I was wondering
Why do we call rx7s or rx8 FD or FE?
what do they stand for?
third generation is FD
Second is FC
i get the last letter goin up as RX generation goes up
but Why?

 

Chassis code, if I recall rightly. It's a section of the VIN. JM1FE is the opening of the VIN for the 8's (or, at least, mine... A lot of non-US are calling 8's SE3Ps, I'm not entirely certain where they're getting that one).

 

This has been brought up repeatedly :D

I agree the car is probably technically an SE3P, however- the inspection stickers on my 05 were all very simple. They all said "FE"

FE 05 OK

 

<nod> That's because our VINs say FE. The first three alphanumerics (JM1) are the vendor code, F is the vehicle series, E is the body style.

A google search for rx-8 VIN will turn up a slew of JM1FEs at US dealerships, a similar search for rx-7's will turn up JM1FDs. A search for SE3P will turn up a bunch of overseas stuff that I can't read with my browser.

Put it another way... Call it an SE3P and you're right. Call it an FE and you're right. It's all a matter of your point of view.

(credits: How to read VIN, shamelessly stolen from this place: http://brickboard.com/ARCHIVES/2001MAY/10072150.shtml)

 

Not another FE/SE3P discussion!

 

... here we go again!! :D

- Irish

 

could've sworn we all talked about this like a year ago....well as of today i guess it's 2 years ago:p

 

Yup, here we go again. The origin of the usage of FC, FD etc. comes from Japan and it's based on the chassis code. The chassis codes are:

1st gen RX-7 = SA22C (some may call the 1st gen the FB, but it's not the chassis code.)
2nd gen RX-7 = FC3S
3rd gen RX-7 = FD3S
1st gen RX-8 = SE3P

Some like to call the RX-8 the FE because of the VIN and it follows FD, but the chassis code is SE3P. In Japan it's never called an FE, only SE3P. So technically if one follows the JDM nick names for cars based on chassis codes (this applies to many cars, not just our rotaries), you should refer to the RX-8 as SE3P.

 

should've searched it xP but yah its a general consensus now... its SE!

 

Look I put FE in my handle does that make you mad?

Last time I looked we didn't live in Japan.

Yep, I just looked again and we still don't live in Japan.

 

hahahaa... thats a good one.
FE or SE3P? ..... i will just call it "the RX-8"