Heck yeah! So both cars sit at about 2750lbs at the moment. I plan on dropping another 60-70lbs on the FC and that combined with a shorter final drive should definitely make a huge improvement. As for the FD, i’ll get it closer to 2700lbs flat and in another year or two i’ll finally go with a more modern turbo, mainly for reliability and response. Either way, both cars are a constant work in progress. Thanks for the review!
Great cars! Both classics. I love them both but the FD was around when i was first getting into car ownership and I wanted one sooooo bad but it never happened. One of the best looking cars ever imo.
"The Topher," has been one of my favorite auto review channels from first view as well as "Winding Road," which just has a cool pov format. Great to just put on the ear buds and pump up the volume to. As long as the review car isn't an EV that is. Found Daily Motor, and now your channel through him also. I really like your review style as well. The FC when introduced was really the poor man's Porsche 944. If I'm not mistaken in 1986, when introduced, the FC had a certain type of rear wheel steering system. Not sure if the 1990 car you drove did as well or not though. DTSS, I believe is what it was called. The FD is among my favorite cars ever produced from any manufacturer. Incredible automobile.
Those aren’t just any red Recaros they are the Kevlar Spirit R seats! It’s the NSX-R seat equivalent unicorn. Your butt was blessed and you didn’t even know!
Never clicked on a video so fast in my LIFE lol. I'm so happy to see this, I wanted to see that white FC in the background of one of the other videos and thankfully it's happening haha. Man I miss having a rotary in my life.
Great review, FC in its peak form (Turbo 2) is hard to find especially in stock form due to the slew of NA models and the dominance of convertibles in the market. I think a T2 would have gave you a much better appreciation of the FC when comparing its bargain price compared to the FD. Single turbo, as much power as a BRZ and a classic car design for less than $15,000.
Getting hp out of a rotary is an art form. There were some very talented kids down the street from us who built a serious FD RX-7. Far less civilized than Erik's. It had a much more aggressive exhaust note that was absolutely gorgeous.
Last month I traveled to Japan for Tokyo Auto Salon. During the stay I rented a FD and your comments on the turn in and boost hit confirmed my impressions of the car. One thing that surprised me was how easy and well mannered the FD is around town and at low speeds, the clutch is easy and progressive and the car is fine with being in stop and go traffic much more than a Corvette or 911 from the era. Over all the worst thing about the FD for me was not being able to look at it while driving.
Nice video. The fuel cut is being caused by having low fuel level. The acceleration, plug up hill angle causes the fuel not to be picked up there fuel starving the engine. Many rotary cars blow up because of fuel starvation. Never get on hard boost with anything close to a quarter tank. There is a way to fix it. Install a surge tank or don't let the fuel get that low. Brap on
Yup. Thanks for pointing that out. I let a few people drive the car and didn't think to check how much fuel was in there by the time Fenton drove it.🤦♂It had more than 3/4's when we started
I am a rotard who also owns an Fd and always willing to help other enthusiasts. Rotary cars get a bad reputation but most often it is the owners, tuners or builders fault the engine goes. Nice car by the way and brap.
Been loving the content but, when are you going to drive a supercharged Exige/Elise. I've been waiting to see how you it compares to other cars you've driven.
Such a cool video man great work! Pleassseee if you could do a comparison of the NA/NB Miata vs FC/FD RX-7 or RX-7 vs RX-8 that would be so cool :) More Mazda content please 😅😳
The FD is definitely not the car for a beginner in terms of maintenance and learning curve. It my first car in high school (yes I was lucky) On the first day I got the car, I spun out since the ground was a bit wet and I wasn't ready for the boost and torque from 4K. Luckily, I narrowly missed oncoming traffic and only a minor tire bump on a curb. That set the tone on how I drive and handle my sports cars now in my late 30's. Definitely one of the most fun cars I have owned and driven, but also a more difficult car to master.
I think a properly running sequential system would have fixed your issue with the drop in boost from gear to gear with the FD. It would have been cool to compare a Good condition Turbo II and a sequential FD. They both handle very similar but larger powerband with the FD. The Turbo II's larger brakes and much more power would make for a great comparison to the FD as long as neither are close to stock or have similar upgrades. I've owned both and still own an FD and can say they are very close aside from the extra power and broader powerband from the FD's sequentials. Handling wise, they are very similar.
I've owned a bone-stock FD with working sequential twin turbos, and driven a friend's bone-stock FC Turbo II. This was 10-15 cars when both cars had less mileage and wear.The FC was surprisingly close in terms of both power and handling, I didn't expect it to drive as well as it did. The FC is not quite as pretty, but less expensive and a much more practical car considering there is so much more space inside.
@@scotty305 yep, many people do not know this but the FC and FD are very close in those aspects. It's really the updated power adders that make the difference from the factory. I'm still an FC guy at heart as that was my first introduction to Rotaries, I'm sure I'll snag another close to stock TII down the road to add to my collection.
As a Former 1987 Sport Owner I miss it's good days. It's bad days, not so much.... If you can get past its maintenance headaches, and they were headaches. I thought it was a well-balanced good daily driving car. And suited the skills of the average driver. The FD however, is so tight and Spartan. It seems more track oriented. And everything is better than the RX-8. I really wish Mazda had offered the rotary in the Miata? It seems like on such a small car, like a perfect match? Why was it never even an option? 🤔
@@Zygrene yes it really changes the nsx alot. I dont feel like i am missing out in the realm of supercars when considering the power to weight and its stick
Parallel turbos really ruin the FD's experience by a ton, it's a proven fact that you lose a ton of torque for minimal power gains at the very very top end which is almost unusable even for spirited driving like on the hills. Twin turbos are perfect, or simply go for a fast spooling BW single or upgrade the twins. Nothing else.
Same, I used to have a single turbo converted FD 430whp. Loved the car but the maintenance to keep it running was outrageous. I now own an Ap2 S2000 as its replacement.
On the FB (I've owned them for 35 years), you have to put the car in the context of it's time if you're going to do a review. It's a very rudimentary car, with recirculating ball (and likely unassisted) steering and a live rear axle it's not going to feel as fast to respond to steering inputs and it's not going to be precise in how you can place it in a corner. It's also not going to help you if you make mistakes. The rear end does let go first and will get unsettled over bumps in corners. But it is VERY raw, pure and direct, and only 2400 pounds. You will know exactly what's going on underneath you and it's extremely fun. Just not modern at all.
I had an FD, single turbo ~400RWHP and that was just a blast to drive, Long sweeping corners at 200kph and it felt like half that.. I never got into FC's much, but I've had a dozen FB's, a well Streetported 12A with Weber downdraft carbs and headers is a TON of fun, especially on a dirt road if the car isn't a pristine car and you dare. I had a stock GSL SE as well, it started to run out of breath around 5500 RPM, which is just where the streetported 12A started to really wake up and want to go.. For cars that were so similar, they had wildly different attitudes Here's a very old vid of my GSL SE, before most cameras had sound with the video! th-cam.com/video/gcNAd506-6c/w-d-xo.html
Heck yeah! So both cars sit at about 2750lbs at the moment. I plan on dropping another 60-70lbs on the FC and that combined with a shorter final drive should definitely make a huge improvement. As for the FD, i’ll get it closer to 2700lbs flat and in another year or two i’ll finally go with a more modern turbo, mainly for reliability and response. Either way, both cars are a constant work in progress. Thanks for the review!
Nice cars and name
Great cars! Both classics. I love them both but the FD was around when i was first getting into car ownership and I wanted one sooooo bad but it never happened. One of the best looking cars ever imo.
Eye spy Infini 3 seats. Perfect for back roads and track days 👌
If you fit in them.
What are using to hold your commander in the FD? Looks very solid!
I too had both FCs and FDs, I prefer the FD personally. Good job on keeping it clean.
"The Topher," has been one of my favorite auto review channels from first view as well as "Winding Road," which just has a cool pov format. Great to just put on the ear buds and pump up the volume to. As long as the review car isn't an EV that is. Found Daily Motor, and now your channel through him also. I really like your review style as well. The FC when introduced was really the poor man's Porsche 944. If I'm not mistaken in 1986, when introduced, the FC had a certain type of rear wheel steering system. Not sure if the 1990 car you drove did as well or not though. DTSS, I believe is what it was called. The FD is among my favorite cars ever produced from any manufacturer. Incredible automobile.
Love both cars but that FD is so beautiful. Thanks for the review.
Those aren’t just any red Recaros they are the Kevlar Spirit R seats! It’s the NSX-R seat equivalent unicorn. Your butt was blessed and you didn’t even know!
Geez, no wonder my butt's been tingling ever since
you are truly blessed to have access to such beautiful roads😥
Never clicked on a video so fast in my LIFE lol. I'm so happy to see this, I wanted to see that white FC in the background of one of the other videos and thankfully it's happening haha.
Man I miss having a rotary in my life.
Great review, FC in its peak form (Turbo 2) is hard to find especially in stock form due to the slew of NA models and the dominance of convertibles in the market. I think a T2 would have gave you a much better appreciation of the FC when comparing its bargain price compared to the FD. Single turbo, as much power as a BRZ and a classic car design for less than $15,000.
Getting hp out of a rotary is an art form. There were some very talented kids down the street from us who built a serious FD RX-7. Far less civilized than Erik's. It had a much more aggressive exhaust note that was absolutely gorgeous.
Last month I traveled to Japan for Tokyo Auto Salon. During the stay I rented a FD and your comments on the turn in and boost hit confirmed my impressions of the car. One thing that surprised me was how easy and well mannered the FD is around town and at low speeds, the clutch is easy and progressive and the car is fine with being in stop and go traffic much more than a Corvette or 911 from the era. Over all the worst thing about the FD for me was not being able to look at it while driving.
Where did you rent that from? I’m travelling to Tokyo soon.
@@beegtea OMOSHIRO RENT-A-CAR
I prefer the FC looks wise. Also because it was driven by the better brother in initial D
Yes! Love this comparison!
Nice video. The fuel cut is being caused by having low fuel level. The acceleration, plug up hill angle causes the fuel not to be picked up there fuel starving the engine. Many rotary cars blow up because of fuel starvation. Never get on hard boost with anything close to a quarter tank. There is a way to fix it. Install a surge tank or don't let the fuel get that low. Brap on
Yup. Thanks for pointing that out. I let a few people drive the car and didn't think to check how much fuel was in there by the time Fenton drove it.🤦♂It had more than 3/4's when we started
I am a rotard who also owns an Fd and always willing to help other enthusiasts. Rotary cars get a bad reputation but most often it is the owners, tuners or builders fault the engine goes. Nice car by the way and brap.
Awesome cars, enjoyed this one! But it was a little distracting/concerning seeing how much the seat was moving around on you in the FD. LOL
Been loving the content but, when are you going to drive a supercharged Exige/Elise. I've been waiting to see how you it compares to other cars you've driven.
I reviewed an Exige S 240 several years ago. Probably cringey to watch, but have at it 😂
Such a cool video man great work! Pleassseee if you could do a comparison of the NA/NB Miata vs FC/FD RX-7 or RX-7 vs RX-8 that would be so cool :) More Mazda content please 😅😳
IT'S HERE. Never clicked so fast in my life. Strap in boys.
Love this!
it's just me or the fc sounded really like keisuke's fd from initial d?
Both very cool!!
the FC is very manly
The FD is definitely not the car for a beginner in terms of maintenance and learning curve. It my first car in high school (yes I was lucky) On the first day I got the car, I spun out since the ground was a bit wet and I wasn't ready for the boost and torque from 4K. Luckily, I narrowly missed oncoming traffic and only a minor tire bump on a curb. That set the tone on how I drive and handle my sports cars now in my late 30's. Definitely one of the most fun cars I have owned and driven, but also a more difficult car to master.
I think a properly running sequential system would have fixed your issue with the drop in boost from gear to gear with the FD. It would have been cool to compare a Good condition Turbo II and a sequential FD. They both handle very similar but larger powerband with the FD. The Turbo II's larger brakes and much more power would make for a great comparison to the FD as long as neither are close to stock or have similar upgrades. I've owned both and still own an FD and can say they are very close aside from the extra power and broader powerband from the FD's sequentials. Handling wise, they are very similar.
I've owned a bone-stock FD with working sequential twin turbos, and driven a friend's bone-stock FC Turbo II. This was 10-15 cars when both cars had less mileage and wear.The FC was surprisingly close in terms of both power and handling, I didn't expect it to drive as well as it did. The FC is not quite as pretty, but less expensive and a much more practical car considering there is so much more space inside.
This is true.
@@scotty305 yep, many people do not know this but the FC and FD are very close in those aspects. It's really the updated power adders that make the difference from the factory. I'm still an FC guy at heart as that was my first introduction to Rotaries, I'm sure I'll snag another close to stock TII down the road to add to my collection.
As a Former 1987 Sport Owner I miss it's good days. It's bad days, not so much.... If you can get past its maintenance headaches, and they were headaches. I thought it was a well-balanced good daily driving car. And suited the skills of the average driver. The FD however, is so tight and Spartan. It seems more track oriented. And everything is better than the RX-8. I really wish Mazda had offered the rotary in the Miata? It seems like on such a small car, like a perfect match? Why was it never even an option? 🤔
I miss my FC and FD (maxed out at 430Rwhp on 91 oct with BNR sequential turbos).... But really like the NC3 PRHT and my 500rwhp 93 NSX
500whp 😮
@@Zygrene yes it really changes the nsx alot. I dont feel like i am missing out in the realm of supercars when considering the power to weight and its stick
Parallel turbos really ruin the FD's experience by a ton, it's a proven fact that you lose a ton of torque for minimal power gains at the very very top end which is almost unusable even for spirited driving like on the hills.
Twin turbos are perfect, or simply go for a fast spooling BW single or upgrade the twins. Nothing else.
The return of Ryosuke and Keisuke on the "touge" of L.A. 😃
call me crazy, but I prefer the FC to the FD
I agree with you, lots of time with both and love them both hugely, but I still like the FC more than the FD. Can I get some RX-3 action tho 😁👍
Interesting review...
Gearboxes in FC and FD are nearly identical, so they do feel the same, if yours is shite, fix ur linkage bushing and forks.
I miss my FD...
Same, I used to have a single turbo converted FD 430whp. Loved the car but the maintenance to keep it running was outrageous. I now own an Ap2 S2000 as its replacement.
I’ll choose the fd
I'd personally prefer a 3 or 4 rotor over a turbo. Rotary engines don't do well with forced induction.
the NA FCs were reported to be just a little over 2600 pounds.
That would explain why it felt lighter than 28xx and definitely nimbler than the FD
300 whp FDs are the sweet spot until you drive a 400 whp one IMO
On the FB (I've owned them for 35 years), you have to put the car in the context of it's time if you're going to do a review. It's a very rudimentary car, with recirculating ball (and likely unassisted) steering and a live rear axle it's not going to feel as fast to respond to steering inputs and it's not going to be precise in how you can place it in a corner. It's also not going to help you if you make mistakes. The rear end does let go first and will get unsettled over bumps in corners. But it is VERY raw, pure and direct, and only 2400 pounds. You will know exactly what's going on underneath you and it's extremely fun. Just not modern at all.
Yes, 40 extra HP would have been better in the FC...or you could just loose the passenger 😥
TOPHER!!!
FC needs boost lol
I had an FD, single turbo ~400RWHP and that was just a blast to drive, Long sweeping corners at 200kph and it felt like half that.. I never got into FC's much, but I've had a dozen FB's, a well Streetported 12A with Weber downdraft carbs and headers is a TON of fun, especially on a dirt road if the car isn't a pristine car and you dare. I had a stock GSL SE as well, it started to run out of breath around 5500 RPM, which is just where the streetported 12A started to really wake up and want to go.. For cars that were so similar, they had wildly different attitudes
Here's a very old vid of my GSL SE, before most cameras had sound with the video!
th-cam.com/video/gcNAd506-6c/w-d-xo.html
Fc is way better
*I have an FE* 🫤
It is white though.