RX-7s, 300ZX, and 22B Join Forces in Hot Wheels Ronin Run, Good Luck Finding the Chase!

The Ronin Run is the seventh Car Culture set for 2022, and it also happens to be the second one to exclusively feature JDM cars. The first one was called Mountain Drifters and contained two Toyotas, two Nissans if you were lucky, one Mitsubishi, and one Honda. There's no doubt in our minds that Ronin Run will be a hit among collectors, which means its market value will probably double or triple within the next few years.

But let's have a look at what Mattel has prepared for us inside. The 1995 Mazda RX7 casting has been around since 2017. The first edition was part of the Then and Now Mainline series, and featured a Metalflake Dark Blue finish. There are 19 variations of the FD to collect, including the new Navy Blue Premium model. And we know for sure that another one is on its way for 2023.

One of the most exciting ones to look out for is a replica of Dom's car from the first Fast and Furious movie, but fans of the saga will be just as happy to see the red one used in the second movie too. In 2021 this casting was used as a Super Treasure Hunt model, and the most expensive ones on eBay will cost more than $100. The new variation uses Real Riders five-spoke wheels and is as clean as it gets, which most adult collectors will certainly appreciate.

The second item in the set is the Nissan 300ZX Twin Turbo. Dmitriy Shakhmatov designed this before its release in 2019, and we've seen eight versions of it so far. Just like with the RX7, this casting has also been featured as a Super Treasure Hunt in 2021. That was before its first Car Culture appearance that same year when it was presented as part of the Modern Classics series. While there are plenty of details to look at here, using black wheels doesn't always sound like the best idea. But with some basic skills and tools that is a problem you can fix at home.

If you'll ask most of the younger automotive enthusiasts around today about their favorite Toyota, they'll probably name the Supra first and then the AE86. But older gearheads will remember the '81 Toyota Starlet KP61. It's not the most powerful car you'll ever see, but many have used it as a drift weapon in grassroots competitions.

This is one of the rarest castings in the Ronin Run set, as the first iteration only came out last year. It was also a Car Culture item back then, so we can't help but wonder if it will make a Mainline appearance in 2023 too. Although Mattel has kept the same wheel design for the Starlet KP61, the car is now painted Purple and features Work Wheels decals on the side.

The fourth casting we're looking at here is the 1998 Subaru Impreza 22B-STI, and for once we don't mind the black wheels. This car will bring some color to your collection, and it looks phenomenally good in orange. You might say that blue would have been a more appropriate option, but you'll find one of those in the 2020 Car Culture: Modern Classics series.

This is the second Premium variation of this casting that was designed by Ryu Asada. According to our sources, we'll see a black one in the Hot Wheels Boulevard collection next year. Meanwhile, some collectors are still struggling to find the relatively-basic Treasure Hunt version of the 22B-STi which is nowhere nearly as detailed as the Car Culture one.

We've saved the best collectible for last. This is a brand new casting by Hot Wheels, although a stock version of it debuted in Mainline back in 2020. With five variations of the stock FC3S to look for if you're a fan of the second-generation RX-7, everyone was waiting for a Premium Real Riders design. FC fanatics will tell you that there are better-looking kits on the market than the Pandem one, including those produced by BN Sports and Sexy Knights.

But Kei Miura's work has stirred up a lot of attention in the past few years, and "Rocket Bunnies" are bound to be more successful than any of the OG designs. The six-spoke wheels feel slightly undersized for the task at hand, but then again it reflects the spirit of the '90s. This is a late S5 model as you can see by looking at the taillights, and you'll also spot a roll cage inside. But the strange thing is that this appears to be an LHD vehicle, whereas the stock FC casting has the steering wheel on the right side.

As if RX-7 enthusiasts weren't happy enough with the layout of the Ronin Run set, it is revealed to us that the Chase vehicle for this set is the FC! As you would expect, it's painted in Black. But you'll have to either be lucky to find one or pay extra to get it from eBay. Either way, pre-orders are already open and you can get a case of 10 cars for about $75. But you'll need to be on the lookout for an honest distributor, as in someone who won't open the cases looking for the Chase version before it gets to you.