Several automotive brands are synonymous with the racing events they compete in. When someone says “NASCAR” your mind will likely jump to Ford or Chevrolet. Utter “Formula 1” to any racing fan and images of Ferraris and McLarens might appear. Hear the word “rallying” and you’ll likely picture a blue Subaru on a mountain road.
But Subaru wasn’t the only Japanese automaker to try their hand at the world’s dirtiest form of racing. Mazda once tried their hand at the sport, and the culmination of their rallying efforts is the subject of this week’s Bizarre Car of the Week.
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Meet the 1988 Mazda 323 GTX, a turbocharged, all-wheel-drive compact hatchback from Japan’s most smile-inducing automotive brand. In the 1980s, rally racing was at its height, of both popularity and excitement. The unrestricted (but incredibly dangerous) “Group B” era spawned some of the fastest and most extreme rally cars the world has ever seen, including the famous Audi Sport Quattro.
“Group A” rally racing followed, when too many deaths forced Group B to be canceled in 1987. Group A featured more strict safety regulations, including the introduction of stronger homologation rules, meaning that automakers had to sell a certain amount of the car that they were racing to the general public in order to race in the world championship. Mazda saw this as a great opportunity for success, and took their strong-selling Familia hatchback to the dirt backroads of the world.
The 323 GTX was a turbocharged, all-wheel-drive, rally-car-for-the-road long before the WRX was a twinkle in Subaru’s eye. Mazda only brought 1,243 GTXs stateside between 1988 and 1989, and the GTX never finished first in overall points, climbing as high as third in 1989. Mazda Rally Team closed its doors shortly after that, but they left us with one of the most fun Japanese economy cars ever made, and a performance bargain.
Powered by a 132-horsepower 1.6-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder and weighing around 2,600 pounds, the 323 GTX has a lot more go than it’s humble 80s exterior’s show. This is one of the original “sleeper” economy cars, and without it, we likely wouldn’t have budget racers like the WRX STi and the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution.
Unfortunately, most GTXs have been run into the ground or modified beyond recognition by owners who likely didn’t know what a rarity they had on their hands, so well-maintained stock examples are essentially unicorns. This 1988 model is the closest we found to original condition, and it commands a price of just $5,000. If you manage to find one in good nick, this price is an absolute steal.
Mazda’s since done away with turbocharging after the demise of the Mazdaspeed3 just last year, but we think they could have a winner on their hands if they gave the 2016 Mazda3 hatchback the same treatment. We can’t let the Subaru WRX, Volkswagen Golf R, and Ford Focus RS have all the turbocharged, AWD fun, can we?
Special thanks to Mazda North American Operations for photos of their original condition 1988 323 GTX!
