Mazda RX-7 FD Type RZ
The Type RZ was a performance-focused RX-7 FD variant combining weight reduction with specialised chassis and interior equipment. Its specification changed during the generation.
Position in the RX-7 range
The Type RZ belongs within the third-generation RX-7 (FD). It is a variant designation used at different points in that generation, so an early RZ and the October 2000 edition should not be treated as having identical specifications.
Mazda introduced the FD in Japan in December 1991 as the Anfini RX-7. Its underlying engineering combined a compact two-rotor engine, sequential twin turbocharging, a front-midship layout and aluminium double-wishbone suspension. Weight reduction was central to the generation’s development. The RZ applied that emphasis through more specialised equipment. Mazda corporate history.
Earlier Type RZ versions
Toyota’s GAZOO historical catalogue records an October 1992 Type RZ limited to 300 cars, based on the Type R. Changes included larger-capacity dampers, reinforced engine and differential mountings, Pirelli P-Zero tyres and a final-drive ratio changed from 4.100 to 4.300. Recaro carbon full-bucket seats and removal of the rear seats contributed to an approximately 30 kg weight reduction.
That catalogue identifies the 1992 RZ as a two-seat, three-door, rear-wheel-drive car with a five-speed manual transmission and 1,308 cc rotary engine. It also lists Type RZ grades in March 1995 and January 1996, both retaining the two-seat layout and manual transmission. These entries establish that the designation predates the 2000 special edition; they do not establish uninterrupted production or a complete total for all RZ versions. GAZOO Anfini RX-7 catalogue.
The October 2000 limited edition
Mazda announced the later RZ on 18 October 2000, with sales beginning that day through Mazda Anfini dealerships in Japan. Based on the Type RS, it used the sequential twin-turbo 13B-REW rotary engine, rated at 206 kW (280 PS), and a five-speed manual gearbox.
Equipment included red Recaro full-bucket seats, Bilstein dampers, gunmetal-coloured BBS aluminium wheels, a red-stitched Nardi steering wheel and Snow White Pearl Mica paint. Mazda described it as approximately 10 kg lighter than the RS.
The release announced a sales allocation of 175 cars. This is an announced edition size, not independently verified completed production. The launch date is a calendar date, not evidence of a separate export model year or the precise factory build period. Mazda’s contemporary announcement.
Historical significance and specification boundaries
Read together, the catalogue and contemporary announcement show how Mazda reused the RZ designation for a more focused interpretation of the FD: reducing weight and changing the driver’s seating and chassis equipment while retaining the generation’s rotary-engine architecture. This is a synthesis of those records, rather than a claim that every RZ shared one equipment package.
The documented earlier and later versions have different base grades and different quoted weight reductions. Their figures should therefore remain attached to their respective dates. The sources cited here do not establish a complete RZ assembly chronology, an RZ-specific factory location or a verified lifetime production total.
For the wider family, see the Mazda RX-7. Other separately catalogued FD variants include the Type R and Spirit R Type A.
Sources and image credit
- Mazda Motor Corporation: contemporary Type RZ announcement, 18 October 2000.
- Toyota GAZOO: Anfini RX-7 historical catalogue, including October 1992, March 1995 and January 1996 entries.
- Mazda Motor Corporation: corporate and product history, 1990–1999.
- Calreyn88: photograph identified as a 1992 Mazda RX-7 RZ, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
