FD

 

it still works for me, you may want to go to the "streetfire" page and do a search for single turbo Supra and triple rotor RX-7 or "three rotor"

 

from a high speed roll, all that really matters is 1) horsepower 2) Cd...the weight difference between these cars (about 700 pounds) means less as you approach 100 and beyond...basic physics

 

there's more to racing than just downshifting on the highway

 

ZX-10, I've seen FD's last 150K while being beat on, but I've also seen granny driven FD's barely make it past 80K. A non modded, turbo engine should pass 100K with relatively low amounts of drama, especially considering it isn't making 300HP but drinks gas as if it made 400hp.
A lot of folks are put off by FDs because of this well documented aspect. Yes, with the right tuner, right parts, right know how, etc etc it can be built right, but that can also be said about TVRs and Jags.
It's like me telling folks hey, 2G DSMs can be built to be bullet proof, all you need to do is retrofit a 1G motor, convert it into a 2G head, and utilize all the stock emissions equipment, etc etc.
Any car can be made to be bullet proof/fast/good looking/etc with the right know how, but the fact that the car needs to essentially be re-engineered proves the point of its fallacies. The FD is a fantastic car, but until it can survive consistently pass 100K within its limits we're all going to call it unreliable.
I say all this not to be arugmentative, but to explain our side of the story, this isn't an issue like people saying all domestics suck or whatever, it's that the rotaries require special attentiveness that's beyond most people's tolerances. Kudos to you for making a wonderful car work, for most of us it just isn't worth it.

 

most of the reliability issues stem from the overly complex sequential twin turbo system, stubbornly inflexible ECU, and the coolant seals

rotaries do require more maintenance than a piston engine, it just depends on what your tolerance level is for working on the car...I would never daily drive an FD

 

The main reason I got a AP1 rather then a FD is the reliability (my car is DD)

 

I wonder if anyone else appreciated this comment as much as I did.

Nicely played!

 

sure, but that's the context of the vid, which, like most of the ubiquitous "you tube" examples, consists of a straightforward highway roll...aside from brake boosting, it's pretty mindless

 

Nicely written. FDs and Rx-7s are my favorite cars, and while it does get beneath my skin a bit to hear so many people calling them POS or unreliable, I usually just let it go without any arguement.. just because my opinion isnt going to change anyone else's, and partially because it may be deserved in some sense. The FD IMO is the perfect car, but it does have a few drawbacks that need attention. And even when everything is done to ensure proper working, every once in a while it can still bite you in the ass for no apparant reason. If Mazda had put the extra parts/engineering needed to update the cooling and turbo systems the car probably would have a much better reputation than it does today. However, the car probably would have cost an extra $5k on top of tha already steep high 30k range it was selling for (or not selling) in the early 90s. If you are willing to put up with the few headaches the car can throw at you, the reward is huge. I like my S2000 alot. Ive had it turbo'd, and I love how I can feel that I can boost it to 500whp and it still be reliable enough to take anywhere at anytime. (Something I couldnt always say with my FD). Ive been to meets and have drove/rode in S2ks with 4-500HP and modded to the gills, but it still doesnt touch the feeling my FD gave me even just ~320WHP and a nice suspension under it. Ive always thought my next car would be a Viper.. but Im going back to FD. My friends call me crazy, but its just a car that gets to you and I dont feel any other car out there right now has what the FD can deliver. My worthless $.02