It’s safe to say that the Fast and Furious franchise is the biggest franchise to showcase some absolutely insane cars. As you will probably already know, the Fast and Furious franchise is concentrated on street racing, heists, and most importantly, family. That is until we get to all the spectacular cars featured in all the Fast and Furious films. From starting out as a car-oriented film to moving onto an action-packed franchise, thankfully the insane car theme has remained in abundance.
While pretty much every car that was presented in the Fast and Furious franchise was highly impressive in one way or another, probably one of the most monumental yet underrated JDM cars shown in the franchise was the Mazda RX-7. This is one of those few sports cars in the franchise that impressed so much that it appeared more than once. Firstly, as Dominic Toretto’s car in The Fast and the Furious, and then as Hans’ iconic orange drift machine in The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift.
A Small Engine With Big Figures: Dominic Toretto’s Mazda RX-7 FD
Firstly, let’s begin with Dominic Toretto’s third-generation Mazda RX-7 FD. Toretto’s Mazda RX-7 originated from an original 1993 Mazda RX-7 until Keith Imoto completely modified and upgraded it into the beast that you’ve seen and love. Shelved inside any Mazda RX-7 was a 1.3-liter sequentially turbocharged 13B REW rotary engine that was able to unleash 252 hp.
But Dom’s Mazda RX-7 was even more impressive; it featured genuine engine mods and many mild performance enhancements. The already impressive engine was completely reconstructed, with the 13B-REW rotary engine receiving 3mm apex seals, so the car could survive with its increased power output of 380 hp.
The Mazda RX-7 FD was a much-loved JDM car, not only in the Fast and Furious franchise but in real life as well. The primary reason for this was its faultless handling—it was precise, accurate, and exact. The Mazda RX-7 FD’s 50:50 front-to-rear weight distribution and low center of gravity allow it to remain one of the world’s best-balanced and handling cars.
Dominic Toretto’s First Vehicle Remains A Fan Favorite
With Dominic Toretto’s Mazda RX-7 FD being the first car he is ever seen driving, it’s no wonder why it’s become favored by many fans, not to mention that it was also the fastest car used on the first film of the franchise. Not only did Dom’s Mazda RX-7 FD receive plenty of performance upgrades, but it also got an exterior dress-up.
With mods including Veilside rims, Lexan headlight covers, and a GT rear wing. Unfortunately, when it comes to Dom’s Mazda RX-7 FD, not everything is as it seems. The nitrous system installed into Dom’s Mazda RX-7 FD, which was labeled “Sneaky Pete,” was in fact an imitation, with the nitrous system being made up of scrap plumbing components and scuba diving equipment.
Hans’ Mazda RX-7 FD3S Was The Real Deal
Moving onto Hans’ Mazda RX-7 FD3S seen in The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift. Rather than cutting back on the budget and saving money, directors, producers, and film executives decided not to use fake, cheap, and lookalike kit cars but to actually obtain the real deal. Hans’ Mazda RX-7 FDS3 was fully tuned by Veilside, who created a monster. The Mazda RX-7 seen being driven by Hans had some serious upgrades.
An HKS single-turbo system, an HKS intercooler, a Skyline GT-R fuel line, and a custom exhaust were among the modifications. It’s clear to see that Hans’ Mazda RX-7 FD3S was finished beautifully and wore a badass body kit, but if you were thinking that all the modifications and upgrades would create beyond ridiculous statistics, then you’d be wrong, unfortunately.
Despite the modification, Hans’ Mazda RX-7 FD3S could only unleash around 500 hp and reach 0–60 mph in just shy of 6 seconds. Which is fairly disappointing for just how powerful, aggressive, and forceful it looks and sounds. Regrettably, that’s not the only disappointing factor when it comes to Hans’ Mazda RX-7 FD3S.
It was unable to perform as it should during the filming of Hans executing donuts around a Skyline R33 GT-R, and this was because of the Mazda RX-7 FD3S’s poor amount of grip. To reduce traction, the Mazda RX-7’s tires were fatigued until they were almost bald to film drifting scenes, which turned out to be an arduous task. While the Mazda RX-7 has its downfalls and disappointments, just like any car, it takes nothing away from just how iconic and loved it has become through the Fast and Furious franchise.
It was a great-looking and attractive machine that provided you with all the power, performance, and speed you could ask for. It’s a shame that the nimble and fantastically handling Mazda RX-7 usually gets outshone by other Fast and Furious superstars such as the Dodge Charger, Nissan Skyline R34, and Toyota Supra MK IV. But it shouldn’t; it should sit beside them and be proud that it’s such an impressive sports car.