When I came across Savant Young’s Mazda RX-3 at the Petersen’s Japanese Car Cruise In, I knew I had found something special.
That inkling was only reinforced when I saw that the Jay Leno’s Garage guys felt the same and had produced an episode starring Savant’s build.
Initially, it was the color that caught my eye – a modern Grigio Telesto scheme taken from the Lamborghini catalog. Savant then added blacked-out trim to give the classic 1973 Mazda a contemporary look.
Against the grey paintwork the black detailing works well, and is an affordable alternative to a monstrous chrome bill too.
Peering behind the forward-tilt hood I spied a 13B turbo from an FC3S RX-7, sure to make the little coupe scoot.
This one’s been bridge-ported and makes 400 horsepower on 15 pounds of boost.
That boost comes courtesy of a GReddy T66 turbo. Also in the mix is a Turbosmart Pro-Gate 45mm wastegate, TiAL blow-off valve and AEM methanol injection, plus an old school MicroTech LT-8s engine management system.
The rear axle has been swapped for a Toyota Hilux unit, still held in place by the factory RX-3 leaf springs. I’m sure you didn’t miss the blacked-out BBS RS wheels, measuring 16×9-inch in the front and 16×10-inch in the rear.
The interior is mostly stock, save for a Nardi steering wheel and a trio of gauges that include an AEM wideband AFR.
My favorite touch was the triangular muffler, a nod to the Mazda’s rotary roots.
Make sure you check out the YouTube link at the beginning of the story to see Savant’s creation rolling down the road. 400 boosted horsepower looks like an awful lot of fun in a Mazda of this vintage.
Keith Charvonia
Instagram: SpeedhuntersKeith
keith@speedhunters.com
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