The Mazda FD RX-7 is arguably one of the most iconic shapes in JDM history. Sleek, aggressive, and purposefully designed, it’s long been a favourite among enthusiasts – but Mike’s RX-7 takes things a few steps further.
This isn’t just a clean street car or a casual build. It’s a high-horsepower, rotary-powered drift car that’s been engineered to competition standard – despite being used purely for recreational drifting. Built from the ground up with quality, reliability, and performance in mind, this project showcases exactly what we do best at JDM Motorsport: precision-built, track-ready cars that are just as capable as they are exciting to drive.
Built with Purpose. Completed In-House.
From concept through to testing, every element of Mike’s RX-7 was built entirely in-house. Engine assembly, custom fabrication, performance wiring, fuel and cooling systems, final tuning and track support—all handled by our experienced team to ensure that our quality and engineering standards were upheld.
The core of the build is a CNC bridgeported, race-clearanced 13B-REW rotary engine, paired with a Garrett G35 turbo and supported by a full suite of motorsport-spec systems. The engine is mated to an HGT 5-speed sequential gearbox and delivers between 450–650HP depending on boost and MAP settings.
Getting that kind of performance into a chassis as compact as the FD is no easy task. Every system needed to be well thought out and carefully integrated – especially when factoring in a dry sump, extensive fuel delivery setup, serious cooling capacity, and all the driveline hardware needed to withstand hard, repeatable track use.
Serious Drift Performance—for the Love of It
Mike isn’t chasing podiums or building a race program but he is a long-time member of the Brisbane drift community who simply wanted an RX-7 that could perform at a top-tier level, without compromise.
Even though the car is used for fun, the build quality reflects true competition-grade standards. From the suspension geometry to the driveline, fuel, oiling, and electronic systems, everything has been built for reliability and precision – exactly what’s needed to throw down hard on a drift track and keep coming back for more.
Latest Outing: QR Drift Matsuri
After a series of successful shakedowns and fine tuning, the RX-7 was most recently pushed to its limits at Queensland Raceway for Autumn Drift Matsuri – a weekend-long event known for attracting serious cars and drivers. The RX-7 ran flawlessly across multiple sessions and days, proving itself as both a reliable and highly capable platform.
Beyond the performance, the highlight for our team was watching Mike and his son enjoying the car together – doing exactly what it was built for. That’s the kind of outcome we love to see.
Why It Matters
This project captures what makes our workshop unique. We specialise in rotary-powered cars, competition-calibre drift builds, and the ability to deliver complete, technically complex cars from start to finish – all in-house.
It’s this full-spectrum capability that allows us to maintain complete control over quality, performance, and safety, from the first conversation to final track setup.
Build Specifications
- Engine: 13B-REW, CNC bridgeported, race clearanced and balanced
- Power Output: 450–650HP (dependent on MAP and boost settings)
- Turbo System: Garrett G35, custom-fabricated manifold, Turbosmartexternal wastegate, AES rear muffler
- Oil System: Chips Motorsport dry sump with PWR billet oil cooler
- Cooling: Custom radiator and intercooler fabricated by Mike, with PWR cores
- Transmission: HGT 5-speed sequential
- Clutch & Flywheel: Direct Clutch Services twin plate
- Driveline: Mazdaspeed diff centre, Driveshaft Shop axles and CV joints
- Suspension: Wise-Fab front and rear setup, MCA Drift Spec coilovers
- Braking System: Wilwood custom pedal box, hydro handbrake, oversized brake package
- Fuel System: Radium Engineering fuel cell, fuel hanger, dry-break fill system
- Wiring: Custom made JDM Motorsport harness—Tefzel wire, Raychem DR25, Deutsch Autosport connectors, concentrically twisted, fully booted and back shelled for long-term reliability
- Electronics: Link G4X Fury ECU, MoTeC PDM and keypad
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