Stan944

Several times I noticed people looked at my 944 from the front, and thought it was Mazda RX7 (I don't have a badge at the hood).
There was a year or two of Mazda line that looks very similar to 928 (and 944 and 924 too).
I wonder who came with the styling first: Mazda or Porsche?
Stan

MacWolffe

i find that the front of a 951 looks alot like the front of a 2nd gen rx-7 and if i'm not wrong, didn't both the 951 and the 2nd gen rx7 come out the same year? '86?

Matt H

chicken and egg question. Since the 924 was similar to the 1st gen who knows? The 944 series from 1983 vs the RX-7 (gen2) from 1986. In that respect I think you would have to say that Porsche was first. I believe that the 1st gen RX and the 924 have the same 1st year of production but dont hold me to that I am not an expert on either. IIRC it is 1977 for both.
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Matt H

Mac, the front (if you are referring to the bumper) doesnt look like a 951 IMHO. I will snap pics of both when I get home.
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W88951

The 1st Gen RX-7 hit US shores in 1979 and was styled after the Porsche 924. The Second Gen RX-7 was released in 1986 and was styled after the nose of the 928 with other stylings after the 944. Later tonight I will try and take a picture out of a 2nd Gen RX-7 book that shows the design influence of the 928 nose. It shows the RX-7 Prototype aligned with a cutoff nose from a 928.

SidViscous

At least no one has called your car a Celica like someone did mine.

It wasn't so much the humiliation, as it was disposal of the body. Digging holes at midnight can get really tiresome.

tifosiman

Somewhere in the archives of this list is a post about the unveiling of the second-gen RX-7. At the unveiling conference, the mazda people kept comparing it to the 944 and even showed film footage of a 944 and a RX-7 side by side.

Tifo

oi-punx

Andrew is correct. Mazda actually had focus groups during the development of the 2nd Gen RX-7 that indicated just how favorable the lines of our cars are. The aesthetic similarities are not coincidence. When I bought my '86 RX-7 (first year for the 2nd gen) the owner gave me a Road and track buyers guide for the car that had this and other info.

The 2nd gen was nice, but it's no 944.

Stan944

So Porsche was first! Good, it actually makes me feel better.

MichelleJD

esanmiguel

Styling of the second gen RX7 is a knockoff the 944. That's where it ends. Everything else about the car's mechanicals and interior is very un-944 like.

Trivia. What inspired the design of the following cars?

1st gen Datsun 240Z
2nd gen Toyota MR2
2nd gen VW Scirocco
1st gen Datsun 510

RSflared72e

If you only had the 1st gen 240 I would say Jaguar.

Fishey

what years are the 510 Datun's made?
if after 1975 I would say volvo 240Dl

esanmiguel

Yep. Definitely Jaguar influence with the long hood and short back along with the round recessed headlights. Jaguar K type I think?

The Datsun 510 was actually influenced by the early BMW 2002. Both cars by the way are way cool.

Wayne Hutton

I have a a Mazda MX3 I use as a daily driver and my friends mistake that for the 944 all the time. Instead of a black spoiler the MX3 has back of the hatch painted black. At a glance, they do look similar. I can tell the difference though, and that's all that counts!