XYZ Racing Tarmac Rally Coilovers — Mazda 323 BF (GTX) 4WD 1987-1989

The 323 BF GTX is the Group A homologation special most people forgot about – 1.6 turbo, viscous-coupling 4WD, and a kerb weight under 1,100kg. Three decades on, the survivors are almost all running stage rally events, historic tarmac series, or sympathetic road restorations, which is exactly the brief the XYZ Racing Tarmac Rally coilover was built around.

This is the spec to fit when a GTX is being used the way Mazda’s rally department intended. It replaces the original twin-tube struts with a sealed motorsport damper, raises the available spring rate window into useful territory for a 4WD turbo hatch, and gives you ride-height and damping adjustment without cutting into what little wheel-arch clearance the BF body has.

What this coilover does for your 1987-1989 Mazda 323 BF (GTX) 4WD

The original GTX damping was tuned for a 1980s road car carrying a small turbo lump over the front axle, and three decades of compressed seals have not improved it. Switching to the Tarmac Rally coilover sharpens turn-in on the front axle, settles the rear under power on a stage-style surface, and gives the viscous-coupled drivetrain a stable platform to put torque down through. Adjustable damping lets you firm the car up for sealed-surface stages without making it unbearable on the transit between them. Ride-height adjustment is independent of preload, so you can drop the nose to set the geometry the GTX actually wants without coil-binding the spring. Spring rates can be specified to suit how the car is being used – historic rally, sprint, hillclimb, or fast-road on a restored shell.

About the Tarmac Rally coilover

The Tarmac Rally is XYZ Racing’s sealed-surface motorsport coilover – the spec sat between their fast-road kits and their full gravel rally damper. It uses a monotube damper body for consistent fluid flow under repeat hard inputs, with 30-way adjustment on a single combined compression and rebound dial. Spring rates are specified at order time, which is the relevant detail on a car as light and as old as a GTX where stock-replacement rates would waste the damper. Pillowball top mounts replace the rubber upper bushings on applications that support them, removing the deflection that softens turn-in response on a high-mileage shell. The kit is intended for tarmac rally and circuit work where the surface is sealed and the loads are predictable – it is not the gravel damper, and it is not pretending to be a soft road kit.

Fitment for the Mazda 323 (1987-1989)

This coilover is built specifically for the BF-generation 323 GTX 4WD, chassis code GTX, model years 1987 through 1989. It addresses the four-wheel-drive turbo variant only – the front-drive BF hatch uses a different strut and is not covered by this part number. Confirm your chassis plate before ordering as the GTX shares bodyshell stampings with non-turbo BF cars.

What buyers also search for

• Mazda 323 GTX suspension upgrade for historic tarmac rally use
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• Group A homologation Mazda 323 coilover replacement for sealed-surface stages
• 1980s 4WD turbo hatch coilover kit with pillowball top mounts

Spring rates and top-mount options are specified at order – configure yours below to match how the GTX is actually being used.