see if I can find it....

this exact image except full size.
http://www.ecomodelismo.com/fd3s-rx-...UJI-18788.html