Slideshow: Imagine Track Day in this LS1 Powered RX-7
Everyone loves an LS even if they don’t realize it and the owner of this RX7 is no exception. Here’s a look into a build so clean you could eat your sushi and burgers off the hood.
Mazda Classic
Mazda’s RX7 is quickly becoming a classic. Since it’s always been a JDM hot rod that tuners seek to modify to go fast, it is only fitting that this one finds a chevy power plant under the hood. Gone is the rotary that once spun up the wheels in place of something a little bit more torquey: 8 cylinders of earth moving goodness.
>>Join the conversation about the LS1 RX-7 track monster right here.
German Cameo
Not to be overshadowed by the Japanese and Americans, the Germans had to make an appearance in the form of Ohlins coilovers which aid greatly in keeping the R1R Toyo tires in close contact with the ground. Unsprung weight is reduced via a classic variation of the TE37. Classic design cues like this help the car retain a truly Japanese look.
>>Join the conversation about the LS1 RX-7 track monster right here.
Weighing your Options
To the uninitiated, these swaps seem controversial, which is to largely miss the point. Weighing in the 2,800-to-3,000lb range, it makes a lot of sense why the owner chucked out the old two-rotor in favor of the cam in block bruiser. Mated to a T56 transmission, the horsepower and torque of a stock LS in the lightweight body of the FD are enough to weaponize the JDM icon.
>>Join the conversation about the LS1 RX-7 track monster right here.
Can’t Knock the Hustle
Regardless of what's under the hood, there is something that should be admired about this build and that is the owner’s dedication to tracking the car and driving it in the manner Mazda intended it to be. No hard parker here. This is one FD3S that gets flogged regularly. For this reason, the swap makes even more sense. Reliable repetitive lap times are just as important as dyno numbers and tire compound.
>>Join the conversation about the LS1 RX-7 track monster right here.
Don’t get Caught Up
With the plethora of builds on the internet now, it’s easy to sit back in your armchair and critique what you would do differently to this Rx7. But we have to acknowledge it is a well done and clean build that does exactly what it was meant to do. Not to mention the track time. This 7 ticks all the boxes and leaves us wondering just how fun a track day would be in this snarling Japanese monster. If I had to guess I’d say it would leave anyone grinning ear to ear!
>>Join the conversation about the LS1 RX-7 track monster right here.
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