Mazda RX-7 – PPG Pace Car
Now painted orange, the RX-7 is part of Mazda’s Heritage Collection.
History
There’s not a lot of info on this one, but the car was repainted at some point from the purple/red/orange/yellow gradient to a metallic orange.
Specifications
The RX-7 also received OZ Racing 3-piece wheels to replace the painted cast wheels in the earlier side photo. Unlike most PPG Pace Cars, this one has a manual transmission. In a TFL Car video of the Mazda Heritage Collection, they said the engine made 350 HP.
Current Status
The RX-7 is part of Mazda’s Heritage Collection, located in Irvine, CA.
Thanks to TFL Cars for sharing
From the old http://www.cart.com website:
Mazda RX-7 – this addition to the pace car fleet sports PPG’s Mandarin Orange paint and features a potent 270 hp sequential, twin-turbocharged, intercooled two-rotor engine.
I’m pretty sure this was the car at McLaren engineering in the 90s
I used to sit in all the time When I was just a kid.
I wanted this car so bad. Surprise, I didn’t get it.
My son is now 13 and he was showing me what kind of car he wants. He show me a Mazda like this one.
I had to look to see if I could find This one I remember wanting it so bad. It’s so funny that he wants the first car I ever wanted too.
My Dad is Joe Bunetto He worked At mclaren for many years. Probably on that car. Thought I would share What I know about the cars past.
I’m sure you are right, as McLaren had a hand in many of the PPG Pace Cars in the 80’s and 90’s. Awesome that you got to see it in person!
When the RX7 was first painted I was working at the shop that did it a I was the guy that painted it the Orange. The pigment was an experimental Pyramid pearl metallic. I also remember that the car was sent to a media blaster that used baking soda and water but was still able to destroy the original hood. Even got to choose the colors for the “PPG INDY PACE CAR” door logo.