In a quiet corner of Retro Havoc 2024Amidst a group of 950 customized cars sat an inconspicuous Mazda, seemingly separated from the rest of the show.
Whether it was due to a late arrival by its owner, Tiup, or the critical eye of Retro Havoc organizers Alie Kuoppa and Farah Darlings, the little Mazda Familia had found itself in its own display case. But what makes this 90s hatchback so special that it deserves a spotlight? Honestly, not much at first glance. The Familia is unremarkable in most guises, but it does share its pedigree with some notable relatives.
The Familia name has been around since 1963, debuting in Japan as a two-door van – and then in other body styles – after being coined by 25-year-old Giorgetto Giugiaro. In foreign markets, it was known as the Mazda 800. The second-generation Familia (Mazda 1000) arrived in 1967, again in various body styles and with four-cylinder engines as the basis for the model. There was one exception, however – the Familia Rotary (also known as the R100), which featured Mazda’s first production rotary engine, the 10A. The high-performance Familia’s success in motorsports – including a notable performance at the 1969 Spa 24 Hours – marked Mazda’s early triumphs and laid the foundation for future legends like the 787B. In the early 1970s, Mazda’s rotary engine would also be fitted to the Grand Familia, better known as the Savanna or RX-3.
But we’re not here to talk about rotary’s.
Ultimately, the Familia line was powered exclusively by four-cylinder engines. The rotary engine, however, remained, most notably in the Mazda RX-7. Which brings us, in a roundabout way, to the world of rallying.
Mazda Rally Team Europe briefly entered an RX-7 in Group B. Despite being underpowered and rear-wheel drive, the Mazda managed to finish on the podium at the Acropolis Rally. Unfortunately, that was the end of the road; Mazda would not support the development of an all-wheel drive RX-7, and with that, Group B came to an end. Enter Group A and the Mazda Familia in the form of the BF series.
At its peak in the early 1990s, the BG series Familia – or 323 in export markets – featured an all-wheel drive, turbocharged 1.8L four-cylinder powertrain in its most performance-oriented JDM production models. For homologation purposes, 2,200 Familia GT-Rs and 300 Familia GT-Ae (a motorsports-based model with lighter weight and a close-ratio gearbox, among other changes) variants were produced exclusively for the Japanese domestic market. While the Familia couldn’t match the likes of Lancia, Ford, Toyota and Subaru on the World Rally Championship podium, the 300bhp Group A car was far from a failure.
While the sixth generation Familia I spotted at Retro Havoc looks like Like a GT-R/GT-Ae with the signature rally-style front bumper, grille, vented hood and five-stud hubs, it is not. It’s not even a GT-X – the entry-level four-wheel drive turbocharged BG-series Familia. It started life as a humble front-wheel drive, naturally aspirated variant sold new in Malaysia.
It’s still front-wheel drive under Malaysian car laws, but that’s where most of the similarities between how it left the factory and how it looks now begin and end. In search of the best BG Familia hatchback with the resources at his disposal, Tiup turned to Japanese wreckers and auction sites to source all the OEM and aftermarket parts.
Inside, the car features GT-R leather seats front and rear (the driver’s seat has since been replaced by a rare Mazdaspeed armchair), plus a Mazdaspeed steering wheel, a 240 km/h speedometer and various Defi gauges.
Under the hood, the original 1.5L engine makes way for a BP 1.8L turbocharged unit from a GT-R. With locally made intake and exhaust manifolds and other power-enhancing tweaks thrown into the mix, the engine makes a far greater output than its original 210 horsepower. That would be a problem for the drivetrain if the car were all-wheel drive – the factory AWD gearboxes were a weak link – but that’s not the case with all that power being sent to the front wheels. Although, traction is an issue.
While it’s not the Familia model it visually mimics, Tiup’s build represents everything that’s great about Malaysian car culture at the enthusiast level. Where there’s a will, there’s a way.
Toby Thyer
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