Group B: Mazda RX-7 Evo
The end of 2016 marked the 30th anniversary of the elimination of Group B rallying from World Championship competitions. Among the most prominent models in this category can be found the Lancia Delta S4, the Audi Quattro S1, the Peugeot 205 T16.
This model competed in just a dozen tests in 1984 and 1985, with a third place finish in the Acropolis Rally of Greece as the best result. This position was achieved by the Swedish pilot Ingvar Carlsson.
The problem with all of this was that Mazda was a bit late in the golden years of rally racing. Therefore, although he developed a model perfectly capable of competing with other manufacturers, his model did not achieve great results and did not have time to achieve major successes.
However, this lack of fame in the world of rally racing makes for a very attractive factor in the Mazda RX-7 EVO. And it is arguably one of the most accessible models for purchase come from the B Group. In comparison, models like the legendary Lancia Delta S4 are currently around 800,000 euros.
Mazda RX-7 Evo up for auction
On September 6, 2017, one of these models went up for auction. The auction house RM Auctions was responsible for organizing the bid and made the car available to the highest bidder.
This unit was practically pristine, as it has never been in competition and has only been on display for a time at Mazda’s UK headquarters. Previously, this unit of the RX-7 Evo belonged to the Mazda Racing Team Europe rally team.
The auctioned model is not exactly in factory condition, but it has been restored to match the rest of the official vehicles. Responsible for the restoration was its previous owner, David Sutton, who acquired this car in the early 2000s and left it as fresh from the factory.
In fact, the restoration time was even longer and more careful than the effort made to leave it in perfect magazine condition. A total of six months have been required to impeccably polish every detail of the model.
Expected prices at the time of the auction were between 180,000 and 200,000 euros. This amount is small considering that the client would take a small piece of the history of the automotive world. However, we must bear in mind that it is a significant sum for a small model within the B Group.
The chassis that incorporates this model is the MRTE 019 type. Mazda planned to develop only 20 units of this variant, which were manufactured in June 1985. It was in the 90s when these models left the Mazda headquarters and began to pass into the hands of from private collectors.
The characteristics of the Mazda RX-7 Evo
Regarding the mechanics of this Mazda racing model, the RX-7 Evo suffered from the problem of having rear-wheel drive at the time of the heyday of the 4 × 4 models. This was one of the main causes of the failure of the model. It had a Wankel 13B two-rotor engine under the hood, which allowed it to reach a maximum power of 300 hp.
As for its aesthetics, the model incorporates six powerful spotlights on the front, aligned on the grille. Its rectilinear shapes extend from the hood, across the roof , to a raised fin-shaped rear.
Now it has gone down in history as one of the little brothers of the Group B rally models, although models like the one auctioned are more than attractive pieces for collections that want a vehicle with all the specifications and details of the original model.
