1985 Mazda RX-7 GSL

By the late 1970s, cheap sports cars were a dying breed. The quirky roadsters of the 1950s and '60s were struggling to adapt to a new era of safety and emissions standards they were never designed to meet, saddled with lowered compression, stopgap emissions systems, and hastily tacked-on 5-mph impac … t bumpers that did nothing for aesthetics or weight. The Datsun 240Z was a brief shining light earlier in the decade, but by 1978, it had morphed into the overweight, decidedly less-focused 280ZX. When the first-series SA RX-7 (named for the first two letters of its VIN tag) arrived on the scene in 1978 as a '79 model, it was an instant success, unlike the rotary-powered coupes that came before it: the pretty Cosmo 110 (MTC, November/December 2005) and the ungainly RX-3. Using a two-rotor version of Dr. Felix Wankel's rotary engine, the RX-7's 1.1-liter mill (designated 12A) produced 100 hp and 105 lb-ft of torque. That was enough to push its 2350 pounds to 60 mph in less than 10 seconds, acceptable for the day. The engine was extremely light and compact, allowing it to be mounted behind the front axle, which contributed to the 50/50 weight distribution. Moreover, the rotary engine was so uniquely smooth as it spun up, an electric buzzer was installed to warn drivers of blasting straight through the 7000-rpm redline. The RX-7's chassis was heavily based on the RX-3's. MacPherson struts and coil springs kept things simple and compact up front, while the rear live axle was located via Watts link. While not the most sophisticated setup, the arrangement kept the RX-7 cheap and endowed it with lively handling and a bit of rear-axle hop under certain conditions. A disc/drum combination was fitted front/rear, and a four-speed manual gearbox came standard. (A five-speed manual or three-speed auto were optional.) Big changes came for the 1981 model year, when the car went into its second series as the FB. The bumpers that previo