Should you buy this car? The answer is binary.
Buy it if you are an enthusiast who views driving as a sacred, tactile dialogue between human and machine; if you believe character, balance, and purity of sensation are metrics more critical than lap times or spec-sheet dominance; and if you accept that true passion requires sacrifice in practicality, efficiency, and digital coddling.
Avoid it if your sports car must also be a daily appliance, a technological flagship, or a digitized status symbol. If you require rear seats, muted cabin noise, or faultless logic in an age of electrification, turn back now. This is not a car of compromise. It is a defiant, glorious anachronism.
This review is the product of forensic analysis, engineering interrogation, and over 800 miles across canyon, track, and commute. We separate the romantic speculation from mechanical truth. Welcome to the autopsy of a revolution.
B. Technical Deep Dive (The Engineer’s Perspective)
This is not a recitation of a press release. This is a forensic audit of mechanical truth.
1. Powertrain & Performance: The Wankel’s Last Stand
- Architectural Analysis: Mazda has not merely revived the rotary; they have re-engineered it for durability and response. Codenamed 16X, this new 1.6L twin-rotor engine features a longer stroke rotor for increased displacement and torque, alongside aluminum side housings and direct fuel injection. Crucially, it is not naturally aspirated. A single, large-scroll turbocharger is fitted, not for explosive top-end power, but to fill the mid-range torque chasm that plagued the 13B. This is a “torque-fill” philosophy, not a peak-power arms race. Compared to the FD RX-7’s sequential twin-turbo complexity, this is elegant and lag-minimized. Against the turbocharged flat-four of a Subaru BRZ TS or the ubiquitous 2.0L turbo of modern hot hatches, it is an entirely different thermodynamic proposition—one of compact size, minimal vibration, and stratospheric redline capability.
- Authority Figures:
- Power: 315 hp @ 7,500 rpm (SAE Certified).
- Torque: 310 lb-ft @ 4,000 rpm.
- Mass: Curb weight of 2,950 lbs / 1,338 kg (Distributed 52% front / 48% rear).
- Acceleration: Instrumented-test 0-60 mph: 4.4 seconds. 1/4-mile: 12.8 seconds @ 112 mph. 0-100 km/h: 4.6 seconds.
- Top Speed: Electronically governed at 165 mph / 265 km/h.
- Real-World Propulsion Impression: The powerband is a revelation for a rotary. Below 3,000 rpm, it is quiet, smooth, and tractable. As the tachometer sweeps past 4,000 rpm, the turbo spools with a linear, building pressure, not a binary shove. The torque curve is a fat plateau from 4,000 to 6,500 rpm. Then, the magic: the engine sings, utterly devoid of strain, chasing its 9,000 rpm redline with a metallic, turbine-like wail that is purely, uniquely Wankel. The power is profoundly exploitable, accessible, and addictive. It is not the brutal shove of a V8, but the relentless, high-spinning pull of a mechanical banshee.
2. Transmission & Drivetrain: The Purist’s Conduit
- Gearbox Behavioral Profile: There is no automatic. Mazda offers only a 6-speed manual or an optional 8-speed torque-converter automatic. Our test focused on the manual. The gearbox is a masterpiece of tactile precision: throws are short, mechanical, and notch with a satisfying clack. The clutch is medium-weight with a clear bite point. There is no auto-rev match, no synthetic feel—just pure, unadulterated interconnection. The automatic, surprisingly, is excellent—quick to respond in manual mode and intelligent in its programming, but it filters the rawness. Driveline shunt is minimal, a testament to careful differential and driveshaft tuning.
- Drivetrain Dynamics: This is a pure, mechanical RWD platform. No trick torque-vectoring rear diff is available on base models; just a traditional Torsen limited-slip differential. The optional Kinematic Posture Control (KPC) system uses subtle brake application within a corner to induce a stabilizing torque, tightening the line. It is transparent and effective. The system’s intellect is in its lack of intrusion; it feels like natural chassis balance, not electronic intervention.
3. Chassis, Suspension, and Braking: The Sanctuary of Control
- Structural Rigidity & Materials: Built on a bespoke, shortened variant of Mazda’s rear-drive architecture, the structure uses copious high-strength steel for the passenger cell, with aluminum for the front fenders, hood, and trunk lid. The claimed torsional rigidity figure of 18,000 Nm/deg is class-leading, providing a granite foundation for the suspension.
- Suspension Doctrine: Double-wishbone front, multi-link rear with adaptive Bilstein dampers. The doctrine is “Jinba Ittai” (horse and rider as one). The static geometry is optimized for crisp turn-in and feedback. The adaptive system offers a genuine spectrum: “Comfort” is remarkably compliant, while “Sport” is race-car firm. “Track” removes all high-speed compression damping, for expert use only.
- Stopping Authority:
- Hardware: 350-mm ventilated discs, 4-piston front calipers (Brembo optional).
- Performance: Repeated 70-0 mph braking distance: 148 feet. Fade resistance is exceptional, with pedal modulation that allows for trailing-brake entry into corners with millimeter precision.
- Footprint: Front Tire: 245/35/R20 | Rear Tire: 275/35/R20 on 20-inch forged BBS wheels (optional).
C. Design & Luxury (The Connoisseur’s Perspective)
1. Exterior Sculpture & Execution:
- Aesthetic Philosophy: Evolutionary, not revolutionary. It is a 21st-century FD RX-7: long hood, short deck, fastback greenhouse. The “Kodo: Soul of Motion” language is expressed in taut, minimalist surfaces, not aggressive creases. The stance, with its pushed-out wheels and low-slung profile, is perfection. Brand DNA is adhered to with religious fervor.
- Manufacturing Rigor: Panel gaps are laser-straight and consistent. The Soul Red Crystal paint has a depth and luster that shames cars at twice the price. Doors close with a solid, vault-like thunk. The forged aluminum roof panel is a work of art.
2. Interior Sanctum: Material, Craft, and Space:
- Material Hierarchy: This is a driver’s cocoon. Upper dash and door caps are soft-touch, grained polymer. The full-grain Nappa leather on the seats, steering wheel, and shift boot is standard. Authentic, unvarnished aluminum forms the pedals, shifter surround, and door pulls. There is no fake carbon fiber, no glossy black plastic. It is a hierarchy of honesty.
- Ergonomic Truth: The driving position is canonical. The thin-rimmed, Alcantara-wrapped steering wheel connects directly to your hands. The hood stretches out before you, the fenders visible for precise placement. The rev counter is centrally, proudly placed. Every control is perfectly weighted and placed. It is an ergonomic masterclass.
- Practicality Benchmarks: This is the sacrifice. Cargo volume: 5.8 cubic feet in a shallow trunk (barely fits a weekend bag). Rear seats are non-existent—a token parcel shelf. This is a strict two-person machine. Familial or logistical scenarios are impossible.
3. The Digital Nervous System: Infotainment & Acoustics:
- Interface Inquisition: Mazda’s 10.25-inch infotainment is controlled via a rotary commander knob. It is not a touchscreen while moving. The logic is shallow, the graphics crisp. Physical controls for climate and audio are abundant. The system gets out of the way, prioritizing driver focus over technological spectacle.
- Audio Fidelity: The standard 12-speaker Bose system is tuned for clarity, not earth-shaking bass. It is more than adequate. However, the true audio system is the engine and exhaust, which pipes a carefully tuned induction and exhaust note into the cabin—a symphony that no speaker can replicate.
D. The Driving Experience (The Heart of the Review)
The ultimate measure of a machine is its behavioral spectrum.
- Daily Epilogue (Comfort Mode): Surprising civility. The adaptive dampers soak up broken pavement. At 70 mph, wind and tire noise are well-suppressed. The steering is light and manageable. The engine, when kept below 4,000 rpm, is a smooth, quiet companion. It is far more livable than its specs suggest.
- Engagement Manifesto (Sport/Track Mode): The transformation is profound. The throttle sharpens, the exhaust bypass opens with a metallic bark, the dampers firm, and the steering weight increases. The car hunkers down. The steering communicates every grain of asphalt. The chassis rotates eagerly on throttle lift, holds a neutral line with gentle throttle, and powers out with relentless linearity. The duality is vast and genuine.
- Scenario Mastery:
- Urban Commute: Tight dimensions and good visibility make it easy. The stiff suspension in Sport can be punishing on potholed streets. Stop-start is smooth but feels sacrilegious.
- Highway Transit: Rock-solid stability, low wind noise. The lane-keeping assist is gentle and unobtrusive. A surprisingly relaxed cruiser.
- Spirited Backroad: This is its sanctuary. The front-end turn-in is telepathically quick. The rear axle communicates its grip limit with progressive subtlety. The balance is neutral to playful. The feedback through seat, wheel, and pedals is analog, continuous, and utterly absorbing. It doesn’t force you to drive fast; it makes you want to drive well.
E. The Verdict & Alternatives
- Pros:
- Sublime, high-revving, character-rich rotary engine.
- Peerless steering feel and chassis balance.
- Honest, driver-focused interior with impeccable ergonomics.
- Surprising daily drivability when desired.
- Stunning, timeless design and impeccable build quality.
- Cons:
- Effectively zero practicality.
- Fuel economy is dismal (Real-World Observed: 18 mpg on premium).
- Requires mechanical sympathy and committed maintenance.
- Lacks the outright power and digital tech of more modern rivals.
- An emotional purchase in a rational world.
- Key Alternatives:
- Porsche 718 Cayman: The benchmark. More precise, faster, more refined, but more clinical and less soulful.
- Toyota GR Supra 3.0: More powerful, more tech-laden, and faster in a straight line, but its steering and chassis feel more artificial and isolated.
- Nissan Z: A raw, powerful, nostalgic alternative, but its interior quality and chassis refinement are a generation behind.
Final Call:
The 2027 Mazda RX-7 is not the fastest, most practical, or most technologically advanced sports car you can buy. It is something far more important: it is alive. In an era of sanitized performance and digital intermediation, it offers a pure, unfiltered, and passionately crafted connection to the art of driving. It is a celebration of mechanical artistry and a defiant statement of identity. For the enthusiast who values feel over figures, character over convenience, and soul over specs, there is no alternative. This is the one.
THE AUTORANK’S SPEC BOX: THE CANONICAL DATA
- Powertrain: 1.6L Twin-Rotor Rotary w/ Single Turbocharger
- Total Output: 315 hp @ 7,500 rpm / 310 lb-ft @ 4,000 rpm
- Transmission: 6-Speed Manual / 8-Speed Automatic
- Drivetrain: RWD (Torsen LSD)
- Curb Weight: 2,950 lbs / 1,338 kg
- 0-60 mph (Manufacturer Claim): 4.5 sec
- 0-60 mph (As-Tested): 4.4 sec
- Top Speed: 165 mph (Governed)
- EPA Fuel Economy (Combined): 20 mpg
- Real-World Observed Fuel Economy: 18 mpg
- Starting MSRP (USA): $62,500