Mazda RX-7 Second Generation (FC)
The FC transformed the RX-7 into a more refined rotary sports car. Introduced in Japan in October 1985, it combined redesigned bodywork with independent rear suspension and offered coupe and convertible bodies.
Identity and production
The FC is the second generation of the Mazda RX-7, succeeding the original SA22C generation. Mazda introduced the fully redesigned Savanna RX-7 in Japan in October 1985. This is a calendar-year launch date, not a universal export model-year designation. Mazda’s introduction account.
Assembly was in Hiroshima, Japan. The generation’s production span is generally given as 1985–1992 when the convertible is included: coupe production ended in 1991, while convertible production continued into 1992. These body-specific boundaries explain why histories also describe the FC as a 1985–1991 generation. Exact final production months are not asserted here. Supplementary assembly and production overview.
Development and design
Mazda developed the FC around a more mature interpretation of the sports car, combining performance with comfort and improved perceived quality. Its engineers explicitly sought to challenge Porsche. The result moved the RX-7 upmarket while retaining rotary power as its defining feature. Mazda’s development retrospective.
Mazda’s Japanese history describes fuller bodywork with pronounced wheel arches and fewer projecting surfaces. Compared with its predecessor, the new car was wider and taller but slightly shorter. Mazda’s FC design history.
Rotary power and chassis
The FC retained front-midship engine placement and rear-wheel drive. Front struts were paired with independent semi-trailing-arm rear suspension, replacing the original generation’s live rear axle. Rear toe-control hubs helped govern cornering behaviour. Mazda’s engineering history.
Mazda identifies the system as DTSS, or Dynamic Tracking Suspension System. The 1.3-litre 13B became the engine family across FC markets, but aspiration and output varied. Mazda’s European retrospective records an initial naturally aspirated 150 PS version followed by turbocharged versions rated at 180 PS and later 200 PS. These European figures should not be assigned to Japanese or North American cars. Mazda’s market and engineering overview.
Japanese range development
Mazda records the following developments within the FC generation:
- October 1985: The Japanese FC3S launched with an intercooled, twin-scroll turbocharged 13B rated at 185 PS net.
- August 1986: Limited ∞ (Anfini) two-seat editions began.
- August 1987: A two-seat cabriolet joined the range, offering closed, targa-style and fully open roof configurations.
- 1989: A revision brought engine and turbocharger changes, a 205 PS Japanese output rating and round rear-lamp elements.
These are Japanese calendar-year milestones. The cabriolet is a body style, Anfini identifies particular editions, and the 1989 revision remains part of the FC generation. Mazda’s Japanese chronology.
Place in RX-7 history
The FC broadened the RX-7’s character through greater refinement, a more sophisticated chassis and an open-body derivative. It forms the middle chapter between the original compact sports car and the later FD’s renewed emphasis on weight reduction and performance. Mazda dates the FD’s Japanese launch to 1991; its British retrospective describes the successor’s arrival in 1992, illustrating the importance of market context. Mazda’s generation comparison and British retrospective.
For the complete family chronology, see Mazda RX-7.
Sources and image credit
- Mazda: The Savanna RX-7 Part 2 — second and third generations
- Mazda: FC/13B development history, 1985–1991 (Japanese)
- Mazda UK: 100 years of Mazda — The Mazda RX-7
- Wikipedia: supplementary assembly and body-specific production chronology
- Wikimedia Commons: Mazda RX-7 FC photograph, authorship and CC BY-SA 3.0 licence
