The Original 'Fast and Furious' RX-7 Goes for Sale With a Built-In Flamethrower

Universal Pictures has taken the popular franchise to new heights to the point of even bringing its cars literally off the planet. That said, it's easy to forget the times when the series was more grounded, simply focusing on street racing instead of indestructible heroes worrying about saving the world. This RX-7 is a reminder of such times – the perfect embodiment of what it meant to look furiously fast before the race even started. When Toretto showed up in this very Mazda RX-7 FD in the 2001 cult classic, it had quite an intimidating onscreen presence.

Not only did the RX-7's driver look like a bouncer who's ready to throw down (because actor Vin Diesel basically used to be one), but it also sounded mean. On top of flames spewing out its tailpipe, it's also rocking wild graphics courtesy of artist Troy Lee, making it one polarizing yet memorable movie car. Craig Lieberman, the creative director responsible for sourcing the film's cars, explained there's more to Dom's RX-7 than what's portrayed onscreen. Let's just say the coupe's dramatic flair extended far beyond its exhaust's scalding flare.

From zero to hero to... extra special?

Prior to the films, the original 'FnF' RX-7 used to be a dark gray 1993 model equipped with stage 1 performance upgrades. After Universal rented it from a certain Keith Imoto, it was given a red paint job with numerous visual and internal improvements. This custom set-up bumped its power output to 305 horsepower – a sizable improvement from its 255-horsepower stock counterpart. While Dom's RX-7 wasn't exactly a ten-second car, it was still relatively quick, allegedly capable of doing a quarter-mile in 12 seconds during real-world testing.

Its onscreen portrayal, on the other hand, made even more changes to the heavily-modified rotary racecar, including adding a fake nitrous system and using a Toyota Supra engine for its loud exhaust notes. Just when you thought this movie car couldn't be any farther from its original self, it shows up here looking like it came from another film instead. Nope, the 'Fast and Furious' RX-7 for sale here isn't the hero 1 car, but rather, it was one of the copies used for stunts. If it looks familiar, that's because this RX-7 was reused in the sequel '2 Fast 2 Furious' as the eye-popping ride of a rival racer called Orange Julius.

According to Lieberman, four RX-7s were used in the sequel, but only two were fitted with flamethrowers. In addition, only one of those two was previously used as Dom's RX-7, which makes this particularly special extra, well, extra special. Since the hero cars were reportedly either stored in a warehouse or shipped overseas, purchasing this bright orange FD is probably the closest one could get to driving the original 'FnF' RX-7 on public roads stateside. Of course, being promoted from a humble stunt car to a hero in its own right also meant that this special extra was given all the extra goodies over all the other copies.

Not a 10-second car, but still worth six-figures

Despite serving as the main car for the sequel, the repurposed RX-7 didn't really receive any engine upgrades. Under its hood is the same stock 13B rotary engine. On the outside, most of the renewed stunt car's custom pieces were still intact, such as its Versus body kit, J-Spec hood, and 18-inch Ro_Ja wheels. A big surprise is the inclusion of the exact outfit worn by Amaury Nolasco – the actor who played Orange Julius himself.

Besides the flamethrower exhaust, the car kept its red Sparco seats and trademark "Digital Clouds" decals. Dom's reused RX-7 was clearly taken care of throughout the years instead of being neglected in storage, as the seller claims its total upkeep costs alone amounted to roughly $40,000.

So, what's the price of an aging '93 Mazda that showed up in not one but two blockbuster films? For a stock-engine unit with a few aesthetic modifications, this RX-7 is estimated to be worth around $175,000 to $250,000. Now that's a lot, considering other RX-7s for sale barely hit six figures, let alone a quarter million.

In 2021, a bone stock example sporting a rare Competition Yellow Mica paint was sold for $66,000. Meanwhile, a copy of Dom's RX-7 rebuilt by famous designer George Barris was only bought for as much as $77,000 the following year. Although this preserved hero car might be the most valuable example of its kind in recent years, its projected price still pales in comparison to Brian O'Conner's Supra, which was sold for over half a million.

Still, for fans who complained about the dearth of RX-7 appearances in the early 'Fast' films, now's their chance to do this JDM legend some justice by making their own scenes with it. Perhaps this time, its next driver can finally muster the courage to jump over a bridge – something Orange Julius couldn't do. Just kidding there, we surely don't encourage drivers to do any stunts on public roads!

The fate of this furious RX-7 lies in the hands of its next owner, and if you want your name next to it instead of Toretto's, brace your bank account for bidding week starting on May 12 to 20.