Summary
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Experience the legendary Mazda RX-3 with a unique rotary engine and lightweight design that delivers incredible performance.
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The RX-3’s racing roots cement its status as a legendary sports car, with a rich history of victories in Japan and around the world.
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With its timeless appeal, restoration potential, and increasing value in the resale market, the Mazda RX-3 remains a coveted classic for enthusiasts.
The Mazda RX-3, known as the Savanna in Japan, was launched in September 1971. It was available as a coupe or sedan and featured Mazda’s new 10A rotary engine. Through its aggressive design and high sales in its first month, more than 5,400 units, it quickly became a desirable Japanese car for the average enthusiast. Just one year later, Mazda revised the engine’s cycle to an improved 12A, which allowed the RX-3 to compete in the same market as the Nissan Skyline GT-R, both on and off the track. By 1976, the RX-3 had amassed an impressive 100 victories in Japanese Touring Car races, a milestone that made the car a favorite among Japanese racing enthusiasts.
In 2024, Mazda RX-3 is hailed as a classic car, with its smart and light design and famous racing background. To increase interest around the model, Mazda reduced production numbers, which adds to the car’s appeal these days. It has also proven to be worthy of the classic collectable label, although, because of this, it is becoming increasingly expensive on the used collector’s market.
In order to provide you with the most up-to-date and accurate information possible, the data used to prepare this article was obtained from various manufacturer websites and other authoritative sources, including. Mazda, Classic Cars.com and Classic.com.
10 The Power Behind the Mazda RX-3 Is Its Unique Rotary Engine
The main stand-alone feature of the RX-3 is its eccentric rotary engine, developed by Felix Wankel in 1951. These unique engines are known for their ability to stay very high in the RPMs, all the while being smooth around the rev range. It also comes with a unique sound signature, made famous by the famous Mazda 787B LeMans race car. This lightweight power contributes to the RX-3’s light and agile performance.
Since then, Mazda has been known for the improvements they introduced to rotary engines that are legendary today. This includes great work such as twin rotor design, variable intake systems, and turbocharger upgrades. Mazda showed the world that rotary engines could be the best choice in the mass market. So much so that it remains the only manufacturer still considering the possibility of rotary engines in future models.
Other Cooled Cars Using Rotary Engines
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Citroen GS Manager
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Chevrolet Aerovette
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Mercedes-Benz C11
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Mazda RX-7
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Mazda RX-8
9 The Key to the RX-3’s Agility Is Being Light and Compact
The RX-3 was created when serious oil crisis. Therefore, efficiency played a big role in how the manufacturer designed and built the car at that time. But Mazda cleverly used this to their advantage through clever engineering to improve engine efficiency as well as make the RX-3’s chassis as light as possible. It stands at an impressive 2,050 pounds, making it an attractive little car for those looking for a sporty driving experience.
Since the RX-3 does not have unnecessary weight, it can provide better handling and enhanced handling, injecting its drivers with confidence through sharp corners or fast sections. The combination of a fast and spirited driving experience was so popular among enthusiasts that Mazda went and used the RX-3 formula to create similar vehicles, such as the Mazda Miata.
8 The Mazda RX-3 Boasts a Strikingly Sleek Design
Back in the 70s, Toyota and Nissan were very successful with their Corolla and Sunny models, so Mazda decided to answer them with the RX-3. Since Mazda was competing with the largest Japanese manufacturer, it needed a catalyst that would differentiate it from the competition. The snappy and revolutionary engine was only half of the controversy: the other part was in its sharp design.
car model, The Mazda RX-500, was shown at the 1970 Tokyo Motor Show. It featured futuristic butterfly doors and a sleek box-like design accompanied by the latest safety features of the era. This model was used as a development platform for the Mazda RX-3. Through this, they came to the final design of the model, with its sound box design and more comfortable interior. The combination of a unique engine and a modern design made enthusiasts fall for the Japanese product all over the world.
Love Comes In The Shape Of This 1973 Mazda RX-3: Video
The owner of this RX-3 is an MMA fighter who likes some cars himself
7 The Mazda RX-3’s Signature Is Its Performance
The RX-3 came from the factory with the ultimate performance booster: a high-revving engine packed into a compact chassis. The market was aware of the performance the RX-3 was able to deliver from the get-go. The most amazing part about it is the ability to do all this without driving the owner into bankruptcy.
With an average output of 100 horsepower from the factory, Mazda allowed the racing versions of the model to take the lead, giving the models nearly double the horsepower of their street counterparts with only minor modifications. Performance doesn’t mean reliability though, so Mazda set to work trying to make the rotary engine as reliable as it could possibly be, aiming for at least 75,000 miles. This success allowed the manufacturer to sell more than 200,000 models.
Mazda 10A-0866 |
Mazda 12A (Special JDM) |
Mazda 12B (American Special) |
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Horse Power |
105 HP |
110 hp |
90 hp |
Torque |
100 LB-FT |
100 LB-FT |
96 LB-FT |
Years of Production |
1972-1974 |
1972-1974 |
1974-1978 |
6 The Mazda RX-3’s Identity Lies in Its Racing Roots
The Mazda RX-3 has a successful racing history that, over the years, has cemented the model to legendary performance car status. Events such as the Japanese Championship series saw the RX-3 achieve remarkable success against even the well-known Nissan Skyline.
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In May 1972, the RX-3s had a historic 1-2-3 finish in the Fuji Touring Car Grand Prix.
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At the 1976 JAF Touring Car Grand Prix, the Mazda RX-3 scored its 100th domestic Japanese race win.
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The RX-3s continued their winning streak by winning the Fuji Grand Champion Touring Car class in 1972, 1973, and 1975.
While the RX-3’s success on home soil is impressive, it didn’t stop there. He became a successful athlete around the world, taking the USA, Europe and even Australia. It was featured in the 24 Hours of Daytona back in 1978 while also helping to develop the RX-7 a year later. Even today, the RX-3 remains a solid choice for old-school racers.
5 The RX-3 Has a Popular Following in the Tuner World
The fact that the RX-3 has a rich racing pedigree has attracted the attention of tuners around the world, find a dedicated group of people who specialize in customizing this design only. Its robust yet flexible engine and flexible platform have made it an ideal choice for enthusiasts looking to improve the performance of a car while keeping it simple and personal.
The lightweight and compact chassis provides a solid foundation for improved aerodynamics and improved handling. As a result, enthusiasts have been able to swap out the suspension system entirely for aftermarket options. This includes brake systems, body kits and even engine modifications. Rx-3 allows its owners to express themselves in the car.
This Mazda RX-3 Widebody Concept is being modified with JDM Done Right
This wide Mazda RX-3 proves that future Need for Speed games need to have more JDM classics
4 The Mazda RX-3’s Cultural Significance In Japan Is Amazing
Mazda RX-3 has had a special place in The theme of Japanese cars since the 1970s. This era is represented by creative performance, appealing to the senses of the whole world. But most importantly, the RX-3 is Mazda’s commitment to pushing the boundaries, technologically and socially.
His great international success in the field of athletics has allowed the style to become known and respected.
3 Mazda RX-3’s Classic Charm Gives It Timeless Appeal
Mazda created the RX-3 with the intention of creating a timeless product. And indeed, the RX-3 has passed the test of time and social expectations. Its dynamic lines combined with graceful proportions allowed the RX-3 to age like a fine wine.
All that being said, the car combines its aggressive design with elegance, while attracting interest among enthusiasts. From auto shows to off-roading, Mazda created an incredible allure around the RX-3 that never fails to turn heads, even in 2024.
2 The Mazda RX-3 Has Great Restoration Potential
Over the years, the Mazda RX-3 has gained a strong following. Some of these enthusiasts take it upon themselves to preserve and restore Mazda gems. From the top-up wide builds the body with taste and natural builds, RX-3 has no lack of identity.
To make returns possible, there needs to be aftermarket options from both the community and the manufacturer. Fortunately, there is no shortage of parts. These are needed not only to ensure the longevity of the Japanese gem but also to preserve its historical heritage, and their availability keeps this important part of Mazda’s history going strong more than 50 years after its birth.
Patent Application Reveals Mazda’s Rotary Engine Rewind Plan
Is Wankel’s return really as close as it’s ever been?
1 Mazda RX-3 Value Rises in the Aftermarket
Due to its growing popularity among enthusiasts, many RX-3s have been converted for personal use, as race car variants, for the track only. Because of this inherent nature, the RX-3 is a sought-after car, even as affordable models have begun to rapidly rise in price and availability.