Not many car manufacturers are as determined as Mazda to go a different direction than everybody else. The company was founded in 1920, not as a car-making enterprise, but as a synthetic cork manufacturing firm. What has kept the Hiroshima-based company afloat all these years is the determination to be different and the best?
Mazda has always been unafraid of pushing the boundaries when building new models, resulting in some of the best automobiles in the world. The sports cars featured here demonstrate clearly how this Japanese carmaker has managed to consistently punch above the waves in the all-time competitive auto market.
10 Mazda Cosmo
The Cosmo is one of the most revolutionary cars in automotive history and brought Mazda into the limelight. The rear-wheel-drive coupe was introduced in 1967, and it is just as iconic today as they were then. The first two generations were sold until 1975 and featured rakish looks to appeal.
Under the hood of this elegant coupe hid the first-ever Wankel rotary engine to power a Mazda. The 1.0-liter twin-rotor engine capable of 110 horsepower was the real reason behind Cosmo’s rise to fame. It was also rare and expensive.
9 Mazda R360 Coupe
The R360 is one of the most iconic Mazda models ever made — a game-changer in automotive history. It was the first-ever Mazda passenger car and featured many additions absent in many Japanese passenger cars; innovative technology was at the center stage of this 1960 coupe.
While competitor models came with two-stroke engines, Mazda equipped the R360 with a four-stroke engine capable of 16 horsepower. The company used a good amount of magnesium alloy when building this coupe to reduce its weight. Its attractive design and affordable price tag made the R360 a huge hit.
8 Mazda 787B
While it is not among the biggest global auto manufacturers, Mazda is one of the most successful car-making companies. The company has notable track victories, but none puts it on the map like the 1991 24 Hours of Le Mans. Britain’s Johnny Herbert took the checkered flag driving the four-rotor-engined Mazda 787B.
It was a historic victory. The 787B was the first non-piston-engined car to win a Le Mans race. The 787B was the first car from a Japanese brand to win at the Le Mans, a record that stayed unbroken until a Toyota did it in 2018.
7 Mazda Autozam AZ-1
The Autozam AZ-1 was a mid-engine two-door coupe with a rear-wheel-drive system. While originally built to be a practical commuter car, the Autozam AZ-1 was more of a sports car than a commuter. It was powered by a three-cylinder engine with 63 horsepower and weighed only 1587 lbs.
To make it even more stylish, Mazda added an enhanced version called Mazdaspeed. This model came with a limited-slip differential, upgraded suspension, and a more streamlined body. The Autozam AZ-1 was like the Honda NSX for those who couldn’t afford the more popular Honda supercars.
6 Mazda 323 GTR
The Mazda 323 GTR is the Toyota Yaris GR of the 1990s, a small yet powerful automobile with rally car DNA. The 323 GTR was made to homologate a race car. It was powered by a revamped version of Mazda’s B-series engine enhanced with stronger pistons and con-rods, front-mount intercooler, and larger injections.
These upgrades created room for the installation of a larger turbocharger, producing 208hp and 184lb-ft of torque. Mazda utilized a five-speed manual transmission to send that power to all four wheels.
5 Mazda RX-8
The RX-8 is the latest and probably the last Mazda to come with a rotary engine – although rumor has it, the 2022 Mazda MX-30 will feature a rotary engine as a range extender. While it wasn’t the most perfectly built Mazdas of all time, the RX-8 has more plus sides than negatives. For starters, the car was quite fun to drive with its joyful, sweet-sounding, high-revving 1.3-liter two-rotor engine.
The RX-8 was built on a well-balanced chassis and had a steering system that sent back exceptional feedback. To add to the thrill, this four-door coupe with seating space for four came with a stylishly beautiful outward appearance that made the RX-8 pretty famous.
4 Mazda RX-7
The predecessor to the RX-8, the RX-7, is widely considered Mazda’s signature car – the model that set the benchmark for Mazda’s future performance vehicles. The car was produced across three generations and sold over 800,000 units. With a production run between 1978 and 1992, the RX-7 was Mazda’s first mass-produced car and the bestselling car with the rotary engine.
The first-generation RX-7 was terrific. It perfectly combined iconic design and smart coupe styling to deliver an iconic car. Its driving dynamics and excellent handling were also factors for the RX-7 success.
3 Mazda RX-3
The RX-3 was based on the Mazda 808, also sold as Grand Familia in other countries. It was the sportier option with the rotary instead of the standard four-cylinder engine. The car was offered as a coupe, sedan, or wagon, and it was smaller than the RX-2. Although it was powered by the RX-2’s 12A two-rotor engine in some countries, it was originally powered by the smaller 10A two-rotor engine.
Like every other Mazda car with rotary engines, the RX-3 was built for the race track, and it was used extensively on the track and bagged very many victories.
2 Mazda MX-5
Before Mazda launched the MX-5 in 1989, no one was seen driving a beautiful roadster unless they were rich. The MX-5 introduced an affordable way to drive a two-door roadster, and Mazda got its formula so right that the car is as inspirational today as it was in its first years.
Mazda sold over a million units within a production span of four generations between 1989 and 2016 — making the MX-5 the bestselling roaster in the world today. The world is a better place with the Mazda MX-5.
1 Mazdaspeed6
For two years, 2006 and 2007, Mazda offered a special version of its midsize sedan, the Mazda 6, and it wasn’t just a unique trim with an upgraded paint job; it was a true performance car. The car was marketed as Mazdaspeed6 in North America and came with a turbocharged 2.3-liter four-cylinder in place of the standard Mazda6 engines. The turbocharged powerplant produced 274 horsepower.
Mazda utilized an all-wheel-drive system that could route up to half the engine’s torque to the rear wheels. It featured a six-speed manual transmission and had a unique styling all-around.