In the latest episode of The Driver’s Seat with Henry Catchpole, we immerse ourselves in the world of the FD (third) generation Mazda RX-7. Henry gets behind the wheel of a very rare, completely original RX-7 that was delivered to the UK 30 years ago. Since then it has done less than 30,000 miles!
To get himself in the ‘90s mood, Catchpole starts at the fabulous Pixel Bunker in Milton Keynes to play some original arcade driving games, such as Ridge Racer. Then it’s a midnight drive to find an even rarer RX-7 - one with a Liberty Walk body kit. The famous Japanese company, founded by Wataru Kato in the mid ’90s, has gained a huge worldwide following, but this is the first Liberty Walk RX-7 in Europe. It looks spectacular with its front end (and livery) that is very reminiscent of a Porsche 935.
Back to the standard car; Catchpole investigates the chassis dynamics and Wankel Rotary engine, both of which prove surprising in their very modern feel. The turbocharged 13B-REW rotary engine is a particular surprise after the much thinner delivery of the more modern but naturally-aspirated RX-8.
The final piece of the jigsaw was to immerse the stock RX-7 in some broader Japanese car culture and there was no better place than at one of Caffeine and Machine’s Daikoku evenings. Held at both The Hill and The Bowl venues they are always well attended and the sheer variety of machinery that turns up is extraordinary. A little bit of a Tokyo parking lot in middle England!
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The Pixel Bunker: https://www.thepixelbunker.com
Caffeine and Machine: https://caffeineandmachine.com
Liberty Walk EU: https://libertywalk-eu.com
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Like what you see? Watch our other series including:
Redline Rebuilds | Time-lapse engine rebuilds from start to finish http://bit.ly/RedlineRebuild
Barn Find Hunter | Tom Cotter searches the country for abandoned cars http://bit.ly/BarnFIndHunter
Jason Cammisa on the Icons | The definitive car review
https://bit.ly/JasonCammisaICONS
Revelations | Untold Stories About Automotive Legends with Jason Cammisa
https://bit.ly/JasonCammisaRevelations
The Driver's Seat with Henry Catchpole
https://bit.ly/HenryCatchpole
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