Starting the New Year R1ght!
Hope you all had a Happy New Year! I spent it sick with a cold, which while a bit of a buzzkill, it gave me an opportunity to spend even more time browsing the auctions. Even though it’s winter time, hibernation doesn’t seem to be a thing and plenty of options abound.
So, let’s kick off 2026 with a GOOD one: a 1993 Mazda RX-7 R1!
This spectacular example of one of Japans greats is currently live on Cars&Bids! And while most of us spend our winters dreaming of sports cars in warmer months, you have an opportunity to snag one right now.
Such a gorgeous car. There are no bad angles on a third generation RX-7
The third generation RX-7 (known as “FD3S”) belongs with the Toyota Supra, Nissan Skyline, and Honda/Acura NSX on the Mount Rushmore of 1990s Japanese cars.
These are terrific sports cars. Exceptionally well balanced with super handling out of the box, they’re also powered by the funkiness that is the 1.3L Wankel rotary engine. That little spin cycle of a motor never really caught on, but pairing it with the RX-7 is iconic in its own right.
What makes this particular RX-7 especially appealing is that it’s an R1. The R1 was an optional package that took an already deft sports car and turned things up a notch. Ticking the box when new added upgraded an extra oil cooler, stiffer springs and shocks, a front lip spoiler and rear wing, ditched the leather seats for cloth, and added some stickier Pirelli tires.
Oh, and it also removed the cruise control, because long distance tourer this ain’t.
Hmmm could we consider this an RX-7 GT3? I certainly think so!
A cluster full of easy to read and informative gauges that are every bit as iconic as Porsches. Check out that 8000 RPM redline 180mph speedometer!
R1 package aside, the rest of the car is superb. Finished in Vintage Red, with a mere 38,600 miles this car looks amazing inside and out and just begs to be driven more.
The seller notes that the original springs have been replaced by some Eibach units and the car received a few other mods like a cat-back exhaust and front and rear sway bars. A turbo timer is also installed.
It’s a small engine, but a mighty one. That 1.3L Rotary is good for 255hp and a sub five second 0-60.
Turbo timer, Eibach, cat-back exhaust…..all words that just belong with a 90s Japanese sports car. Take me back!
The only glaring negative I see is the ad notes the tires have date codes from 2014. C’mon seller, you can sort that out for around 800 bucks with some Yokohama Advan all-seasons. Then you can send your new buyer on their way without sending them in to a ditch due to the hockey pucks they currently ride on.
(Or, yes the buyer can do that too)
“Life is Too Short to Drive Boring Cars”. I agree company slogan, I agree. And this RX-7 R1 is certainly NOT boring!
Either way that’s a minor thing for what appears to be a great car. It’s certainly one of the 90s Japanese icons and with the R1 package it’s even better. I would absolutely love to own this, and I suspect you would too.
At time of writing, it’s sitting at $35,000 and I bet has a long way to go. What says you? $50,000? More?