Between pops, fireballs, and other-worldly shrieking, there’s not much that’s dull about this RX-7. Tuned by Kanagawa-based Scoot Sports, the owner of this pristine FD ditched the garden-variety 13B-REW and in its place went a high-revving, normally-aspirated R26B. Not only is this motor fundamentally the same as the engine which powered Mazda’s Le Mans winner, but it found its way into the FD with a sequential gearbox attached. With a stripped interior, lightened components, plenty of aero grip and some massive tires, the shakedown here looked more like a qualifying run.

Even before the GT wing was added, this Scoot-tuned FD looked imposing.

Poised and purposeful, there’s little oversteer or understeer with this car, which is a testimony to its setup since it boasts 600 horsepower and is driven by a talented amateur, but an amateur nonetheless. Being an RX-7, its propensity to rotate on the brakes is made evident in some of Tsukuba’s slower corners, but the driver gathers up the slides deftly, and proceeds with a fairly rapid shakedown lap.

The pin-sharp front and the tractable engine make the whole process encouraging, and rather than fighting with the car, the owner looks at ease. So much so, that while proceeding at a brisk pace, he manages to crack the 1 minute-mark at Tsukuba; logging a 59.8 second lap. For someone just getting to terms with their vehicle, that is an impressive feat.

It’s obvious that this car is in a league of its own. Without turbo lag to delay acceleration out of the slower corners, great balance and a racing gearbox keeping the engine – which revs to 10,000 rpm – in its sweet spot, this machine has the makings for a timesheet topper. Just watch the way a well-driven Levin struggles to keep up. Even when braking gingerly, the RX-7 absolutely storms away from a hard-charging AE86, making it look like it was standing still.