The Tokyo Auto Salon can really be overwhelming.
You walk the halls with a specific plan of attack, analyzing each car you see and assessing whether it would be relevant for one of the posts you are preparing. This lasts for about a minute, before you just lose focus and run around like a 12-year-old fanboy, drooling over each amazing car you see.
While keeping order in the way you approach the show is hard, what’s easy is running into JDM awesomeness – builds that stop you in your tracks and beg to be looked at in more detail. Builds like this Mazda Eunos Cosmo.
The JC Cosmo is a car I’ve loved since coming to Japan, and when I saw this example from afar I was immediately drawn to it. It was built by Garage Yamaguchi in Chiba, so it does make sense that the car wears quite a few RE Amemiya touches given they’re based out of the same prefecture.
The most important one of all is under the hood – a far-from-stock 20B that some of these Cosmos came factory-fitted with. This hand-built creation features peripheral ports, individual throttle bodies and many one-off parts that were used in RE Amemiya’s GT300 race car back in the day.
The best thing of all for me, however, is the fact that with such a beast of a naturally aspirated rotary engine hiding away up front, the rest of the car looks pretty sedate.
The exterior is spotless, sporting widened fenders that are beautifully integrated into the bodywork front and rear. The kit is again from RE Amemiya, aligning perfectly with the mechanical work that’s been done to the car.
And hiding away behind the 19-inch Work Black Label Zeast BST2 wheels at all four corners are massive Endless brakes.
Custom LED taillights from Car Shop Glow finish off what is a stunning creation, one that I will be trying to hunt down for a full feature out in the wild.
There’s no mention of the actual performance, but if the GT300 cars were limited to 300hp, this one is definitely breathing more freely, which means more power. Plus, the sound it makes must be ridiculous.
Seeing this car at TAS 2020 made me wonder if and when Mazda will bring back the legendary Cosmo namesake. Just picture this thing reimagined for the modern era…
Dino Dalle Carbonare
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It takes me back to that era when I was a kid... I used to play with this car in Gran Turismo =)
Does that red RX-8 next to the cosmo have a skyactiv engine swap?
I honestly do not remember. All my attention went to this car!
"Just picture this thing reimagined for the modern era…"
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It'll just end up as a Cross-over : (
Oh God forbid. But you are probably not wrong!
Or, as a technological showcase, as an EV with a rotary range-extender. That would be kinda cool in its own right.
I don't like this whole range extender BS. If you are going to do an EV stick enough batteries in there to make it get a decent range, not over complicate stuff.
LED light conversions are a guilty pleasure of mine.
Same!
triple rotor? worked-in rounded flares? CSG tails? it doesn't get more JDM than that. and it's so well-done!
This thing is so nice, all is not to my taste but mm-mmmmm.
Nice job on the article too, i have to remember to give you kudos once in a while, making this read possible
Thanks David, appreciate it.
This is freaking beautiful. I can imagine it on the roads there. Especially with a manual transmission. Revving it all the way up is probably sweet joy.
Damn now I really wanna go and shoot it properly. Should bring Ron to film!
This is cosmo is so sick.a very good example of how cool jc cosmos can be. Sometimes it just makes me sad that these cars are a lot of times are parted out just for there engines to be swapped in rx-7 s (they are cool in their own right ) just imagine if people would modify these instead of parting them out(as they are already very rare, only 4000 were made with 3 rotor engine,if memory serves).we would see so many jdm 3 rotor drift or track cars. Maybe people just forgot about them because they didn't came with manual trans(even though fc rx7 trans bolts straight to the engine).honestly i would love too see people modifying them and not parting them out.
There were just not that many produced, and the aftermarket is really small unless you go full custom. Kindof a shame.
You just made me check with your comment. I could only find 15 left for sale in Japan as of today, absolutely crazy. 9 of them are the 20B version. Prices have gone up substantially since I checked last. Damn....so much want!!
A car designed as a grand tourer, now sports an engine that braps like its sports car brethren. What a creation! A feature is definitely what we need!
OK. Done
I disagree with bringing it back.
Leave it as the legend it is, building some modern, maybe electric sedan or (*shudder*) crossover-coupe with that name wouldn't be nice.
You, Sir, are quite right. Don't meddle with the past. Move on, let it be and bask in the awesomeness that it always had
Once upon a time I was looking at importing a Cosmo (UK). Still kicking myself.....:(
Do it!
RE 20B pp Cosmo from wa back in the days
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ieBKyaVHO0
No more poofy interior. Sounds like a hive of angry bees!
If not the RX7 and RX8, the Cosmos is my dream rotary sports car
I'll definitely do a manual swap
100% agree
All-out 20bpp cars make around 450whp+, so you could expect this one to be in the neighborhood. Maybe slightly more mild.
Much brappage then!
JC Cosmo!!!!
So rare to see these things and this one is a stunner! I dream about owning one of these on and off. I'd guess the fact that they get canibalised for their 20B engines must make them a rare sight in Japan as well these days.
Man I'd love to get my hands on one.
Rare AF. I never every see any until I'm in close proximity of a rotary themed event or gathering. We should start a "Save the 20Bs in JC Cosmos" petition!
Mint build. Love this restomod