Cars

Mazda RX-7 is powered by angry, spinning Doritos

The legendary rotary-powered Mazda RX-7s earned a place in the hearts of enthusiasts and plenty of room in the history books, and they deserve a comeback tour.

Kyle Hyatt

Kyle Hyatt (he/him/his) hails originally from the Pacific Northwest, but has long called Los Angeles home. He's had a lifelong obsession with cars and motorcycles (both old and new).

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Kyle Hyatt

April 17, 2020 2:30 a.m. PT

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Mazda's RX-7 has been blowing minds (and apex seals) since the late 1970s.

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Mazda hasn't produced a rotary-powered car since 2012, when it discontinued the RX-8.

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There's just something about the otherworldly smoothness of the engine, paired with the wild and buzzy exhaust that gets its hooks in you.

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The three generations of RX-7 are very different from one another, but they all share a similar feel and motivation.

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The third-generation car was a 300-horsepower, twin-turbo sports coupe that still looks modern today.

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The first-generation car was tiny and wedge-shaped and offered outsize performance for its little footprint.

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The second-generation RX-7 was so clearly a child of the 1980s that its owners manual should have come in a Caboodle with a pair of rotor-print leg warmers.