FWIW I know for a fact FD's are the same width and wheel base as a 986.

 

[QUOTE=Redbul;12630681]QUOTE]
The Roma is chunkier by a factor of 3 compared to the FD.

 

Local Mazda Dealer here had his personal Roma in his Mazda showroom. Well a halo car, is a halo car.

He might have caused some excitement if he put RX-7 badging on it.

 

 

The Most Beautiful Japanese Car Was Inspired By Italy and Penned in America

 

Wu Huang Chin is a model employee for letting his boss Tom Matano take the credit.

But credit is due to Wu Huang Chin for the exterior and interior design of the FD RX-7 and his Jaguar XKE for inspiration.

Thank you Tom Matano for approving and working with your design team to refine the design and bring it to market.

 

https://www.roadandtrack.com/car-cul...mazda-rx-7-fd/

Chin’s RX-7
“I have a 95 FD and consider it the highlight of my car design career and an opportunity to be cherished. More than anything I'm more humbled nowadays as I realize that even though the design theme came from me, it really was a team effort as so many people worked together to bring it to fruition and I am truly honored to have been part of it.”

 

One of these came up for auction in Japan a while back. Backstory was that it had been purchased by Mazda in the 1960's and was held in their design studio.

 

Also google: "Strother MacMinn Lemans Coupe"

https://www.undiscoveredclassics.com...-lemans-coupe/

Matano studied under Struther MacMinn.



.

 

I had the pleasure of attending a seminar hosted by Norman Garrett at my university a few years ago. He was one of the concept engineers behind the Miata and did some drive line layout/packaging on the FC(I think the FD also but dont remember 100%). It was really interesting hearing him talk about all the design considerations that went into the car and how they ended up with the now iconic design as well as the process of getting the whole project approved by Mazda Japan. He shared a lot of really cool photos, everything from the design studio, to the test mules and proto cars.

 

Get a bigger wing and it all works out

 

love that

 

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes-Benz_300_SLR
its the last of the Silver Arrows. the 1937 Grand Prix cars were doing 190mph on the straights, and set lap records that stood until the 1970's(!)
Mercedes had a dyno facility that could simulate the whole race. Auto Union didn't so they had to use an onboard datalogger, which i believe is the first, in 1939

 

Feeling nostalgic today going through some old pictures


Referentially only the GT4 has survived and has only grown to dwarf the FD even more










Honda had the right direction with the AP1/AP2






and nothing revolutionary in praising how well Honda nailed it on the NA1




There have been times when I have felt excessive and overweight, too

Next to a stripped down Sevens Only

 

Coupe Roots...................

 

So cool seeing a car on the factory 3 spokes

 

Guess who has the only other known set.

 

Crazy to think that they're that rare.

 

They appear in the first options catalogue (Fall, 1991), so you would think more of them made it to the market. Should try a google reverse image search?

Matano, himself, confirmed that my set are the only other set he knows about, besides his.

My set had sat, NIB, in some owner's garage in Ontario for a long time.

(Come to think of it I should have saved the boxes.)

 

It really is weird to think about, especially since MS-03s aren't crazy rare either, along with all the other period 3 spokes. I wonder if they just weren't pushed all that hard at the dealers, or if there was some other reason leading to their unpopularity.

 

FD is about the same size as the s2000.

the wrx looks massive compared to it

 

 

Even the old American “Sports” Cars dwarfed the FD. Mine next to some classics.