Mazda's record rotary speed

The Mazda RX-7 sportscar has clearly caught the imagination of the American public and it was obviously not going to be long before somebody capitalised on this 120-m.p.h. machine’s competition potential.

Car and Driver magazine took the car especially to heart and staff writer Don Sherman recently set a class record of 183.904 m.p.h. at Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah.

Goodyear tyres were mounted on special smooth centre wheels, with Koni supplying the shock absorbers (as they did for the World Championship Lotus in 1978) and NGK the spark plugs.