MotorWeek | Retro Review: '89 Mazda RX7 GTUS and 1st Gen Miata

[@Vertignasse82]

It's funny how back then no one could have predicted just how popular the Miata would become.

[@cargueone1971]

Terminal Velocity / they knew. I was 18 when the Miata came out. Living in Los Angeles, we would see them all over. However, more than that, it was the return of the simple and light sports car, that was similar to the old British and Italian Sports car, but without the reliability. Mazda kept the same good theme over the years. That's why it's successful.

[@RockandrollNegro]

My cat drives a Meowta.

[@Phenom98]

@@RockandrollNegro Noice.

[@MrFister84]

@@RockandrollNegro lol

[@Clevelandsteamer324]

Among the homosexual community only

[@tom11zz884]

Those RX7's GTU's still look great even today.

[@TheeAbstractHero]

Turbo-Lite makes more sense? Hell no. Having turbo in the name of a non-turbo car is stupid. GTU-S makes way more sense.

[@Pressed_For_Time]

Agreed..

[@Petrospect]

GTU Superlegerra.

[@Rotarypowerandguns]

Turbo-Less

[@arieljones7757]

Sure, tell that to the Porsche Taycan Turbo...

[@blues03]

Am I the only one that found the headlight retracting noise satisfying...? (1:34)

[@christopherwalker6056]

I did too! Sounded like a droid. Like when R2D2 would move or change direction. Or maybe I'm thinking of the sound when C3PO moved. Yeah, I think that's it.

[@TheRosemontag]

I played that over and over again. Well at least you know it works.

[@dm919]

Lightweight aluminum bzzzz...Lightweight aluminum bzzzz...Lightweight aluminum bzzzz...Lightweight aluminum bzzzz...Lightweight aluminum bzzzz...Lightweight aluminum bzzzz...Lightweight aluminum bzzzz...

[@shitstain7137]

no not at all. many simple things can be satisfying. for instance, the texture of a booger in your mouth or the smell of a fart.

[@signlsirchir2156]

what sound does the action make now?

[@noseefood1943]

These cars still look good aged incredibly well

[@Mx5pro]

You would draw a crowd at car meet if you had one in mint condition

[@creepinwhileyousleepin]

" slightly restyled tail lamps " this fucking guy

[@penguinmaster7]

"ugly hood scoop" don't say that around the takahashi brothers or you'll get punched

[@llamathenerd1672]

I like the hood scoop, it's actually functional lol.

[@vfspectrum4652]

they would get their asses kicked by this guy

[@TheMysticalFusion]

@@vfspectrum4652 He's referencing The Dukes of Hazzard (2005) the Lab Scene

[@n3wbthatstuff]

“Ugly good scoop” IM FUCKING TRIGGERED

[@gtjackson]

HEADLIGHTS GO UP. HEADLIGHTS GO DOWN.

[@tedschmitt178]

And I still don’t understand why they went away.

[@DStabs720]

MotorWeek! You are my new favorite channel now that you have been posting retro reviews!!!! Keep them coming. It's amazing how many awesome cars we had back in the day...

[@jameslasher7245]

Yea wish we still had awesome new cars to buy

[@Phenom98]

Yeah, since the late 80s and throughout the 90s we had awesome sportscars. Wish we had the same variety nowadays.

[@TommyboyGTP]

Uncork an N/A rotary and let it breathe and the performance increase will surprise you. A Racing Beat header, cat delete and exhaust really wake that little engine up!

[@mindspinn311]

Had no idea this model ever existed, but it seems like the ideal enthusiast trim. The Miata part at the end gets me. They had no idea what was about to happen.

[@beyondthelol]

still a great looking car

[@GHOSTJERKER]

I would love to see the Mitsubishi Starion / Dodge Conquest, it was one of my favorite cars in the 80's (;

[@Motorweek]

We have both. coming soon

[@briansmith8361]

Thank you. I love the Starion. I love the looks, and its unique balance shaft 2.6 liter 4-cylinder turbo engine. While most of the Starion's competitors used a six cylinder engine, Mitsubishi chose a torque-rich 4-cylinder with throttle body injection and 3 valves per cylinder. The engine is quite different, and these cars handled very well. Such an under appreciated car!

[@OscillatorCollective]

Same here…

[@oliverkalamata2753]

I had a '97 Miata in red and sold it like a moron. Eventually found a '90 model in red that was bone stock clean. I ain't letting it go this time!

[@wahfullz]

Did he just call the turbo's hood scoop ugly?!

[@hyperlogos]

+wahfullz Name one car from that era with an attractive hood scoop. I had a 300ZX Turbo, ugh.

[@hondamanvtec2894]

😅 yes... like the show..cool cars. .bad review's 😅

[@christopherwalker6056]

I Know! I think that hood scoop looks awesome.

[@soulstance]

LOL was thinking the same! I grew up in this era and turbo scoop was the most prominent trait that distinguish from other RX-7's

[@rptucker3871]

YES he did. He's a douche bag

[@iamshevanel]

Thank you so much for sharing this. My first car was an '87 TII w/ full S5 conversion and this makes me want to build another and keep this beautiful piece of history alive.

[@schmoab]

GTUs had a shorter rear end, making it feel quicker than the standard car. I think most became race cars.

[@GT6SuzukaTimeTrials]

Can we get the long-term Miata video?

[@joshd9442]

"its a turbo without the turbo with turbo power but less than the turbo" so just to be clear its not a fucking turbo lol

[@jsimmons12]

poor guy didn't know that 27 years later something called 'youtube' will already be invented and that some stranger named Josh would be shitting all over him on it.

[@oldtwinsna8347]

Ironically, it's the same twist of words Mazda is using for their current skyactiv technology engines.

[@anhiirr]

'lets call it the turbo light" WTH

[@KoopaXross]

Is always a good time when I'm out in the RX-7 FC turbo II and a Miata pulls up behind or at the same parking lot.

[@TGA44]

-opens door,takes a huge whiff,exhales,years later still recalls smell of fc3s. I love these cars.

[@DerrickFiddle]

Yo, lemme get them gloves.

[@terranceparker8990]

I look forward to this after work. Thanks guys!!

[@chrisdesousa43]

@ 2:32.. Is that Skank?? Before he was snorting carb cleaner and he and Gutterboy became Packards bitches in the movie Wraith??? Those are the gloves!!!

[@Incomudro1963]

Mazda's answer to the Porsche 944.

[@tenofdiamonds6440]

My 6th grade teacher had a 1st gen Miata. That would have been around 1990. We all thought it was so cool. And she was an older lady, too. So you're not expecting some grandma who teaches 6th grade at a Catholic school to come rolling up in her bright red roadster. Ha ha! Shout out to Mrs. Beckett!

[@ICTS22]

The most renowned Mazda ever produced is featured as just an afterthought here. That is how awesome Mazda is.

[@landyachtfan79]

2:28.........now, THAT'S what an instrument panel SHOULD look like, sports car or not!!!! Large, clear gauges that are easily read at a glance & are not obstructed by the steering wheel.

[@smithraymond09029]

5:45 fun to see the "new" Miata model that was just around the corner. Who knew what an absolute smash hit that model would become.

[@loftier1163]

Dude the hood scoop is awesome

[@DloveN7s]

Oh the memories of my old RX7s...I got off of the rotary train for a while and got a Miata til my son grows up and I can afford to own another FC.

[@Rotarypowerandguns]

Ya, no these cars have gotten very rare and parts also ... thanks Fukushima .😔

[@igoski1582]

I have a red GTUs with 78,000 on it in very good condition. However it is time for a new paint job because it's all original. New paint is coming soon. The GTUs are very rare cars. Except for videos like this one, my GTUs is the only one I have ever seen. I have had other RX7 enthusiast stop me on the road to question me about it. The best part about the car is.....it's so freaking fun to drive.

[@akrocuba]

I love the turbo's "ugly" hood scope

[@rustynail3159]

Totally unexpected flashback !!!. I loved this show !

[@brendancarlson1678]

A rotary engine AND a turbo, you'd need a case of oil each month.

[@j.m.5995]

The hood scoop was one of my favorite parts of my TURBO II...

[@FrankOlsonTwins]

Haha, John Davis hated hood scoops!

[@brendancarlson1678]

I hate them too, and since most of them are fake, I win.

[@dnunez773]

This was my car when I moved to San Jose back in the early 90's 😆

[@Crossdatsun]

the late gen FC3S RX-7 Turbo is one of my dream cars Too bad they're ultra rare here in brasil or just a collectors garage queen somewhere Same with the 240Z Weirdly enough a 240Z from a collector was for sale a while back and somehow was cheaper than a miata

[@fabjonjon]

I had that GTU in black and a Turbo 11 in black

[@armin1022]

Such a beautiful car 🥰

[@TheAKBUDDHA1]

So where's the long term Miata test footage? lol

[@yardsausage]

i think they are still driving it , with all smiles..

[@jdonns2221]

Rotary' shave their pros and cons but damn to be able to rev at a comfortable 8000 must be great.

[@SpikeRazzor]

When you honestly break it down the cons outweigh the pros.

[@smokefast90606]

M3 s2000 Integra rev to 8k also

[@DeltaOps3]

I own a low mile 1992 300zx and after seeing this car exists I want it too!! 160horses with no turbo and those wheels are amazing, what a fun little car.

[@NEO_RedPill_2024]

Gotta love the serial killer gloves 😂😂😂

[@daniellehouse4119]

O.J. ? 🤫

[@ash27slick74]

Damn! Motor Week is rarely brutally honest...calling the hood scoop ugly.🤣🤣🤣

[@jonathantavares9751]

Miata teaser, the world wasn't ready.

[@jackpickering9955]

The turbo hood is great but other wise the video is very helpful

[@chrisdooley6468]

Ahh 80''s driving gloves :)

[@skabands]

Chris Dooley don't forget the sunglasses

[@pbfloyd13]

I agree the the shifter (and clutch) feel isn't that great but the throttle response is exceptional!

[@GhostDelta21]

"Ugly hood scoop" must be one of the three people on the planet that thought the fox body mustang looked good. Everyone gets rid of the smooth hood in place of the tII hood. The smooth hood is the most hated in the community

[@DayoftheJakeL]

Lol I put a t2 hood on my 91 gtu

[@reed7434]

late reply but we hate the normal hood because on the s4's it weighs like 70lbs

[@rukasu01]

Ugly hood scoop? I liked it!

[@skip741x3]

loved mine too! best part of the car and awesome to see out the driver view

[@britishsecretagent0078]

I miss pop up headlights. Damn the NHSTA!!!🤬

[@jackson4274]

Miata sales blew Mazda's expectations out of the water, it's a miracle they approved the project with only 40,000 sold per year being the estimate. The GTU-S seems a little disappointing with no turbo and no ABS though.

[@NGELO9657]

No video on the Z31 300ZX :(

[@nelsonwong1730]

8k redline, dammmmmmmmnnnnn

[@PacoRobbins]

And now we have NA V8s revving out past 8k lol.

[@themaskedeconomist8404]

Jeromy Williams 30 years is a long time bro. 8k then is like 10-11k now

[@hasonlavajunk9774]

PharaohMo94 MakhmunRa RX7 has a rotary engine....8k redline is not a big deal like it is in a regular piston engine.

[@hadrien4089]

This era was *SAVAGE AF.*

[@negativeindustrial]

Damn, Miatas shipped from the factory with bad engine mounts? I know it wasn’t all that torque they put out.

[@frmula1fan51]

When the marketing team names the car they've never seen or touched.

[@rptucker3871]

i had an 89 GTUs and the transmission was fantastic. Quiet and smooth. Again this guy is a D bag

[@Phenom98]

Maybe it needed a little break-in.

[@austinfrazier7325]

The guy in this video was always rough with shifters. Glad MW fired him eventually.

[@craiggraves5599]

O learned how to drive a stick in a 90 RX-7. I loved driving that 🚗. I had a choice of that a Isuzu amigo and a 72 Chevy Chevelle. Loved my childhood😈

[@DavidBarton2]

"Then again, sportscars aren't for hauling things; they're for driving"

[@w.s.soapcompany94]

This seems like it was one of the faster cars around the road course

[@joshd9442]

didn't know tony hawk did car reviews Lol 😂 rx-7 turbo lite, I think i like gtus better

[@grgmck77]

I’ve owned an RX4, Cosmo and a RX7. They were great cars. Super sporty and great handling. Wonderful sport driving experience. But in each case the engine seals failing was my downfall.

[@SolamenteVees]

I can’t believe he had time to create & star in Motorweek AND write Garfield comic strips.

[@jonmcclane7433]

Got them OJ Isotoner gloves

[@erebus38]

I hate to say it but when it comes to small engines, turbos beat standard naturally aspirated versions 9 times out of 10. Typically, Americans back in the day as well as a smaller number of them today still hate turbos because of their lack of expertise and engineering skills and knowledge about such things due to their complexity and as result, they preferred superchargers instead since they were generally far simpler to understand and use properly. Here in the States most Americans hate anything that tends to be a bit more difficult to understand and thinks that everything should always just be as simple as it gets when it comes to technology.

[@dougsmith7908]

Great car even today

[@mrmanitoba]

I can't take that guy seriously with the driving gloves.

[@evanmastermind]

+mrmanitoba He looks like a criminal from a 90s action movie.

[@rueben44]

mrmanitoba yea he wears the same outfit in several videos

[@kentaylor5842]

Are those OJ's isotoners lol

[@dang2390]

Those cheesy gloves and sunglasses add 50hp!

[@jamesbayly5785]

Love the idea of the rotary engine. The big problem to overcome is the seals. Wonder if the cylinder walls could be coated with a ceramic material and seal's could have a internal direct lubricateing system? Lubricating between the seals.

[@dodgeguyz]

Ide like to see a new RX7 with a Rotaty Turbo.

[@EricNguyener]

I have an opportunity to buy an '89 GTUs right now with 85k miles, bone stock, and is in pristine condition for $10k. Is that too much or am I looking at a good deal here? I currently drive an '87 Mustang GT with 59k original miles and is in pristine condition as well, so I'm not sure if it's worth biting the bullet and selling it for the FC.

[@hammerki1]

If I had the money I'd be tempted. Keep in mind these cars in mint condition are pretty hard to find these days.

[@joshd9442]

3:53 this is how I'm shifting when I'm spanking stangs in my civic 😎

[@Nekkidmolerat22]

Josh d Cmon bro don't be that guy

[@mb4lunch]

Must have driving gloves to adjust cassette player! ;-)

[@Clevelandsteamer324]

Oj Simpson gloves

[@psa10hunter94]

I don’t find the hood scoop ugly at all

[@crownpitful]

Motorweek can you please upload a test of the 90-93 Integra coupe ? Enjoying your videos keep them coming !

[@crownpitful]

Lol you must be very lost . About a day later after I commented this they posted a review of a da gsr . Your late buddy

[@lancia037rally]

Well done, Now I need a RX7 even more than before :/

[@themaskedeconomist8404]

Takahashi Ryosuke approved this video.

[@Comrade_Chloe]

Is there a review of the first gen RX7 at all?

[@adamtrombino106]

Never heard of it, thx for sharing!

[@adamtrombino106]

The GTUS I mean....

[@doggman9795]

This shit was fast my man pops had 1 with black with black bbs rims crack era shit

[@abracing199]

Was that braking distance a little lackluster, especially for a sports car?

[@abracing199]

+Xentenon yes I was comparing it to sports cars of the same era

[@andytorre4858]

Where can I get a pair of them leather driving gloves? (Asking for a friend)

[@BigEightiesNewWave]

shiny blue jacket alert !

[@MP-po6fj]

8000.rpm from a wee small engine that put out serious power 😊

[@ryanbarbolt3691]

How can you be both pleased and disapointed?

[@xxxxjet1982xxxx]

Turbo Lite??? WTF!!! It's a Rx7 Turbo without the turbo.😂 that's like saying it's a jet fighter without the jet

[@diegos5316]

*jet-lite

[@jayyoutube8790]

Jet 82 cheese burger... no cheese 😂

[@djkenny1202]

I miss sporty cars without power windows, locks, power sunroof, fancy climate controls, and all that crap I do not need. Keeping my MK2 VW GTI 16v pretty much forever. This is a great example of doing it RIGHT. the Miata was also available without all the crap, now they are a loaded Yacht.

[@Osprey1994]

The new Miata is better than the original according to the head of the Miata club in the US he has had NA's for years because they were the best but he drove the ND and said it was better and his wife was going to hate him because he needed to get one ASAP.

[@djkenny1202]

OspreyBravo18 Just wish they made stripped base models.

[@DrewLSsix]

djkenny. the thing is stripped base models dont save much if any weight these days. you might ask for the foreign market base model though, its noticably lighter.

[@djkenny1202]

I have never been a fan of power windows, especially. Plus, it is not just weight, it is increasing cost of the cars.

[@jft7174]

Guy in the driver seat looks like a Russian hit man.

[@enes6591]

И длительность ролика 6:26) Всё "по канонам")

[@Porsche996driver]

Mazda paid royalties on every rotary motor to Felix Wankel. I had a friend who had a NSU Ro 80 with the Wankel motor.

[@masterskeletor662]

i own the only factory black gtus in the world maybe by now and its almost all stock. i have no desire to trade or to modify it. it certainly isnt the fastest car. it is more reliable but those 6 port na engines are NOT fast. if you want na speed get a 4 port 13b peripheral port or a turbo setup preferably NOT twin turbo.

[@bobspence5322]

true but the 6 port imo is a better motor in some ways. it needs a beefy peripheral port and then it can break the "200 horsepower barrier" that 6 ports tend to be stuck behind. NA 6 port 13b rotaries with a simple PP and a high flow exhaust have been pushing well over 260 hp.

[@DankSi]

I still want an fc so bad

[@abracing199]

This video is Joe maddox's alarm clock

[@rosariovalenzuela5425]

Here's a MotorWeek Retro Reviews of the 1989 Mazda RX-7 GTUs and the 1st Generation 1990 MX-5 Miata.

[@fhowland]

These didn’t hold up like Hondas.

[@LuisGonzalez-df9uz]

15 sec 1/4 mile not anymore..rotary engine runs low 6s. And high 7s 1/4 mile all day..💪💪🔭🚀