Mazda:
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MAZDA INTRODUCTION:

Although Mazda's origins date back to 1920 in Japan, it wasn't until the 1970's when they began selling vehicles in North America. Mazda prides itself on car design, understanding the essentials to craft a unique personality and strong visual identity for each of its vehicles. In terms of performance, the RX-7 is Mazda's brightest star (followed by the Roadster/Miata model) - and the company hopes to duplicate its success with the 2001 Mazda RX-8.

MAZDA RX-7 TYPE RZ:

In the nine years since its debut in October 1991, the third-generation RX-7, FD3S has already reached the stage of maturity. Major changes including the conversion to 280 hp implemented in December 1998 in particular were quite major advances, so its driving has been considerably refined.

However, a sports car that ceases to evolve loses its raison d'être. In October 2000, the RX-7 underwent further product improvements in order to achieve even further maturity. And then, it was revived as a Spartan sports model called the "RZ," albeit in a special limited edition of only 175 units.

In fact, the revival had been planned at the time of the conversion to 280 hp, but circumstances caused the RZ project to be put off and finally see the light of day only after a later review.

The RZ models formerly in the lineup had been hardcore Spartan models through and through. However, simply because the current RZ is based on the FD3S, which has been refined over time, it has been finished into a model that incorporates a directness, which is more refined than in the past. Content-wise, it has been slimmed down by 10 kg compared to the Type RS, and given special accessories. On the exterior, the body color is a special Snow White Pearl Mica matched with special gunmetal BBS aluminum wheels. On the mechanical side, it is given custom Bilstein shock absorbers. The interior starts with red Recaro full bucket seats, along with a driver's seat kneepad, a passenger's seat aluminum footrest board, custom Nardi steering wheel with red stitching, genuine leather custom shift knob and parking lever boot red stitching.

In addition, the current product improvements included many fine improvements to the normal, and these were naturally adopted in this RZ also. A check valve was added to the power steering, thus relaxing the transmission of vibration from the steering wheel while leaving the bountiful information intact, thus giving a steering feel with a smoother impression. In addition, by adopting an electronic brake force distribution (EBD) scheme, braking control was improved.

In addition, the damping force of the shock absorbers was revised in the normal models, and as a result, the quality was improved in all RX-7 models.

MAZDA MIATA 1.8 RS:

The Miata 1.8 RS is the sports model offering the best performance among the second generation of Miatas that were unveiled in January 1998. The Miata offers a choice of two powerplants, a 1.8-liter unit and a 1.6-liter, but naturally the RS comes with the 1.8, mated to an Aisin 6-speed manual transmission. This transmission is a close-radio type with the five gear ratios allocated linearly, thus increasing the enjoyment of Miata-like rhythmical driving. The suspension is a combination of RS custom Bilstein shock absorbers and special reinforced springs, and the tires are 195/50R15 Michelin SX-GT's.

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MAZDA'S GT3 LINEUP:

Mazda is blessed with some of the best all-around cars in the game, both in their stock and well-tuned forms.

	1 - '98 RX-7 Type RS Drivetrain - Front Engine-Rear Wheel Drive Credits - 37,780 Power - 276 hp @ 6,500 rpm Torque - 231 lb-ft @ 5,000 rpm Weight - 1,280 kg		2 - '00 RX-7 Type RZ Drivetrain - Front Engine-Rear Wheel Drive Credits - 39,980 Power - 276 hp @ 6,500 rpm Torque - 231 lb-ft @ 5,000 rpm Weight - 1,270 kg
	3 - '90 RX-7 Infini III Drivetrain - Front Engine-Rear Wheel Drive Credits - 32,300 Power - 212 hp @ 6,500 rpm Torque - 202 lb-ft @ 4,000 rpm Weight - 1,200 kg		4 - '89 MX-5 Miata Drivetrain - Front Engine-Rear Wheel Drive Credits - 16,900 Power - 128 hp @ 6,500 rpm Torque - 115 lb-ft @ 4,500 rpm Weight - 980 kg
	5 - '93 MX-5 Miata Drivetrain - Front Engine-Rear Wheel Drive Credits - 17,000 Power - 118 hp @ 6,500 rpm Torque - 101 lb-ft @ 5,500 rpm Weight - 940 kg		6 - '98 MX-5 Miata 1.8 RS Drivetrain - Front Engine-Rear Wheel Drive Credits - 22,950 Power - 142 hp @ 6,500 rpm Torque - 120 lb-ft @ 5,000 rpm Weight - 1,030 kg
	7 - '00 MX-5 Miata RS Drivetrain - Front Engine-Rear Wheel Drive Credits - 23,280 Power - 157 hp @ 7,000 rpm Torque - 125 lb-ft @ 5,500 rpm Weight - 1,070 kg		8 - '99 Demio GL-X Drivetrain - Front Engine-Front Wheel Drive Credits - 14,660 Power - 98 hp @ 6,000 rpm Torque - 94 lb-ft @ 4,500 rpmv Weight - 960 kg
	9 - '91 787B Drivetrain - Mid-Engine-Rear Wheel Drive Credits - Secret Power - 690 hp @ 9,000 rpm Torque - 448 lb-ft @ 6,500 rpm Weight - 830 kg		10 - '01 RX-8 Drivetrain - Front Engine-Rear Wheel Drive Credits - Secret Power - 246 hp @ 8,500 rpm Torque - 152 lb-ft @ 7,500 rpm Weight - 1,200 kg
	11 - RX-7 Limited Race Car Drivetrain - Front Engine-Rear Wheel Drive Credits - Secret Power - 609 hp @ 7,400 rpm Torque - 598 lb-ft @ 6,100 rpm Weight - 1,050 kg

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