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Mazdas luxury performer . . . . . With character hidden within it's subtle lines, the Mazda Luce is one of those surprise performers. Styled for the "conservative" buyer, the Luce packes quiet a punch when placed alongside it's opposition. Designed to meet & exceed the standards of these discerning buyers in it's day, the 13B turbocharged rotary engine moves the Luce along with the style & grace that it's luxury image demand. Today, the HC series Luce stands up well against the opposition in it's market of AUS $13k - $18k. Where the Japanese, European & Australian luxury sedans from this price bracket find it hard to compete on a head to head basis. With only the 3lt V6 version of the (Aussie counterpart) 929 to directly compare to, it pales into insignifigance when placed in the same company as it's more powerful & luxurious Japanese spec sister. Manufactured from 1986 through to 1991, the Luce recieved an update in 1989 to further refine it's luxury status. With the top level package employing such features as an in-built fridge & electric "rear" seats, the Luce was certainly in a class of it's own for Mazda's luxury image machine. The two rotary optioned choices available for the Luce series are the top level "Royal classic" & the mid level "Limited" versions. Both come appointed with high levels of luxury.  The "Royal classic" available with optional leather seating & trim for the 89-91 (series II) version. A fully comprehensive audio system with CD player (series II) deck out the Luce with simply stunning levels of sound for a factory installed system. The digital dashboard disply is at first a little "advanced" for the faint hearted on the "Royal classic" but after a brief run with it's comprehensive list of features covering the car & engines performance, you do find it hard to go back to the "ordinary" gauges of today even. |
| Mazdas famous rotary engine has been steadily improving since their original L10 Cosmo from the 60's. The Luce's heart is the well known 2 rotor 13B complete with a "twin scroll" single turbocharger. The 13B rotary is the same as used in the well known "series 4/5 RX-7" of 86-88 + 89-91. It's small capacity only an indication of it's physical size, not power rating. Rated at 180hp for it's 6 year life span the 13B delivers punch that only a turbocharged rotary can deliver. |
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| Smooth & turbine like in nature, the rotary engine gives the driver silent running with the minimum of fuss. The twin scroll turbo enables excellent low to mid response aswell as top end power. How does it work ? The twin scroll entry point has one chamber closed off at low to medium rev's in order to obtain a higher air speed through the smaller than normal passageway. The result is very effective in reducing turbo lag. At a pre-determined engine speed the second intake chamber of the comes 'on-line' to add full boost. The result is effortless performance combined with the rotaries natural smoothness & flexibility. |
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The triple mode automatic transmission is superbly matched to it's luxury image. The press of a button gives a choice between "normal" & "power" mode, the latter increases responsiveness to the accelerator position aswell as holding the gear longer before the next upchange. The "hold" mode gives manual control. A great feature for demanding driving aswell as the added safety benefit of 2nd gear take offs giving greater traction during slippery conditions. |
| The Luce interior offers drivers a totally controlled concept. Mazda designers worked hard to create a top of the line luxury automobile. The Luce's clean and contemporary interior is designed to be totally user friendly, creating a comfortable atmosphere for driver and passengers. Turning on the ignition a blue analogue display appears on the black screen of the instrument panel. |
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| ( Royal Classic version) Room enough for the tallest drivers, theres plenty of adjustment in both hieght & travel of the electric seats to creat comfort & form. Rear seat room is excellent & typiacl of whats expected of a car this size. The electrically controlled rear seats give passengers a sense of stlye & individuality, a feature all rear seat passengers lack from normal cars. Naturally the impressive sound system is the top of the line for it's day. The Multi function unit comes with numerous equaliser effects to sut the tastes of the most discerning audio file. |
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The series II version (89-91) has the option of a CD player & the rear centre rest is provided with comprehensive stereo controls. 4 high quality speakers provide a complete "Surround sound" entertainment atmosphere capable of satifying the most discerning listeners. The standard stereo ( & optional CD ) whilst not matching the abilities of the E.CCS still provide quality far above the automotive audio standard. |
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BODY TYPES |
4 door HARDTOP | ||
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MODELS |
HC-3S | ||
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ENGINE TYPE |
13B Turbo | ||
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SPEC LEVELS |
Royal Classic (top range) | Limited (mid range spec) | |
| ENGINE | |||
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TYPE |
13B Turbo | ||
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CAPACITY |
1308 cc (654 x 2) | ||
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COMPRESSION |
8.5 | ||
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RATED POWER |
180 hp @ 6500 rpm | ||
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RATED TORQUE |
25.0 kg/m @ 3500 rpm | ||
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INDUCTION |
EFI with turbocharger | ||
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MAX BOOST |
6.2 psi | ||
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FUEL TANK |
65 lt | ||
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PERFORMANCE |
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TURNING-CIRCLE |
5.4 M | ||
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ECONOMY - CITY |
6.9km / l | ||
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ECONOMY - HWY |
14 km / l | ||
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0--400M -- 1/4 mile |
16.9 sec "Royal" | 16.8 sec "Ltd" | |
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TOP SPEED |
200 kph | 205 kph | |
| DRIVETRAIN | |||
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GEARBOX |
4 speed auto only |
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1st |
2.841 | ||
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2nd |
1.541 | ||
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3rd |
1.000 | ||
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4th |
0.720 | ||
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REVERSE |
2.400 | ||
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REAR DRIVE |
4.100 | ||
| CHASSIS | |||
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STEERING |
Power assisted rack & pinion | ||
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FR SUSPENSION |
Macpherson struts | ||
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RE SUSPENSION |
Multi link IRS with Macpherson struts | ||
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BRAKES |
Ventilated disc's front & rear | ||
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L.S.D |
Optional | ||
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WHEELS |
15 x 6 alloy | ||
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TYRES |
205/60 x 15 | ||