 |
| Mazda 100th anniversary |
Welcome to the final part of this special list commemorating Mazda's 100th anniversary this year and with the top 100th to the 11th already listed, with some of you unhappy with this list because some Mazdas deserve better, the last ten slots of this list will be the cherry at the top of the cake, I promise, and whichever Mazda will be called the GOAT (Greatest Of All Time), I'll give you a little story after this.
In the meantime, here is the final 10 of this list. Which Mazda will be the top dog? The leader of the pack? Let's find out!
10) Eunos Cosmo - Launched in 1990, the Eunos Cosmo is a luxury grand tourer that competes against the Subaru Alcyone and the Toyota Soarer. Featuring a contemporary and unique exterior styling and a futuristic interior, the Eunos Cosmo is powered by a choice of 13B and 20 Rotary Engine, all mated to a 4-speed automatic.
9) RX-VISION GT3 CONCEPT - When Gran Turismo Sport and Mazda joined forces, Mazda created a racing version of the RX-VISION Concept. Made to comply to the game's Group 3 regulations, the RX-VISION GT3 CONCEPT is Mazda's commitment to the world of e-sports, especially at GT SPORT. They've even held contests to commemorate the race car's in-game arrival as well.
8) RX500 Concept - Built to commemorate Mazda's 50th anniversary in 1970, this concept car features a rotary engine first introduced in the Cosmo Sport as well and a bullet-shaped body for aerodynamics. Known trivia that this concept first introduced the upswing doors before the Lamborghini Countach, making this concept car the originator of scissor doors.
7) RT24-P Racecar - Unveiled at the 2016 LA Auto Show, Mazda's RT24-P is served as their DPi contender at the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, starting at the 2017 season.
6) LM55 Vision Gran Turismo - The LM55 is Mazda's entry to the Vision Gran Turismo project and it made an appearance in Gran Turismo 6. Their Vision GT entry portrays the future of a rotary-powered racecar that serves as the spiritual successor to the 787B, the racing machine that earned its Le Mans victory.
5) Mazda Roadster ND - Launched in 2015, the fourth-generation Roadster (known in the world markets as the MX-5) takes full advantage of Mazda's SKYACTIV Technology while still incorporating the classic Roadster recipe inherited from past generations. It is powered by a choice of a 1.5 and a 2.0 (exclusive to the Roadster RT variant).
4) VISION COUPE CONCEPT - Appeared at the 2017 Tokyo Motor Show, the Mazda Vision Coupe Concept showcased "Mazda elegance" at its very best, previewing a whole new approach for designing Mazdas in the future.
3) Mazda Cosmo Sport - Launched in 1967, not only this car cemented the popularity of Mazda as a small but influential carmaker, but became consigned to the pages of automotive history because of the rotary engine that became the trump card of Mazda when it comes to stay alive in the globally competitive automotive sector. It is sold in some markets as the 110S. When others can't embrace the idea of a rotary engine due to the scratching problems that caused poor seal durability, Mazda is the only carmaker in the world that made the impossible possible with thanks of the idea of employing a graphite-aluminum alloy seal. Not only that, the problems of excessive oil consumption and a lack of low-end torque were taken care of, thus led to the commercialization of cars powered by rotary engines.
2) Efini/Mazda RX-7 FD3S - First introduced in 1991, the FD3S RX-7 succeeds where the FC3S Savanna RX-7 left off. It's powered by a 13B rotary engine with twin sequential turbochargers producing up to 251HP of power. It gained numerous changes through the years and as production ended in 2002, a final edition Spirit R was introduced. Despite its discontinuation, the FD3S remains the best sportscar for speedo boys worldwide, even if it featured in Initial D and The Fast and The Furious.
...and the number one Mazda in the top 100 list is...
1) 787B - Why is it wise to call the 787B the greatest Mazda of all time? It's because it's the first for Japan to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1991 and the first and only rotary powered racer to win such feat. Powered by a R26B rotary 4-rotor engine, it produces up to 690HP. Apart from that, it features carbon fiber frame for lightness and rigidity. It made its Le Mans debut in 1990 but failed. The next year, an improved version was unleashed and the #55 787B, with Bertrand Gachot, Johnny Herbert, and Volker Weider behind the wheel, accomplished the impossible feat.
...and that is the end of the list of top 100 Mazdas.
For a century, Mazda is one of the most highly-respected car companies in the world. From being the first and only carmaker to sell a rotary-powered car to showcasing their most good-looking car in the world, from winning the most awards to being the hot term in the street scene, Mazda has been impressing its worldwide audience because of its uniqueness that made it feel like, and I'm going to say it because of personal experience, the Nintendo of the automotive world. No matter which car you'll going for, you'll be always ended up meeting someone driving a Mazda because they think they're the coolest to drive, the coolest to own, and the coolest to keep.
There is no escaping from the Mazda elegance, no matter how hard you'll try to evade from it because it will always come back and play with you for the rest of your lives. Sounds scary but true because this is the Mazda way because they're always have a penchant of stealing spotlights from the big-shots.
Happy 100th anniversary, Mazda!
No comments:
Post a Comment