Elegant and unforgettable - Mazda RX-7

[osterum]

The history of this model began back in March 2021. Then I didn't even think how long it would take. Now I am writing from another city, being more than a thousand kilometers from my home and lego, and I am unlikely to return there for a long time. But let's not talk about sad things!

At first, everything went like clockwork. In six months I have built literally more than half of the car. Periodically, everything had to be redone, because a joint appeared somewhere or I picked up the wrong shape.

The engine in any case had to be working and, of course, the same as the original. Its creation was the starting point. I don't remember anymore, maybe I used the design of other people, maybe I saw it somewhere on YouTube, but it was assembled. Of course, this is not an exact copy of the original, but it is the maximum that can be achieved on such a scale.

Then I created the main body line, but, as it turned out, not very correctly, and in further versions, the large technical panel that perfectly fit under the door sank into Oblivion.

Undoubtedly, brakes are an important attribute of the car. It is difficult to create them on such a scale, but I used sausages, which became an imitation of calipers.

The interior is an equally important part of the car. I also tried to convey it as close as possible to the original, although the door upholstery was added only at the end of development, in August of this year.

Productive construction on the back and roof has ended. I couldn't build a front for two years. Of course, the new educational institution in which I spent high school also contributed, there was not much left for lego.

And now it's time to enter the university, so it was decided to finish the long-term construction at all costs. The result is in front of you. Below we will consider the car in detail.

You can see more photos on my Flickr, if anyone else remembers what it is)

Headlights

For a long time I was busy with another feature of this car — pop up headlights. As a result, it turned out to fit the lever of their opening only under the hood due to the complex layout

Shaping

When creating the body, I also could not do without sausages. They are perfect for the necessary rounding of the nose.

There is an air duct directly behind the front wheel. An immeasurable number of options for creating this element were sorted out and in the end I was not very satisfied with them.

But the back of the model, in my opinion, turned out to be the most recognizable part. But this is also the merit of the original design. The problem with the creation was the rear glazing. In a real car, it is a continuation of the descending roof line. Since it is difficult to recreate good glazing from lego, we had to resort to tricks and use black hoses, as if showing the bending of the glass.

The roof also managed to make a rather complex shape. It seems to wrap around the driver's and passenger's heads from all sides, giving more space for the head.

Rear wing

Optional addition to the model. Right from the factory, these cars were equipped with a similar wing, but I prefer the look without it.

Interior

The interior was recreated in sufficient detail. It was possible to emphasize some lines with the help of a lego string. Also in my model there are door upholstery, which for some reason designers of lego sets and MOCers always forget to do.

Steering

The model, of course, also has steering (with a working steering wheel in the cabin). The HOG is a CV-joint part, which can be easily removed. Perhaps not the best solution, but it made it possible to place the gears very compactly without interfering with the appearance.

Functions:

-Opening the hood with a lever in the cabin, opening the trunk;

-Opening doors on the "virtual axis";

-Differential and rear-wheel drive for a two-section rotary engine;

-Steering with a HOG on the hood + rotating steering wheel in the cabin;

-Pop up headlights.

In the video you can see the work of these functions, as well as a couple of unusual angles :D

More photos on Flickr,
Instructions on Boosty,
Design and 3D printing of wheels - 469customs
(The wheels are the same size as the regular wheels from the Mustang)

Thank you all!

Edited October 23, 2023 by osterum

[v01p]

This looks awesome. Really enjoy the functions and the clever use of system parts including the sausage and string. And thank you for such a detailed description of the design process and the side-by-side photos of the original car and your model.

[jorgeopesi]

Awesome car and even much more for its scale, I love all the solutions, the engine is fantastic and I like the steering solution too, very good job.

[2GodBDGlory]

Very nice job! It definitely looks like a passion project, and the attention to detail is great!

[Milan]

Frontpaged.

Great description and backstory for the model!
It brings back memories of El-Caracho's presentations and write-ups from 20 years ago.

 

 

[gnat_bricks]

WOW , I'm not a Technic guy but this is truly awesome. 

Congrats! Really loved the rotary engine. 

[Gargoles]

It looks great! You have done a really good job. Lego is art, lego technic is art too and this a good example.

Edited October 24, 2023 by Gargoles

[Romanista]

Hi osterum,

Awesome MOC! Very accurate and detailed. There are a lot of smart solutions. Considering the scale and functionality, it's really great build. 

[eric trax]

Fantastic details for this scale! I especially like how the rear lamps look, so characteristic of this car :)

[HorcikDesigns]

Wow. I have recently built rx7-like car too, but your attempt is despite some similar solutions way ahead, and superior in model accuracy. Good job! 

[Gray Gear]

Yeah 

On 10/23/2023 at 10:06 PM, osterum said:

I don't remember anymore, maybe I used the design of other people, maybe I saw it somewhere on YouTube, but it was assembled.

Yeah that is my original design for the rotor, you probably saw THIS video on youtube. Honestly I'd have preferred if you had copied the whole engine as this housing is spinning the rotor in the wrong direction in relation to its movement. This is not how a rotary engine works.

That out of the way, I have to say you created a nice small-scale representation of the FD, with some nice details and functions. Well done.

[Aurorasaurus]

this is a stunning model. well done

[8868]

Hi. I bought the instructions for your Mazda RX-7. I want to built it, but I don't have functional part list. Your part list don't work with Rebrickable. I got "Could not determine file type" message. It is possible to get a part list working with Rebrickable? I am not allowed to send PM so I have to post it here. Thanks. Michal