Not only was this car hidden in a basement, there’s a tie to Paul Walker in the backstory.
While the FD RX-7s get all the attention these days, like the Mk IV Supras, this 1988 Mazda RX-7Turbo II 10th Anniversary is certainly a beautiful car. Its owner, Sean Lee, obviously has taken excellent care of it and has plenty of pride in driving the rotary-powered classic.
The story behind this classic Mazda is pretty amazing. Basically, the previous owner bought it on a whim while grabbing a new Mazda B3000 as a work vehicle for his farm. Apparently wanting to keep the sports car nice, he parked the RX-7 in his basement. It sat there for 25 years, accumulating just 1,200 miles until Lee found out about this “basement find” car and was able to work out a purchase agreement. Evidently, it was Paul Walker’s brother who initially uncovered this Mazda because he married the granddaughter of the original owner.
Rotary car enthusiasts are definitely their own breed. That’s not all good and not all bad, just they march to the beat of a different drummer. So, it shouldn’t be surprising to see a second-gen Mazda RX-7 all done up with pretty much everything white on the exterior. But that aesthetic totally works here.
The only white thing this car is missing might be whitewall tires – those wouldn’t be period-correct, otherwise it would probably be rolling on a set. The badges, louvres, and wheels are all white, matching the paint. It’s definitely a tribute to an aesthetic which is now considered retro.
Lee’s garage has some pretty amazing vehicles in it, including a Nissan GT-R and a Porsche 911 GT3. While some would wonder why the guy even bother with an ’88 Mazda RX-7, those who really understand rotaries don’t even need to ask why. Let’s just say it’s like comparing apples and oranges: they’re just different.
It’s also worth noting that Sean Lee’s man cave garage reflects some of his other interests, like comic books and Hot Wheels. Considering he must spend a considerable amount of time in there doing cosmetic mods to his cars, it makes sense why the place would be so nice.
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Elizabeth Puckett
Steven Symes
