https://www.thecarwreckers.com.au/New vs Used: 1979 Mazda RX-7 vs Mazda MX-5 1.5 GT
It’s not going to appeal to V8-loving muscle car fans, but when it comes to learning the art of pure driving there’s no better car than the latest Mazda ND MX-5.
Either engine is fine, but if you really want to take it to extremes, the softer, less grippy 1.5-litre car is the one to go for.
Copious body roll and weight transfer, and the need to keep the sweet 96kW/150Nm four-pot on the boil, means it demands to be driven with real precision to get the best out of it, recalling a driving style from another era. But if you want an old-school driving experience, why not just go retro in the first place?
Either engine is fine, but if you really want to take it to extremes, the softer, less grippy 1.5-litre car is the one to go for.
Copious body roll and weight transfer, and the need to keep the sweet 96kW/150Nm four-pot on the boil, means it demands to be driven with real precision to get the best out of it, recalling a driving style from another era. But if you want an old-school driving experience, why not just go retro in the first place?
| SPECS | 1979 Mazda RX-7 | Mazda MX-5 1.5 GT |
| Engine | 1146cc twin-rotor | 1496cc inline-4, DOHC, 16v |
| Power | 77kW @ 6000rpm | 96kW @ 7000rpm |
| Torque | 147Nm @ 4000rpm | 150Nm @ 4800rpm |
| Weight | 1070kg | 1009kg |
| 0-100km/h | 9.50sec (est) | 7.50sec (tested) |
| Price | $14,850 (new) | $37,990 |
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The first-generation Mazda RX-7 also benefitted from a rev-happy, small displacement engine feeding the rear wheels through a manual gearbox, while the near-perfectly distributed (51:49 front: rear) 1070kg kerb weight ensured razor-sharp handling by the standards of the day.
Of course, the RX-7’s USP was Mazda’s signature rotary engine, the tiny 1146cc displacement belying its on-road flexibility. A 0-100km/h time of slightly less than 10 seconds isn’t going to knock anyone’s socks off these days – the MX-5 is around two seconds quicker to the tonne – but period road tests were full of praise for the fizzy 12A, stating that its uncanny smoothness and thirst for revs had the 7000rpm change-up buzzer chiming at every opportunity.
Allan Moffatt proved the RX-7’s effectiveness on track by securing the 1983 Australian Touring Car Championship and early RX-7s are still competitive racers to this day.
The rotary engine’s shortcomings are well-known, but buy the right car (see below) and there’s no reason why a well-cared-for RX-7 won’t provide a relatively painless classic car ownership experience.
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