I owned a 1998 Ford Mustang with all of 12 miles on it that was totaled in 3 months due to another careless driver. I vowed never to get a new car again, and so I bought this vehicle. I had previously owned a 1985 Mazda RX-7 GS prior to the Mustang, and I adored it until the repairs were about as costly as a car payment. After a long term relationship with the previous RX-7, I was thrilled to purchase another one. The 88 RX-7 Convertible I owned was black with grey leather interior, a standard short throw transmission (only way to go!), and the top was actually hard in the middle and could be removed to make a "Targa" roof. Power everything (windows, door locks, antennae) made that an awesome car for me, and I couldn't imagine affording one back in 1988 when they were actually released. The engine is an ode to artistry in mechanics: it is a 2 rotor Wankle rotary engine, so light a strong man can lift it. The lightweight body and engine with virtually no "red-line" made this car an awesome vehicle to own. More than once I've been asked what kind of car it is, but the best was seeing a 2002 Mustang owner, back in the day, saying he would trade his vehicle outright for mine (both were paid off), even-Steven. I told him my vehicle may be 18 years older than yours, but you and I know it's way better, so no thanks!"

I was 18 and looking to purchase my first car, when I saw this red beauty of a sports car sitting alongside a dirt road with a for sale sign posted on the window. It was a 1987 Mazda RX-7. Although the car was purchased with 200,000 miles on the odometer, it was in amazing shape. It was the standard edition, so there were no power options included, nor was the engine equipped with Turbo, but it still had a certain charm. Thanks to the single and proud owner, there was no rust, the interior was in fantastic shape, didn't belong to a smoker, and everything electronic still worked. . It had a 5-speed standard transmission, with a 1.3 liter, 146 horsepower Wankel engine. The efficient Wankel engine required little to no maintenance, as long as the oil was regularly changed. It handled nicely, gripped turns well, and accelerated with intrepid speed. It was a great car to own as an 18 year old boy, as the girls seemed to like it. The Blazing red paint job and the overall shape and lines of car really made it stand out on the road. I got a lot of compliments driving that car around town.

The vehicle I'm reviewing is a Mazda RX7 LX. It was persimmon red with leather upholstery. I bought a slightly older car, but it had only 13,000 miles on it. The previous owner was a car collector of sorts. He had a Mercedes for show a transportation car and this was his sports car. I loved the way it handled the curves. The car really gripped the road and moved quickly around the turns. It had pretty thick tires and they grabbed the road. Also, the car was low to the ground.