Mazda RX-7 FC

The story

Mazda built the FC after asking American buyers what they wanted, and the answer was a more civilized sports car. So the live axle went, and in its place came an independent rear end with a clever floating hub that steers the rear wheels a fraction with no sensors at all, slightly out for eagerness in gentle bends and slightly in for stability as cornering loads climb. The turbocharged 13B made it properly quick, especially after the 1989 update lifted output to 205 PS (202 hp) in Japan and gave the car its round taillights.

Its reputation has always suffered from the company it keeps. The first RX-7 won the races, the FD became the pin-up, and the resemblance to the Porsche 944 earned the FC a copycat label it never deserved. Drive one and the smooth, rising howl, the light nose and the sweet gearshift tell a different story. It became a hero of mountain roads and drift days, starred in Initial D, and its Japan-only Anfini editions previewed the lighter, sharper FD. Look after it and it delights; skimp on care and the engine will ask for a rebuild.