I found these photos of a JTCC Capella. It seems to be getting hard
to find photos of the old race cars. I my cob webs I remember seeing
photos of Savanna coupes with their hoods held open just a crack and
a plexi shield just in front of the rear edge of the hood.
Explanation at the time was to let hot air out to help cool the
rotaries. This before ground effects and other aerodynamics figured
out. Air dams and rear spoilers common. Raced against 2.0L Skyline GT
R and I believe 1.7L turbo Toyotas. The red Savanna looks like the
one I remember. Early photo from memory had a white air dam.

Dale Davies

The  Capella was called the RX2 in some markets. The last picture is
my 1973 RX2. The Savanna was the RX3 I think.

Paul Lamar


The 2nd pic down is a R100. Awesome pics!


-Dan G.

Yes you are correct Dan. After taking a second look. To be
noted is the plexi "air dam" on the hood of both cars.  I
am sure the RX3/Savanna's also had the plexiglass air dam
also in early years.  And yes the Capella is the same as
RX2 and the Familia is the R100.  It is interesting to note
that Mazda won racing championships with these cars after
only a decade or so of automobile production and 10 years
of work on the rotary engines.

Remarkable feat considering
the devastation of Hiroshima 20 years previously and that a
revolutionary design could be refined enough to beat boing
boing engines with about 100 years of refinement.  The
Mazda people keep beating a different drum and working to
change the world with their designs.  Skyactiv technology
is a step in a direction different from most other
companies that see small turbocharged engines possibly
coupled with hybrid technology.  Fords ecoboost is not
providing the claimed economy results in the real world.
Young people that have more of a tendency to get a thrill
out of quick acceleration on a more regular basis will burn
more fuel.



The problem shows up when you talk to older guys with
ecoboost trucks that drive more conservatively and do not
report economy anywhere close to what they were led to
believe.  It is better than a V8 but not enough.  These
people I have talked to feel they would have been better
off with the V8.  People I have talked to with Skyactiv
vehicles report the mileage is not quite what the stickers
from government testing says but close.  New testing
standard used now; 5 cycle that is supposed to give closer
to what consumers will actually see for mileage.

Dale Davies


It is better to report MPG based on steady speeds.
Say 30, 50 and 80 MPH. At 50 MPH rolling resistance, a strong
function of weight, is roughly half the drag.

Paul Lamar


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