[Video] How to storm up the Leadfoot Festival hill in a rotary Mazda RX-7
Here we have one of the more famous (infamous?) Australian Group C touring cars: the #43 Mazda RX7 in Peter Stuyvesant cigarette livery.
Well, not quite… This is, in fact, an exact recreation of the 1984 Allan Moffat original, built by Stephen Armstrong. Pumping out 320bhp and weighing only 950kg, this roaring monster harks back to the iconic era of Mazda Australia’s rotary powertrain in motorsport.
After, struggling to get his Mazda on the entry sheet in the early '80s, Moffat piloted his RX-7 to many victories, ultimately achieving a 4th Australian Touring Car Championship title in 1983. Much to the ire of his rivals – already incensed by the rotary’s impact on the Championship – Moffat successfully campaigned to upgrade from the measly 270bhp, 8,500rpm 12A engine, to the meatier 13B found in this replica. With accurate modifications including peripheral porting, and Moffat’s muscley arch flares and aero package, it’s awesome to see, ripping it up at Leadfoot Festival!