Mazda Efini FD3s RX-7. The car fits into the "Pure Sports" category in Japan. The RX-7 has never competed with Grand Tourers like the GT-R, Supra or 3000-GT in the past. However in many situations the FD3s RX-7 is a bit of a giant killer.
In it's mountain environment where people can really enjoy pushing a car and feeling the road, The FD3s excels and can easily topple the best that other Japanese makers car throw at it. The design pushes the wheels right to each corner of the chassis, with limited overhang for best configuration and the designer states the target was always 1250kg.
Layout is FR (front engine rear wheel drive) prefferred as a real "driver's car" rewarding the driver inputs rather than computer inputs. (later models have a little more of the latter) 50:50 weight distribution is a feature of the great handling of this machine.
The FD Rx7 is now over 20 years old and there has been numerous changes to the basic showroom supplied models over those years. There have also been more than a few special versions that have sat beside the stockers on the showroom floor, notably the RZ variants. However the best probably was the last in the Spirit R Type A. A true representation of the refinement of the car over a long production run.
Whether you have an FD3s already and want to know a bit more about it's origins or you are looking to buy one. I hope this reference can give you a bit more info than your regular model listing.
Check through the old archives and your trace the FD history from the first FD3s Efini version in1991 to the final Spirit R in 2002. One thing that remained relatively the same was the 13B REW, increasing in reliability and power over time from 255ps to around 315ps. However this is easily tunable by removing restrictive exhaust and intercooling.
The engine is the heart of the car and just as the Rotary is synonymous with Mazda, the twin-turbo rotary with the FD3s Rx7. Basically rotary engines have less moving parts therefore leading to less vibration. The result is a smoother engine that operates in a very linear way right from idle to redline.
The Twin Turbo System is sequential in operation and both are of slightly different size. A small valve swaps the turbo's from front to back during operation so the linear power is slightly interrupted in favour of a bigger amount of power in the top end. The result is fast spooling of the first for great low down pull and after the swap a big punch from the second turbo pulls to redline.
There has been six relatively distinct changes that result in version differentiation. Some more minor than others and within those versions the range of models varied quite dramatically in Japan. While overseas models were void of the automatic transmission and usually laiden with leather and optional extras, you could buy a cheap stripped out version or a more expensive luxury spec version in the Japanese Domestic Market, which may have included mechanical, visual or optional enhancements.
All were just a customised tick away on the option sheet, so determining the actual version of FD3s can become difficult at times when the version and type separations can be overridden by the options listing. Whether a Type R is a Type S with extras or a Touring X has the features of an Rz is all posible somewhere during the FD life cycle. But I am glad its complicated. It would be pretty boring if there were just one version.
| Release Date | Description Units Sold | Catalog Image | |
| 1991/12 | FD3s Version Efini Rx-7 |  | Link Options |
| 1992/10 | FD3s Version I Efini Rx-7 Type Rz Special Edition 300 |  | Link |
| 1993/08 | FD3s Version II Efini Rx-7 |  | Link |
| 1993/10 | FD3s Version II Efini Rx-7 Type RII Rz Special Edition 150 Units |  | Link |
| 1994/09 | FD3s Version II Efini Rx-7 Type RII Bathurst Limited Edition 350 Units | Link | |
| 1995/03 | FD3s Version II Efini Rx-7 Type R Bathurst Limited Edition500 Units |  | Link |
| 1995/03 | FD3s Version SP Rx7 Australian Version 25 initial run 10 extra run |  | Link |
| 1995/03 | FD3s Version III Efini Rx-7 |  | Link |
| 1995/07 | FD3s Version III Efini Rx-7 Type R Bathurst X Special Edition 777 Units |  | Link |
| 1996/01 | FD3s Version IV Efini Rx-7 |  | Link |
| 1997/01 | FD3s Version IV Efini Rx-7 Type RB Bathurst X Special Edition 700 Units |  | Link |
| 1997/10 | FD3s Version IV Efini Rx-7 Type RS-R 500 Units |  | Link |
| 1998/01 | FD3s Version IV - Efini Rx-7 |  | Link |
| 1998/12 | FD3s Version V - Rx-7 |  | Link |
| 2000/10 | FD3s Version V Rx-7 Type Rz Special Edition 175 Units Reported 330 |  | Link |
| 2000/09 | FD3s Version VI Rx-7 |  | Link |
| 2001/08 | FD3s Version VI Rx-7 Type R Bathurst R (RR) Special Edition 500 Units |  | Link |
| 2002/03 | FD3s Version VI Rx-7 Spirt R Final Production Run Special Edition 1500 Units |  | Link |
| 2002/03 | FD3s Version VI - RX7 Type R BBS Limited Edition |  50 Units | Link |
| 2002/04 | Production End. Sold in Japanese dealers until 2003. |
Vehicle identification.
Total Production 811,634.
VIN Numbers are defined in two numbers defining Model and Chassis
The plate is divided into two areas.
"E-FD3S" for Efini-RX7 Versions or until 1998
"GF-FD3S" for RX7 versions after 1999
+
FD3S-000000
FD3S - 40XXXX models in Japan are Version IV models and have a 16 bit ECU.
1991 - 1995 ERX-7 FD3S-1/2/300000
1996 - 1998 RX-7 FD3S-400000
1999 - 2002 RX-7 FD3S-5/600000
All FD3S are referred to as 3rd Generation Rx7s
VIN Ranges are using the JM1FD structure
Australian Market
FD3s are commonly referred to as Series 6, 7 or 8 continuing the line from
VIN Ranges
1991 - 1995 "Series 6" RX-7 FD3S-1/2/300000
1996 - 1998 "Series 7" RX-7 FD3S-400000
These models cannot be imported from Japan.
UK Market
1992~1995
I believe post Jan 1997 RX-7's cannot currently be imported to the UK, due to E-SVA introduced April 2004, Before then limited numbers of later cars were imported and s.
For the Record.
My cars were both JDM -
RE-Xtreme Version I - "E-FD3S / FD3S-203108"
RE-Xtreme Version II -"E-FD3S / FD3S-400998"
RE-Xtreme Version III -"GF-FD3S / FD3S-505716"
Promotional release videos from 1991.
Thank you to the person who uploaded these. They are amazing, beautifully shot and informative videos from Mazda. If you car speak Japanese, you can understand a lot, but not all. Basically, the FD was designed to be agile and fun to drive, beautiful to look at, fast and safe at speed. Some self imposed limits helped make the car the best in it's class at the time.
Promotional Video Pt 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 shot in France.
Developer/Engineer's Video Part 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Click on the links for more info on any of the above models. Some of them might surprise you. Not all are the all out ball tearers you may think. Others have a true heritage and others become common. So whatever model you have or choose, enjoy it knowing its true origin.
Russ
