Mazda 323 6x6
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The mysterious Mazda 323 rally car with six wheels and 6×6 drive

The history of the automobile is full of inventions and all kinds of monstrosities, especially in the search for excellence in competition. Few better examples than this strange Mazda 323 of rallies with six wheels, four of them steering, and 6×6 traction, about which there is hardly any information.

That the Internet is an inexhaustible source of surprises is clear, but our protagonist takes the cake. It is about of a Mazda 323 rally car with six wheels in which the four front ones have a directing function. Besides, traction is 6×6, which should make it a very serious machine once it gets going.

And it's not that there aren't examples of cars with three axles, but what is much rarer is that two of them go in front, Tyrrell P34 apart. This six-wheeled Mazda 323 is definitely a rarity.

Finding information about the car has been quite an odyssey, since there is hardly anything published, although we have discovered who its creator was. Is about Neville Laker, a technician who works at Druty Tires in Auckland, New Zealand. Apparently the Laker is a mechanical genius and in the 90s it was uncovered with this singular creation.

THE MAZDA 323 WITH SIX WHEELS

The model on which he carried out his folly is a Mazda 323, although severely modified, logically. It is a second generation BD model, with a three-door body, which was produced between 1980 and 1985.

It had two engines., one front and one rear, initially of 1,6 liters and turbocharged. In later modifications, it is said that the striker was later replaced by a mechanical 1.800 also turbo. In some places it is stated that the engines were rotary, but we have not been able to confirm this point.

Mazda 323 6x6 news
News at the time in which our protagonist appears.

In addition, it was mounted a second front axle, behind the main one, and also with steering function, which receives the power of the rear motor. The configuration of the car is 6×6, that is, all three axles transmit horsepower to the ground, which should give it some amazing capabilities, especially on dirt sections. The tracks have been widened compared to the series model. To ensure stability, a gigantic rear wing, almost more typical of Pikes Peak. As a curiosity, the taillights do not belong to the Mazda 323 three-door, but could come from the sedan.

AND WHERE DOES THE PILOT GO?

It is the big question when seeing the configuration of this Mazda 323 6×6. The solution was to remove the front seat, so the pilot sits where the rear seat would go. This required some complicated forwarding for the steering and bottom bracket. Although, of course, it is clear that Neville Laker He never had a problem complicating his life, we refer to the tests.

Mazda 323 6x6 mechanical
The enormous technical complexity of our protagonist. Note where the pilot was located.

Wedged between two engines, it is not hard to think about the heat that the pilot would experience. That not to mention the more than safe poor outside visibility. It is not to mention that lacks doors, so it would surely enter through the rear windows.

In such a small car, stability does not seem to be its strong point either. Although everything is speculation, because we have not been able to find its track record in competition. There is barely a small fragment of a video in which he is seen filming. Due to the configuration, only with front glass, it could have participated in rallycross events.

Mazda 323 6x6 signatures
Image of who we assume is Neuville Laker posing next to the car. The signatures are from pilots of the time.

Another of the images that we have found is a photo of the car with various signatures of drivers of the timeWe understand New Zealanders. Without a doubt, a good sample of the popularity of Neville Laker in those races.

IT MAY STILL EXIST

What it does seem is that the car still survives, or at least that could indicate a photo posted on Facebook by an amateur. In it is seen the six-wheeled Mazda 323, now with a white decoration and different rims. We don't know if it will still be operational, but given its rarity, it would be well worth trying to restore it and give it a new lease of life. Who knows, stranger things have been seen.

Mazda 323 6x6 in action
The car a few years later with a different decoration. It may be that it survived and still exists.

in the team we will continue investigating to see if we can find more information about this peculiar Mazda 323 6×6.

Photographs: Facebook Pages AMAZD y drury tires y ehadesign.

Video: Reddit

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Written by Ivan Vicario Martin

I am lucky to have turned my passion into my way of earning a living. Since I left the Faculty of Information Sciences in 2004, I have been professionally dedicated to motor journalism. I started in the magazine Coches Clásicos in its beginnings, going on to direct it in 2012, the year in which I also took charge of Clásicos Populares. Throughout these almost two decades of my professional career, I have worked in all types of media, including magazines, radio, the web and television, always in formats and programs related to the engine. I am crazy about the classics, Formula 1 and the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

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