We all have a go-to tool when it comes to our favorite activity, and for Kiwi drifter Mad Mike Whiddett that is his Mazda RX-7 Madbull. For 2023, the athlete, one of the most popular in the sport thanks to his exuberant driving style and inspiring personality, has remastered the RX-7, and we’re here to zoom in on the many upgrades.
Back in the day, the Mazda, which was nicknamed Fursty at the time—this was the enthusiast’s pre-Red Bull era—took the New Zealander to his first international event, America’s 2007 D1 Grand Prix World All-Stars at the Irwindale Speedway in California.
Mad Mike transitioned into drifting cars after overcoming a major physical matter, as his competitive days in FMX (freestyle motocross) saw him breaking his back in 2002. However, thanks to his positive, can-do attitude, the athlete put the FD3S RX-7 to proper sideways use, with the car eventually evolving into the N/A four-rotor form it maintains to this day as part of its Madbul aura.
Not to be confused with the pro drifter’s FD RX-7 Humbul, an 1,100 hp twin-turbo machine that brought Mad Mike his Formula Drift Japan 2018 championship title, the Madbul won its fair share of events (e.g., the 2009 Formula Drift Asia title).
And, not least thanks to its uber-aggressive N/A shriek, Mad Mike has always had a sweet spot for Madbul, especially when it came to showing the world what drifting is all about, be it on social media or in person at events like the UK’s Goodwood Festival of Speed. Heck, this thing used to sport the Rocket Bunny Pandem Boss front end, which made it look like an RX-3—that was Madbul Gen 7.3 and we’re now up to Gen 8.
Mad Mike Whiddett’s Mazda RX-7 Madbul in 2023 spec (Gen 8)
That RX-3 old-school nose is a thing of the past. The Madbul once again looks very much like an FD RX-7, and the aero is fresh for 2023. The quarter panels, which are built by Hybrid Lab in New Zealand, even sport the factory look. Make no mistake, though—there are massive Pandem Rocket Bunny overfenders.
The same kind of OEM and wild tuning mix can be used to describe the rear wing, whose factory-style side elements are met by a throning upper section that brings massive downforce together with the super-sized diffuser.
The livery has also been updated, with the blue bits hiding the type of camouflage pattern that allows the pro drifter’s fans to remember his past adventures. It’s also worth mentioning that Mad Mike honors the late Brazilian F1 legend Ayrton Senna via a badge in the cabin.
Then again, if we look underneath the new skin, we’ll find the kind of modular structure that allows top-tier drift cars to be fixed on the spot whenever a wall kiss or any such operation goes wrong.
The rotary heart of the JDM machine
The 26B four-rotor peripheral port engine has been completely redone. This was an in-house operation, performed at Mad Mike’s Madlab shop, which is headquartered at the Hampton Downs Motorsport Park in Auckland, New Zealand.
Yes, there’s nitrous involved, while a Haltec ECU keeps everything in check, from the linear response that makes Wankel engine perfect for drifting to the flames keeping the spectators on their toes.
The tech goodies also involve an HKS 6-speed sequential gearbox, KW Competition 3-way adjustable coilovers, a Borla exhaust, and many others.
Mad Mike recently loaded the RX-7 Madbul and his Rumbul Mazda Repu B2000 stadium truck in his semi-truck and is asking fans to guess the event(s) that will see the two getting hooned.
So far, it seems the 2023 Goodwood Festival is Mad Mike Whiddett’s intended destination, but that won’t happen until July 13-16, so there’s plenty of time for new details to arrive.
For one, we’re not expecting this to be the Pikes Peak in the US, since the drifter has prepared an all-new weapon for the Hillclimb, namely an, 1,400 hp four-rotor Mazda3 that will pay tribute to the late Ken Block.
In the meantime, you can feast your eyes—and ears—on the 2023-spec Mazda RX-7 Madbul shredding some tires in the Instagram clip below (no body panels were harmed in the making of the video, as many of these were missing at the time of the shooting).
Update (December 2, 2023): The RX-7 MADBUL was the starting point for Mad Mike’s 5-rotor Madaz 787D
Mad Mike 3D scanned his Mazda RX-7 Madbul, using its hard points when creating a stainless steel tubular chassis for his wildest project to date, the Madaz 787D. The latter is a demo drift car unburdened by competition rules.
The best part of its all? The Madaz 787D may look to the past by paying tribute to Mazda’s Le Mans-winning 787B (1991), but it’s also the future, as it debuts the world’s first 5-rotor engine.