Price, Power, and Perseverance: The Story of Mazda’s Iconic RX-7
Yesterday, Fabian and I visited the Nürburgring Museum once again. Fabian, a member of our editorial team, is one of the contributors to the museum’s permanent collection. A stop at the museum has become a tradition during our trips to the Eifel region. Three years ago, one such visit inspired our (german) story about the history of the Arrows A2. This time, the Mazda RX-7, currently displayed in the large hall of the ring°werk Museum, immediately caught our attention.
The Japanese Wankel-powered sports car always remained an outsider in Germany – both on the streets and on the track. Launched in 1978, the RX-7 found itself overshadowed by rivals like the Porsche 924. To stand out, Mazda positioned the RX-7 as a price disruptor: in Germany, it was priced over 20% lower than the transaxle Porsche, while in the U.S., the price difference soared to 40%. To promote the RX-7, Mazda entered the car into the British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) and the European Touring Car Championship (ETCC).
TWR build RX-7 racecars
Tom Walkinshaw Racing (TWR) served as Mazda’s official factory team – and with great success. Win Percy delivered back-to-back BTCC titles for Mazda in 1980 and 1981. Additionally, Pierre Dieudonné and Tom Walkinshaw took the Mazda RX-7 to victory at the 1981 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps. This made Mazda the first Japanese manufacturer to win the legendary race, a feat repeated a decade later at Le Mans – again with Wankel power.
In the United States, Mazda also found success with the RX-7 in IMSA racing. The car earned multiple victories in the IMSA GTU category, which was designed for cars with engines under 2.5 liters. Among its most notable achievements was the RX-7’s championship win in 1981, driven by Jim Downing. By 1982, RX-7s dominated the GTU class, showcasing the Wankel engine’s reliability and competitiveness against European and American rivals.
There was an ETCC project as well
Starting in 1980, Bavarian racers Fritz Müller and Heinz Kühn-Weiss put their trust in the RX-7. Already seasoned competitors with cars from Porsche, BMW, and Ford, the duo opted for the more unusual Japanese sports car – a choice that guaranteed attention, as fans often cheer for underdogs. Müller, heir to a brewery founded in 1775, used the race car to promote his family business. Officially competing under the “Müllerbräu Team” banner, the brewery joined the ranks of beer brands that have sponsored motorsport. Unlike giants such as Warsteiner (which backed the Arrows A2) or others like Löwenbräu, Kingfisher, and Foster’s (prominent in Formula 1), Müllerbräu focused solely on supporting its owner’s racing endeavors.
In 1980, the Müllerbräu Team entered five European Touring Car Championship (ETCC) races with their RX-7. At their debut on the Salzburgring, they clinched a class victory in Division 4 (for cars with 2 to 3 liters of engine displacement) and finished ninth overall. The Group 2 RX-7 featured two rotary pistons, each with a chamber volume of 573 cc, translating under FISA rules to a “displacement” of 2.3 liters. The Bavarians repeated their class victory at the 1980 Grand Prix of Touring Cars at the Nürburgring – a race famously won by an AMG-prepared Mercedes-Benz 450 SLC. Unfortunately, mechanical issues plagued their outings at Silverstone and Zolder, preventing them from finishing those races.
Vallelunga: A Victory for the RX-7
The team continued with the RX-7 in 1981. At the season opener in Monza, they scored another class win and finished fifth overall. The following race in Vallelunga saw them take third place overall, trailing only two Division 5 BMW 635 CSis. Post-race, however, scrutineers disqualified six cars from the top 10 due to non-compliant front suspension mounts on the BMWs. This promoted Fritz Müller, Heinz Kühn-Weiss, and their RX-7 to an outright victory!
The Müllerbräu Team remained loyal to the RX-7 until 1983. However, beyond a third-place finish at Zolder in 1981, significant results eluded them. By 1982, the team gradually lost competitiveness as newer BMW 635 CSis and, starting in 1983, TWR’s Jaguar XJ-S entered the fray. Midway through the 1983 season, the team transitioned to the BMW coupe, ending the racing career of their Mazda RX-7.
All results Mazda RX-7 Müllerbräu Team:
Date | Race | Result |
---|---|---|
25.05.80 | Austria-Trophäe Salzburgring | 9. Platz |
08.06.80 | Grand Prix Brno | 9. Platz |
06.07.80 | Grosser Preis der Tourenwagen Nürburgring | 6. Platz |
14.09.80 | RAC Tourist Trophy, Silverstzone | DNF – Ausfall |
28.09.80 | E.G. Trophy Zolder | DNF – Ausfall |
22.03.81 | 4 Stunden von Monza | 5. Platz |
05.04.81 | 500km von Vallelunga | 1 (nach Disualifikation von zwei BMW 653 Csi) |
07.06.81 | Austria-Trophäe Salzburgring | 10. Platz |
14.06.81 | Grand Prix Brno | DNF |
13.09.81 | Silverstone Tourist Trophy | 9. Platz |
27.09.81 | E.G. Trophy, Zolder | 3. Platz |
02.05.82 | Donington 500 | 10. Platz |
23.05.82 | Euro Mugello | 10. Platz |
13.06.82 | Grand Prix Brno | 12. Platz |
27.06.82 | Austria-Trophäe Salzburgring | 8. Platz |
11.07.82 | Grosser Preis der Tourenwagen Nürburgring | DNF |
12.09.82 | RAC Tourist Trophy Silverstone | 12. Platz |
26.09.82 | EG Trophy Zolder | 15. Platz |
20.03.83 | 500km von Monza | 13. Platz |
22.05.83 | 500km von Mugello | 14. Platz |
10.07.83 | Grosser Preis der Tourenwagen Nürburgring | DNF |
ETCC-Results 1980 bis 1981