Han's Tokyo Drift VeilSide Mazda RX-7 Just Sold for $1.2 Million
Time has aged The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift into a classic, and rightfully so. A spinoff with new characters that wasn't really folded into the series' overarching narrative until years later, the 2006 movie further popularized JDM culture and, specifically, drifting in the U.S. and around the world. The cars in it have become icons in their own right, too, though perhaps none as strongly as Han's orange-and-black FD Mazda RX-7 equipped with a VeilSide Fortune bodykit. One of the running examples built for the film was just auctioned this past weekend at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, where it sold for an eye-watering $1,225,568.
This RX-7 is the real deal, Bonhams says. It wasn't one of those fakes built to take a beating, like an R34 GT-R shell with a Beetle powertrain. Universal Studios commissioned this car from VeilSide, and the Fortune kit touches every exterior element on the RX-7 aside from its roof and tailgate. They also slapped on some 19-inch Andrew Premier Series Racing Evolution 5 wheels, which look stunning in full polished aluminum.
Next, the coupe was handed over to tuner RE Amemiya, who lavished the same TLC on its engine. Han's ride also received a Blitz exhaust, as well as a new clutch, brakes, and coilover suspension. The whole package is said to weigh about 2,315 pounds, and is tuned for stock output. That means an 'official' figure of 276 horsepower, but we all know how underrated these cars were from the factory. Bonhams
Clearly this RX-7 wasn't abused for Hollywood; Bonhams reports it was used only for static and stunt scenes, and never for drifting. In other words, it wasn't the car that actually ripped a big, fat powerslide through Shibuya Crossing with no permission—it just looks like it.
Because no 2000s tuner car was complete without a heavy-bass aftermarket sound system, this RX-7 has an Alpine setup 'twin amplifiers and multiple loudspeakers,' and you can see the goods through the split rear window. There's even a prop to keep the gate lifted, to show it all off. Hey, we laugh, but over-the-top audio counted for a lot in street cred back in the day. Also note the separate screen on the passenger's side of the dash, though there's no telling what it actually does. Maybe you can hook an Xbox 360 up to it, for the ultimate 2006 experience. Bonhams
When modified, this RX-7 had about 61,000 miles on it; afterwards, another 5,000 were logged. A few years after filming wrapped, a U.K.-based importer took the car. Hopefully the new owner doesn't consign it to a museum piece, but they should know that, given how long the car has sat still, it should probably get a checkup before reenacting any events from the silver screen.
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From the May 1994 issue of Car and Driver. "A great car in need of a great engine." That was our bottom-line assessment of the last 240SX SE we tested, in a comparison of hot sporty coupes in April 1992. And because Nissan had the opportunity of a clean-sheet remake for model-year 1995, you figure the company would respond by simply installing a smooth, lusty powerplant in what is already a fine-handling car, right? Clearly, you overestimate this magazine's influence. The second-generation 240SX has been rethought, reworked, and retargeted—and driving enthusiasts were not in the crosshairs. Elegant new sheetmetal wraps around the boomy old four-cylinder engine, and the formerly lively rear-drive platform gives a softer, more isolated ride. "Sedan avoiders" are the new clientele: aging, empty-nest baby boomers who want to look long as it doesn't compromise their comfort and convenience. 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View Photos David Dewhurst | Car and Driver Racket and roughness from the 2389cc twin-cam four have been slightly reduced. This engine still will strike no one as a model of silky revvability, but neither will your right hand constantly itch for an upshift. A more rigid cylinder head and revised engine mounts reduce noise. Increased compression (from 8.6: 1 to 9.5: 1) and new cam timing boost low- and midrange torque, even though peak output ratings remain 155 horsepower at 5600 rpm and 160 pound-feet of torque at 4400 rpm. View Photos David Dewhurst | Car and Driver Reasonable thrust is available above 3000 rpm, and the engine can lean on its 6500-rpm redline without seriously blurring your vision. That reshaped torque curve is accompanied by an 80-pound decrease in curb weight, so the 0-to-60-mph time shows a net 0.4-second decrease, from 7.9 seconds to 7.5, compared with the 240SX SE we tested in 1992. LOWS: Comfort-biased chassis tuning; it's no longer a backroad dancer. 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View Photos David Dewhurst | Car and Driver Specifications Specifications 1995 Nissan 240SX SE Vehicle Type: front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 2+2-passenger, 2-door coupe PRICE (EST) Base/As Tested: $19,500/$23,000 Options: leather package (includes leather seating surfaces. leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, dual map lights), anti-lock brakes, limited-slip differentia ENGINE DOHC 24-valve inline-4, iron block and aluminum head, port fuel injection Displacement: 146 in3, 2389 cm3 Power: 155 hp @ 5600 rpm Torque: 160 lb-ft @ 4400 rpm TRANSMISSION 5-speed manual CHASSIS Suspension, F/R: struts/multilink Brakes, F/R: 9.9-in vented disc/10.2-in disc Tires: Dunlop SP Sport 4000 A/A P205/55VR-16 DIMENSIONS Wheelbase: 99.4 in Length: 177.2 in Width: 68.1 in Height: 50.8 in Passenger Volume, F/R: 49/17 ft3 Trunk Volume: 9 ft3 Curb Weight: 2860 lb C/D TEST RESULTS 60 mph: 7.5 sec 1/4-Mile: 15.9 sec @ 86 mph 100 mph: 22.8 sec Rolling Start, 5–60 mph: 8.0 sec Top Gear, 30–50 mph: 9.6 sec Top Gear, 50–70 mph: 11.0 sec Top Speed (gov ltd): 118 mph Braking, 70–0 mph: 171 ft Roadholding, 300-ft Skidpad: 0.87 g EPA FUEL ECONOMY City/Highway: 22/28 mpg C/D TESTING EXPLAINED
