Hot Wheels Rotary: 1979 Mazda RX7, 1995 RX7, RX3, and REPU pickup

If you haven’t noticed lately in the Hot Wheels line there is a lot of rotary cars, and all of them come from Mazda. Supplementing the 1979 version introduced in 2012, it is joined by the new 1995 RX7, the RX3 that debuted in the first Japan Historics, and an oddball: a pickup truck.

Mazda RX3

Mazda has experimented with Wankel rotary engines since the beginning with the Mazda Cosmos sport and by the 1970’s decided to expand that into the Savanna two-door coupe. The Rotary engine is basically a triangular shape with round corners that rotate inside a round chamber with a crankshaft that is off-set to transmit power from the rotor to the transmission and rear wheels. As the triangular rotor rotates it creates three chambers inside the housing: one is where air and fuel enters via venturi effect, then in the next chamber spark plugs ignite the mixture and creates force that rotates the rotor. The final chamber is where the ignited gases are flowed out to the exhaust system. This system creates a compact setup that allows this RX3 to have the engine behind the front axle, but it does come at a few costs: without any connecting rod leverage there is no torque in rotary engines and because the rotating rotor needs oil and shares the combustion chamber as well it uses and burns oil as well. Either way, put this engine in a lightweight car and it’ll outright perform with smooth engine power all the way up to a higher redline.

In the RX3 the 1.0L produces 105 horsepower through a four-speed manual transmission and while that would be sufficient in the RX2 it was slow in the RX3 thanks to the added weight of the Savanna platform (which was originally designed for a gas piston engine anyways), but add the right amount of boost and remove some accessories and this is a competitive track car just like this Hot Wheels version. Also joining Japan Historics two this year, this yellow one is from the Race Day set last year and it looks good in yellow with green racing decals and blacked-out 4-spoke wheels on smooth rubber tires. The flared fenders add better handing on the track, while chin spoiler up front and rear spoiler add downforce to the RX3. The front has quad headlights with a pointed grille that has the rotary logo, lower bumper with signal lights and front brake cooling ducts. At the back there is quad square taillights with reverse lamps in the middle and a large exhaust tip to add more aggression. The interior has a right-hand drive layout with two bucket seats that have racing harnesses and a dashboard that has a driver-oriented layout even though details inside this casting seem a bit lacking. For those looking for a cleaner RX3 there are other examples out there including Tomica, but for those looking for an RX3 with track cred this is a good one to start.

1979 and 1995 Mazda RX7

The RX7 was the beginning of rotary engines working in unison with a sports car that was also more practical. Past examples either had a sports car that was not practical like the Cosmos or a bodystyle that was not suited for the low-torque rotary engine like the RX3. The RX7 was the better compromise with a wedge-shape look that was distinctive among the rest and carried on for three more generations ending in the gorgeous third-generation model with smoother bodylines than before that mixed in well with other exotic cars. All generations have pop-up headlights, hatchback rear, and rotary engines though in different power guises. The first-generation had a 1.1L turbocharged rotary that produced 165 horsepower through a four-speed manual transmission, but by the time the third-generation arrived the engine was larger and sported twin turbo’s (one for low-speed driving and the other for higher speeds to reduce turbo lag), 1.3 liters and 265 horsepower through a five-speed manual transmission. Both generations have well laid-out dashboard layouts with simple controls and round air vents. The higher prices of the Yen in the 1990’s axed the RX7 after 1995 in the U.S. and the challenges of emission controls reduced Mazda from making any more advances in the rotary engine.

This metallic red 1979 was a 2013 release and there are plenty of other variations that include clean stock and racing car deco’s. The front has that wedge shape with hidden headlights, pointed bumper with signal lights, and a lower chin spoiler with large grille area. In addition, the flared fenders and rear wraparound spoiler add some aggression to the RX7’s shape. The rear has horizontal taillights and coffee can exhaust system and while most would not like the modified bodyshape I like it and adds character to the model. Inside the interior has seating for two with supportive racing bucket seats, right-hand drive with shifter, and spacious cargo area with small roll cage behind the front seats. For 2017 the long-overdue 1995 RX7 appeared and unlike the 1979 it keeps the clean, stock look with no aftermarket mods to the body at all. It is gorgeous whether in blue with tan interior, red, or even the 2018 version with side Hot Wheels in Japanese they all look good! The smooth front-end still has pop-up headlights but has a smoother bumper with integrated (and detailed on 2017 models) signal lights, a lower grille with foglights, and a chin spoiler with front brake cooling ducts. The sides add side marker lights, front fender vents, and door handles hidden in the window trim, while the rear has a smaller rear spoiler, a black taillight trim piece with four round lights (sleek), and dual-tipped exhaust system. Downright beautiful and one of my favorite RX7’s out there! The base might not show the engine like the 1979, but it does show the exhaust and rear suspension setups, while the interior has seating for four in supportive seats, a smooth dashboard layout that is right-hand drive, center stack controls that flow toward the driver, and a tachometer that is centered toward the driver. Finally, in the handling tests the car was excellent, superb, but then when it comes to braking it surprisingly lacks any bite to stop on a dime like other recent sports cars do and that still happens even with different wheel designs; A slight blemish to an otherwise fantastic casting.

Mazda REPU pickup

Now for the odd player: Mazda has made rotary engines for many models not only for sports cars but also for luxury coupes, sedans, and even a pickup! Based on the B-series pickup Mazda slipped in a rotary engine as a special model to the lineup. To better adhere to the new engine it has a unique grille with four headlights, flared fenders, round taillights, rotary badges, and the battery relocated to a special mount on the right-side of the bed just ahead of the rear wheel. The engine is a 1.3L rotary engine that produced an estimated 115 horsepower through a four-speed manual transmission and was sold in North America between 1974 to 1977. Despite the fuel economy benefits this was not the best engine for this truck as it lacks torque so payloads were less than a comparable 4-cylinder B-series truck at the time.

This primer black with blue doors is based on Mad Mike’s truck, an Austrailian drifter who is well-known for his wild drift cars including this REPU pickup. The front has a chrome grille with round headlights, bumper with signal lights, and sleek steel wheels with blue rim. The sides show the detailed battery cover on the right side and note the different racing decal sponsors between each door for a nice touch, while the rear has detailed round taillights and the Rotang Klan logo to signify Mad Mike’s truck. Like the Datsun 620 the pickup bed is wide open and ready for use despite the plastic bed floor, while the base shows off the compact rotary engine up front with the exhaust system to the rear. The interior has seating for two with 5-point seat belt harness, floor shifter, and flat dashboard with simple control layout. With the lowered stance and lighter engine this REPU is a fun-to-drive pickup with great reflexes and controlled handling, and while it might not be a heavy duty hauler it is one fun truck to toss around on the track.