This RX-7 was built by VeilSide, one of the largest automotive aftermarket companies in Japan. Universal studios bought the car and change it for the movie The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift.

2005 The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift: VeilSide RX-7

Specifications
  • Make: Array
  • Model: 2005 The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift: VeilSide RX-7
  • Horsepower: 306@6650
  • Torque: 256@5950

The Mazda Project began work on a car in 1969, continuing until 1973 when the oil crisis finally put end to the car. They wanted it to be a two-seater sports car known as RS-X. Some years later, in 1975 they had the idea of a new rotary engined sports car, different from the prior attempt. The novelty was a new chassis, developed for the purpose of accommodating the rotary engined’s compact dimensions. After several modifications the prototype was finished in 1977 and a year later the RX-7’s were being produced at the Ujina plant, proving to be an immediate hit. Being highly competitive, and offered at a low price, the supply could not keep up with demand any buyers were often offering more money above price just to own one. Despite some initial quality problems, the car was given excellent reviews by all automotive magazines.

Because the field of affordable sports cars was increasing the RX-7 was in need of a replacement. A second series of the RX-7 started being projected in 1981. In February 1983 one design was chosen from around twenty. A new version, a luxury one, was offered with cruise control, air conditioning, leather seats, power windows and a security system. The interior was convenient, ergonomic and modern. But this prototype ran into a problem: it was too heavy and did not meet the combined gas rating. After removing items and replacing others with a lighter material, RX-7 the second generation was introduced in 1986 with a huge success and the sales were much higher. By the close of 1980’s the RX-7 continued to evolve into more luxury and turbo versions. In 1990 was the final year of the production of the second generation RX-7.

Starting with 1993 the third generation Mazda RX-7 was available as a two-door hatchback. This generation was short lived compared to the prior version. The downfall was its sticker price costing over $35,000 in 1995. 1995 is considered to be the last year RX-7 was produced, bringing to end the production of the rotary engine.

One of ’s largest automotive aftermarket companies, VeilSide, built this Mazda RX-7 to show off its “Fortune” wide-body kit at the 2005 Tokyo Auto Salon.

Universal studios bought the car as-is and then they went to work changing it for the movie The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift. The first was the paint: originally the car was painted red and then they repainted it sunset orange pearl. The car kept the VeilSide Fortune kit because this kit is one of the most extravagant kits in the world and very wide (a foot wider than its stock sibling), the wheels are very massive. The Rotora brake system is completed with massive discs and four piston calipers. A full set of A’PEXiN1 coilovers was installed to eliminate any unsightly fender gap and also to tighten up the handling.

Those who would see this car would say that this RX-7 is all show and no go. Well it is not true because the rotary engine under the hood is a tricked-out as the exterior. The car is supplied with a HKS T04Z unit turbo which sends its charged air down through the custom made VeilSide intercooler piping to the V-mounted HKS intercooler. Besides this waste gasses are sent into the atmosphere via a VeilSide titanium exhaust. Its interior was spray-painted over the whole thing keeping all the original equipment of the RX-7: the Alpine audio equipment, the 8 inch monitor in the dash to the custom-enclosed amps and woofer.

The VeilSide RX-7 was so impressive that it won the Grand Prix award as the best car in the show in 2005. Due to its rotary engine it can produce startling horsepower numbers. It produced only 306 horsepower at 6,650 rpm and 256 pound-feet of torque at 5,950 rpm at the rear wheels which was better than the stock. Moreover there was little low-end torque to get the big wheels turning. It took 6 seconds for the flying brick to hit 60 mph and 14.1 seconds to run the quarter mile at 104.5 mph.

That’s why this extravagant car built for the 2005 Tokyo Auto Salon was chosen to star in The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift.