The Mazda Roadpacer was a full-size sedan sold by Mazda Motor Corp. of Japan between 1975 and 1977. It was based on the Australian Holden Premier. Premiers were shipped to Japan without engines, and Mazda fitted a 1.3 L 13BWankel engine into the bay. Although the engine produced 181 hp (135 kW) and 101 ft.lbf (138 Nm) of torque, the Roadpacer weighed 3,500 lb (1,575 kg).
Performance was restrained with a 103 mph (166 km/h) top speed, and fuel consumption was terrible. Contemporary reports suggest 9 mpg (26 L per 100 km).
The price was also not a bargain at 3.8 million yen (US$10,000) in 1975. This was about twice the price of a contemporary Mazda Cosmo. The car was sold in the wake of the first fuel crisis and was not a commercial success. It was out of production in three years.
External link
Official Mazda history of the Roadpacer AP (http://www.mazda.com/history/rotary/g2-6.html)
Mazda was widely criticised in Europe for the sheer blandness of its late-1990s designs, including the last 323 and 626 which compared unfavourably to the previous models.
Mazda's competition debut was on October 20, 1968 when two Mazda Cosmo Sport 110S coupes entered the 84 hour Marathon de la Route ultraendurance race at Nurburgring, one finishing in fourth place and the other breaking an axle after 81 hours.
Mazda is the only Asian automaker to have won the 24 Hours of Le Mans race, which the company accomplished in 1991 with their rotary-powered 787B.
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