Unleashing the Last Roar: The Rotary Heart of the Westfield ‘Super Seven’

Westfield RE Super Seven was built as the last sports car in his life

Based on the Westfield “West Sport” from the British company Westfield, Mr. Mori enjoys a machine that is too clean, with no roof, no doors, and no windscreen…… as his beloved car. If you look closely, you will be intrigued because, surprisingly, the engine, which is the power knit, is a 13B rotary specification!

The original machine built by RE Amemiya

The Westfield has been attracting attention as a sports car for chic adults who enjoy a bit of winding road on their holiday drives, rather than a car to attack mountain passes all the time. Like the so-called “Super Seven” series such as the Caterham and Birkin, this car is exported as a kit car to various countries, and because of its ease of modification, there are machines with original specifications and enhanced impact in various countries.

In Japan, RE Amemiya, a well-known rotary store, was one of the first to produce an original machine as a tuning base car. The history of this machine dates back to the 1990s, when RE Amemiya completed a car with a 13B turbo engine based on the Birkin 7. He then participated in a zero-yon competition sponsored by a magazine with that car. The lightweight, compact, and high-power machine was equipped with ultra-thick tires for the Porsche 911, but in an era when traction control did not exist, the car was a storm of wheel spin in first, second, and even third gear!　The driver controlled such a jaw-dropping machine with only the accelerator and clutch, and achieved excellent results. The machine was great, but the driver who drove and controlled it was also great.

Mr. Mori, the Westfield RE driver introduced here, was one of the tuning freaks of the time and had read about such a shocking event in a magazine. His car at the time was an FC3S Mazda RX-7, and he happened to live near the RE Amemiya headquarters, so he had always been a big fan.

He ordered the last sports car in his life as an NA rotary machine

He gave up that car without crying because he became too busy with his work, but when Mr. Mori turned 50, he decided it was time to seriously look for a car to drive as his last sports car. He wanted to drive a rotary car that he had driven in his youth, so he entered the word “Seven” on the Internet, and the car that happened to come up was not a Mazda RX-7, but a Super Seven. Then, I started to miss the RE-equipped Birkin that I used to have and searched for it, and to my surprise, I found an article about RE Amemiya announcing an RE-equipped Super Seven again in 2019 at the Tokyo Auto Salon!　The car was based on the Westfield, not the Birkin, but it was a car that Mr. Mori had admired in magazines many years ago, so it would be great to drive this car!　This would be the perfect sports car for the last time in his life!　He thought, “This would be the perfect car for the last sports car of my life! Since RE Amemiya was a long-time friend and neighbor, they agreed to take care of everything from finding a base car to manufacturing it.

From there, we began building the car as Mr. Mori’s machine, using the 2019 Auto Salon exhibit ONKIMLAND WEST FIELD by RE Amemiya as a reference. Since RE Amemiya had already built one of the same cars, the process from procurement of the necessary parts for the engine conversion to machining went smoothly. Also, the car exhibited at the Auto Salon was an RE turbo, but Mr. Mori did not want a high-power monster, but ordered an NA rotary machine with agile footwork to drive comfortably on winding roads.

Equipped with FC3S stock US engine

The car exhibited at the Auto Salon was the first model, and Mr. Mori’s car was named “Westfield RE-2” by the representative of RE Amemiya because it was the second model he built. As for the tuning details, the engine was a stock FC3S US engine to minimize modifications as much as possible. The main reason for choosing this base unit was that the export model FC was only available in NA. The main advantage of this unit was that the engine and harnesses could be used without modification. The engine was overhauled, and rotors for the RX-8 were replaced with high-compression rotors. The oil pan for the RX-8 was also used.

Although it is hard to see from the outside, many genuine Mazda parts were used, such as the transmission for the SA22C, calipers, rotors for the FC3S, etc. Although originally a Westfield machine, RE Amemiya collaborated with Mazda parts to create this special machine. The machine has been finished.

Pleasant to drive a sports car

As you can see, the body is completely open-air style, with no roof, no doors, and no windscreen. Therefore, when asked if he wears a helmet when he rides this vehicle, he replied

He replied, “Sometimes I wear a helmet, but mostly I just wear sunglasses and a hat. As long as I don’t fly too much, I don’t mind the flying rocks.”

He said, “As long as I don’t fly too much, flying rocks don’t bother me.” According to Mr. Mori, although the car has no practical use, its lightweight and compact body and engine make it fun to drive. The feeling is similar to that of a go-kart; you don’t swing it around, but you can drive it comfortably through winding roads. Moreover, because of its high potential, the average speed is high, and the driver can enjoy a relaxed driving experience in all aspects.