Mazda
Published on September 14th, 2020 |
by BajaBusta
1988 Mazda RX-7 Convertible Test Drive
Yes, Mazda was doing its share in the revival of the true sports car. The market for convertibles almost tripled in the previous 5 years in the U.S, which made a convertible RX-7 a particularly tempting project.
In making the RX-7 into a convertible, those fussy Mazda folks wanted more than an RX-7 without a top. One of the biggest drawbacks of convertibles is air turbulence. So, a goal was to offer top-down motoring joys, especially at highway speeds, without the occupants feeling like the cast of Twister.
Enter the Windblocker, a simple device consisting of a small panel located behind eht rear seats. In its upright position, it’s designed to deflect that reverse air flow.
Everybody knows, one of the problems with convertibles is the loss of structural rigidity. Mazda tried to compensate by using a combination of thicker steel around areas such as the rocker panels, A-pillars and the drivetrain tunnel. In addition, cross members were installed behind the engine, rear seats and between the rear struts..
The result was a convertible with about 70% of the torsional rigidity of the hardop. To try to keep the weight down, the convertible had an aluminium hood, just like the RX-7 Turbo. Nevertheless, the car weighed about 240 lb’s more than a similarly equipped GXL coupe.
The RX-7 Convertible was a thoroughly delightful package, from the Windblocker eye-of-the-storm feature to Mazda’s twist on torsional rigidity. If you survived your mid-life crisis, you deserve one of these for your past suffering. Or if your mid-life crisis is still waiting in ambush, consider the RX-7 convertible as easy-to-swallow preventative medicine!
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