tphan

Before I go loud mouth off...were the FDs considered race car off show room floor?

The R1 & R2 probably were but how about the PEP and basic model?

TIA

Natey

iTrader: (19)

No, they were/are street cars. the FD, MR2 turbo, 300ZX TT, and the 3000GT were all made around the same time to compete with each other...for sales.

There sure were a few nice race cars made out of them though. RE-Amemiya's comes to mind first.

fastcarfreak

They weren't technically race cars off the show room floor, but they were absolutely great cars for competing in various racing events (autox, road racing)

Adam

DaiOni

NO

closest would be the australian SP version - which was made specifically for homologation - but even then, there are significant differences between the showroom and race cars

JConn2299

They weren't off the showroom floor race cars but the Peter Farrell cars were the closest thing to a factory race car I remember seeing. Reportedly he worked with Mazda engineers in designing and building the blue and white cars. There were 2 or 3 of them and they were high profile in a number of SCCA races when the FD first came out.

RE-Amemiya

+1, i would have to agree!

scotty305

iTrader: (2)

The RX-7 is a sports car. From dictionary.com:
1. An automobile equipped for racing, especially an aerodynamically shaped one-passenger or two-passenger vehicle having a low center of gravity and steering and suspension designed for precise control at high speeds.

2. a small low car with a high-powered engine; usually seats two persons



True race cars don't have anything that's not needed to finish first: no air conditioning, carpet, stereos or emissions-controls devices such as catalytic converters. Windows are removed or replaced with lightweight material. Seats are non-adjustable, with little padding. Because crashes happen more often and at higher speeds, they also include roll cages and multi-point safety harnesses, among other things. You wouldn't want to drive a true race car anywhere except for a race track.

-s-

mono4lamar

iTrader: (32)

why would you want to run your mouth? i try to downplay my car as much as possible so i can get races and acually try to re-coop some money. as already stated true race cars dont have ac radios or other things for that matter...

carbon man

In Australia Mazda did race the FD as a production car for 3 years before they built the SP. The FD's only had minor changes like shocks, springs, roll cages, seats, seat belts,brake pads, tyres and fuel tank filler. The ECU was free and the early cars ran Haltech (with telemetry) and then factory Mazda Race ECU's. We used a standard FD to bed brake rotors and Gary Walden was almost as fast in the standard FD (no roll cage) at Oran Park as the race car, so the race cars were not hotties but they still won races.

FDNewbie

iTrader: (10)

Yep...the first 100 FDs (by VIN) were reserved for corporate use, show, or race. One of the silver ones Peter (still) owns is #22. I've seen it w/ my own eyes...

Julian

iTrader: (14)

FD's were popular in IMSA road racing when they came out in the US and Farrell preped and raced the factory cars. All these cars were built as street cars and modified per rule allowances. Pretty much stock interior save safty equipment.

tphan

So the Porsche Cayman S a factory race car?

saburo

iTrader: (1)

Just call it a race car anyway. Compared to the normal crap driving the roads, its an F1 machine. haha

carbon man

my 2 cents worth,
A race car is a any motor vehicle that is raced against another motor vehicle.
I am just a serious about winning when I am working on a production car or a open wheeler.
I think the RX7 fd makes a good race car.

JConn2299

I remember seeing two at Lime Rock in the early '90's. The interiors were gutted --but they certainly weren't tube frame racers or anything. The standard unibody structure was there, and as you would expect, a roll cage had been added. The outside was virtually pure stock RX-7. I liked those cars because they were so close to what you would see on the road.

adamtassell

That is why I love the production car series races, it's just like you've driven your (somewhat modified) car down to the track and started racing, it is great to watch.

BMike

I think it depends a lot on how you look at it. I'd have to strongly believe that mazda built the car with every intention of not only being a halo car on the showroom floor, but as a flag bearer for their motorsports ambitions, which at the time of its design were quite strong. At the time they were strongly building into homologation specials such as the 323 GTR and GTAe, the latter of which being about as showroom race car as they come. Certainly they were good cars off the show room floor, but they're not really reliable in racing without modifications from stock (cooling being the primary issue).