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| Magazine Features - Mazda RX7 (Snake bite) |
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Snakeskin vinyl bonnet, lime
pearl paint and diamond
-encrusted wheels - this
outrageous Jap import RX-7
is anything but a shrinking
violet.
Featured in Japanese Performance Magazine. (September 2005 - Issue 56) |
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| Magazine Feature | Vehicle Specifcation |
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 At the risk of sounding like our kangaroo-down-tying, magic marker-wielding Aussie friend, Rolf Harris, can you tell what it is yet? From dead front-on, knowing exactly which car you’re looking at is not an easy task. You know something’s wildly different, but it’s difficult to put a finger on it.
Yes, it’s a Mazda RX-7, but not as we know it. If you’re familiar with third-gen Mazda RX-7s, it’s pretty obvious that the pop-up lights have gone, but don’t those new lights look mighty familiar? At the risk of upsetting any Rex enthusiasts, who would never fit anything but Mazda bits to their cars, I’ll tell you. Those lamp units used to grace the front end of a seventh-gen Toyota Celica. Pretty good fit, aren’t they?
This revolutionary Mazda came to our attention when the two Pauls – Greenhalgh and Westwell – who run AIS Imports told us that something special was arriving on the boat from Japan. It’s not special because the rotary engine is tuned to absurd heights, but because this beast turns heads like no other ‘7’. In fact, if AIS doesn’t take off that sunstrip soon, compensation claims for tweaked necks, chiropractic work and walking-into-things injuries could inundate their mailbox. It was certainly fun following Paul Westwell on our way to take action photos, rubber-necking the rubber-neckers falling over themselves to get a better view! |
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As this spectacular machine is so fresh from Japan, information on what exactly has been done to the car is sketchy, so let’s cover what we know. Paul W spotted the car during one of his late-night Internet forays, searching for interesting cars that might be suitable for sale over here. AIS has been importing cars for about five years now, bringing in lots of Scoobies, Evos and a few large 4x4s, too. The guys also handled a few RX-7s so, when Paul saw this one marked as ‘Auction Grade One Modified’, it caught his eye.
Auction grading runs from one to five, with five being absolutely top condition and no defects, and one generally being the bottom of the barrel. The anomaly comes when a car that is heavily modified gets sent to the auctions. Because it isn’t standard, it’s stuck in Grade One, along with less desirable metal. But, if you know your auctions, a Grade One Modified listing can hide buried treasure – and that was certainly the case here. |
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