Publication: Motor Fan
Format: Test Drive Report
Date: November 1971
Author: Kyoichi Yamaguchi

For Those Who Appreciate “Unpretentious Comfort”

The chassis has finally caught up with the outstanding performance. An economical coupe fully capable of holding its own on the international stage.

From Domestic Car to International Car

The remarkable success of Mazda’s rotary-powered cars in export markets has prompted Toyo Kogyo’s management to accomplish something of a revolution against an established class system. Somewhere along the way, the Japanese automobile industry had quietly developed a curious hierarchy involving the “compact car” and the “popular car.” Perhaps out of deference to the fact that the larger 2-liter class—the elder brother among Japan’s mass-market passenger cars—was constrained by regulations limiting overall width to 1.7m, compact and popular cars traditionally seemed obliged to make themselves another 10cm or so narrower than their respective bigger brothers.

Publication: Motor Fan
Format: Test Drive Report
Date: November 1971
Author: Hiroshi Okazaki

The Quiet Rotary Fighter

A car into which Toyo Kogyo has poured the full extent of its technical capabilities. One cannot help but admire the company’s determined and forward-looking commitment to safety as well. As a product, its overall appeal is undeniably high.

No Functional Shortcomings

The Savanna Coupe—its styling has a substantial, eye-catching presence. Even during this test drive, it drew considerable attention, and we were repeatedly approached with questions.

Publication: Car Graphic
Format: Road Impressions
Date: November 1971
Author: Shotaro Kobayashi

Road testing the Savanna GS II

Over the past three years, C/G has purchased two rotary-engine cars from Toyo Kogyo and has been using them continuously as transportation for our research and reporting. In July of 1969, we bought a Familia Rotary Coupe immediately upon its release, and drove it 47,000km over two years before replacing it with a Capella, which we have driven 43,000km in the past year and a half. Through a combined total of 90,000km of harsh, real-world testing with these two cars, our confidence in the company’s rotary engines has now become unshakable.

Publication: Motor Fan
Format: “Bubble Index” Road Test
Date: March 1972
Authors: Osamu Mochizuki, Katsuzo Kageyama, Shigeki Asaoka, Yasuhei Oguchi, Reiko Ikuuchi, Kensuke Ishizu

Laying the Groundwork for the Rotary Era

The lively rotary engine and smooth torque converter automatic make for thoroughly enjoyable everyday driving. Under certain conditions, however, the panel also found a few points open to criticism.

The Second Rotary/Automatic Combination

The first manufacturer to pair a rotary engine with an automatic transmission (hereafter abbreviated as AT) in a production automobile was Toyo Kogyo, with the introduction of the Capella RE-Matic. That was in October of last year.

Publication: Car Graphic
Format: Road Impressions
Date: December 1972
Author: “C/G Test Group” (uncredited)

Road testing the Savanna GT

Mazda rotary cars are more highly regarded overseas than in Japan, especially in the United States, and their export numbers are growing dramatically (recently exceeding 10,000 units per month for all models). The Savanna is called the RX-3 in overseas markets, and the US market version differs from the domestic model in that it is equipped with the 12A, 573cc x 2 rotary engine used in the Capella instead of the 10A, 491cc x 2 engine that is standard here. The coupe released under the name Savanna GT as the range-topping model in the Savanna series is also equipped with the 12A engine, and can be considered the domestic version of the export RX-3. Or, racing fans may find it easier to understand it as a production version of the works Savanna (573cc x 2, naturally) that always puts up thrilling, closely-fought battles in domestic touring car races, finally shaking the legendary GT-R off its pedestal.