This Mazda RX-7’s rotary engine is so insane that it sounds exactly like a Formula One car.
Or maybe more accurately a Le Mans car, since the engine is actually from a Mazda Le Mans racer.
The Hoonigans have posted yet another fabulous in-depth car video where they take a look at a radical ride and then have it do a few burnouts at their Los Angeles studio. Which is less a studio and more of a drift park.
Today’s vehicle comes courtesy of David Mazzei of Birmingham, Alabama. He wanted to make a bonker Mazda RX-7 because he just absolutely loved the sound of their rotary engines. Sadly, Mazda doesn’t really use rotary engines anymore due to their poor fuel economy and not being really any better than a typical cylinder-based engine, but that didn’t stop the old Mazda rotaries from gaining legendary status among car enthusiasts.
The first thing you’ll notice on Mazzei’s ride is the absolutely enormous Garrett turbocharger that’s hanging out the front of the hood. After that, you’ll likely notice the gold plating that encircles the turbo inlet. David got that done custom to more accurately reflect the sound of the Mazda 727B Le Mans racer and not because it looked cool or anything.
In fact, this engine shares a lot with the Mazda 727B. The 2.6-L rotary engine is the exact same one as found in the Le Mans car, with four rotors spinning instead of the RX-7’s customary two. This is due to the fact the 727B’s engine is mostly just two RX-7 engines stapled together and driving the same driveshaft.
The 727B made 900 horsepower from its engine, but this RX-7 makes 1,000 hp. Normally. The power was necessarily dialed down for the Hoonigans video due to a recent accident that shattered the car’s transmission. In this video, it’s running on a stock 5-speed manual that’s designed to handle a mere 273 hp and not the 1,000 that it could make with a little extra boost.
There’s a lot going on in this car (not the least of which is the most complicated cooling setup we’ve ever seen), so check out the video above to learn more.