Apologies if I start this post off on a slightly negative note, but knowing what 7’s Day (7/7) used to be like in Japan, it’s hard not to be concerned about the lack of attendees that showed up for the official event. unofficially Daikoku PA meeting last weekend.
Although it has been a bit quieter in recent years, the low turnout on Sunday late afternoon/early evening can be attributed to the annual 7’s Day event held at Mobara Circuit, which this year fell on 7/7. Most owners who attended would have skipped Daikoku PA on the way back, having already had their 7’s Day fix before a new working week.
But whatever the reason for this small gathering, what started out as a quiet and relaxed gathering thankfully became more lively as the evening turned into night.
July 7 marks an eternal celebration of one of Japan’s most revered performance car models. The Mazda RX-7 in all its generations is beloved by enthusiasts the world over, and for good reason: these are great sports cars with unique – and highly tunable – rotary engines.
The Mazda rotary engine, and therefore models like the RX-7, have been out of production for some time now, but as owners continue to refine, restore and tune their cars, the picture only gets better.
7’s Day isn’t just for RX-7s; all Mazda rotaries join in the festivities. The only Cosmo I saw was this pristine HB coupe with the 12A engine and iconic early-’80s pop-up lights. I love these things, but if I had to pick a favorite Cosmo, it would be the rounder JC variant (1990-1996), available with the 20B three-rotor engine.
I got to drive this Veilside Fortune FD3S RX-7, a bit of a throwback to the old days as I photographed the movie cars that Veilside built for them. The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift back in the day. If you visit Tokyo, you can rent this car, which is pretty cool.
As it got darker, more cars arrived, which was my salvation.
This FD3S, fitted with the iconic Mazdaspeed MS-02 wheels (by RAYS), is a regular at 7’s Day.
As every time July 7th rolls around in Daikoku PA, I fall in love with these cars.
If after a night like this you’re not thinking about buying an RX-7 – and you’re not imagining what you’d do with its aesthetics and engine – are you even a true enthusiast?
Which brings me to this question: If you had an RX-7, how would you do it? Stock or keep it simple? Light mods? Heavy mods? Or maybe a full RE Amemiya conversion?
The biggest surprise was seeing Car Shop Glow’s ‘GT race car for the street’ FD3S RX-7, which we first spotted at Weekfest Japan 2024 a few months ago. This car reminds me of the Revolution time attack FD3S from ten years ago, but designed to be driven on public roads. Toby shot a feature on this beast, so stay tuned.
When it was time to leave, several other cars had begun to pull into the parking lot, which would have surely pleased the many tourists arriving in tour buses. There’s no better place to get a taste of authentic Japanese car culture than Daikoku PA – even on a 7/7 Sunday with a smaller-than-hopeful RX-7 turnout.
Dino Dalle Carbonare
Instagram: dino_dalle_carbonare
dino@speedhunters.com