On Best Motoring’s Touge Showdown, one tuner repeatedly returns to the Gunma Cycle Center to reclaim the title: RE Amemiya. Famous for their work with rotary-powered Mazdas, the turquoise FD3S which makes an appearance here has repeatedly established itself as the quickest machine on the touge. Though several iterations of this car have come and competed against more powerful machinery, there have been few times when the slinky Mazda did not prevail.

Much of this car’s backroad prowess comes down to itswonderfully-smooth, linear power delivery and benign chassis balance. By utilizing the stock turbochargers with an upgraded exhaust, fuel computer, injectors and other basic supporting mods, the 13B-REW motor makes a healthy 380 horsepower, all of which get transferred smoothly to the road without a hiccup. The car appears neutral just about everywhere, occasionally with the mildest hint of oversteer.

A simple layout, excellent balance and great traction allow this street FD3S to run well on the circuit and the backroads.

Contrasting the simplicity and straightforwardness of the RX-7 is Matchless Crowd Racing’s R34 GT-R. Though the critic might assume that the heavyweight Skyline wouldn’t see which way a nimble FD went on a narrow backroad, in this case, they would be wrong . The 600 horsepower-RB26 produces power smoothly and responsively, and out of the slowest corners, the acceleration is truly something to behold.

Despite weighing 700 pounds more, the GT-R matches the RX-7’s turn-in speed.

Predictably then, the two cars have their own strengths. Where the GT-R suffers in comparison to the RX-7 is in the constant-radius, unending right hander that challenges any car’s front tires. The four wheel-drive Nissan shows some understeer, and whatever gains the RB afforded on the preceding straight is lost when the lighter RX-7 closes the gap and applies the anchors. While their entry speeds are similar, the GT-R cannot carry the Mazda’s speed through the corners, but once it gets rotated – there’s nothing that can match the GT-R on the way out. Filled with egos, laughs, a crash, a “scramble boost” button and some interesting left foot-braking, this showdown has everything these segments are known for, and then some.