Vin Diesel, aka Dominic Toretto, is usually depicted driving a Dodge Charger in the Fast and Furious franchise. However, Dom also drove a red Mazda RX-7 in the pilot scenes of the first Fast and Furious movie. The car has since become one of the most adored cars in the franchise. But the Mazda classic sports car featured in the flick has been shrouded in mystery and rumor. At the start of 2022, information emerged claiming that an RX-7 sold at Mecum Auctions in Kissimmee, Florida was Dom Toretto's Fast and Furious Mazda RX-7.

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Contrary to the claims, Craig Lieberman, who served as the technical advisor of the first two Fast and Furious movies, revealed that the car was never featured in the movie. He further pointed out that it was just one of the many cars modified by George Barris in an effort to remain relevant in the movie car business.

Here are the other 10 things most people don't know about Dom's RX-7 from The Fast and Furious.

10 Originally Built & Owned By Keith Imoto

Keith Imoto was the original builder and owner of Dom’s RX-7 - it wasn't custom-made for the movie. The car was one of the many cars in the Fast and the Furious film rented from private owners. Others included the Nissan Maxima and the Craig Lieberman Toyota Supra.

Directors and producers selected the RX-7 during an audition held in 2000 at Universal Studios in Hollywood. It ended up in the film after Vin Diesel got behind the wheel at the auditions and loved it.

9 Based On A 1993 RX-7

Dom's RX-7 started life as a 1993 Mazda RX-7 before Keith Imoto bought and modified it. This specific car was a third-generation RX-7, also known as the FD. Mazda offered the coupe as a 2+2-seater and in a limited 2-seater configuration.

Powering the RX-7 FD was a 1.3-liter sequentially turbocharged 13B REW rotary engine that produced 252hp from the factory. Drivers loved the FD for its precise handling. It remains one of the best-balanced cars in the world, thanks to the front-midship engine layout that contributes to the car's 50:50 front-rear weight distribution and a low center of gravity.

8 Had The Roll Cage Removed

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Prior to its appearance in the film with some mild performance enhancements, Dom's RX-7 was mostly driven by Keith. As a normal-sized driver with an eye on safety, he had a roll cage installed.

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Vin Diesel is notoriously jacked in many Fast and Furious films. The first movie was no exception, and it turned out that Dom couldn't comfortably fit in the "hero" car. The crew had to remove the cage to make room for him.

7 Featured Real Engine Mods Except For The Nitrous System

Unlike Paul Walker's green Mitsubishi Eclipse which sold for $170500, Dom's RX-7 featured some real engine mods and performance upgrades. The rebuilt 13B-REW rotary engine got ported with 3mm apex seals to handle the increased power boost. The engine could now produce 305RWHP (or 380hp), compared to the stock 252hp.

However, far from what you saw in the film, the iconic "sneaky Pete" nitrous system was fake and made out of plumbing parts and scuba gear. In fact, what appeared like a metal piece mounted with a nitrous dial and gauges was a wood block painted to look like solid metal.

6 A Total Of 5 RX-7s Cars Got Used For The Film

The first bit of Fast and Furious magic was using five stunt cars. With the "hero" car privately owned, it limited how the production crew could use it. They had to build replicas to keep the original car in pristine condition.

The film used two replicas for the stunts, then another as a driving rig. They used the other (buck car) for special effects and detailed interior shots. All these clones got painted like the "hero" car but had stock engines, and zero mods besides the muffler.

5 The Original Paint Color Got Changed For The Movie

While Dom's car appears on the film in red, it was originally painted silver. That's before the car's body kit got changed. Paul Walker's green Mitsubishi Eclipse followed the same trend after starting off as a silver car.

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The RX-7's classic Veilside Combat body kit was slightly modified to a more rounded Veilside Combat II kit. And like other cars driven by Dom's crew, the RX-7 got some badass graphics. Other appearance mods included the Veilside rims, Lexan headlight covers, and the GT rear wing.

4 It Had Computer Generated Exhaust Notes In The Movie

Like almost all cars used in the Fast and Furious films, the sounds you heard got edited during post-production. Any rotary engine fan will notice that the exhaust note from Dom's car was something odd. Again, the mods applied in the car cannot produce such engine sounds.

The team decided to use a mix of heavily edited sounds from the Toyota turbocharged 1JZ and 2JZ engines. Other sources claim there was a bit of a lion's roaring or growling sound. Whatever the case, we can all agree the sound was fantastic.

3 Dom's Car Didn't Have The Crazy Sound System Shown

The Fast and Furious film depicts a crazy audio system at the rear of Dom's RX-7. But Dom's RX-7 had the factory sound system as Keith Imoto (the owner) insisted on keeping the car in its original lightweight condition.

Apparently, the crew took shots from one of the replicas that housed the impressive sound system and made it appear like it was in Dom's "hero" one car. According to Lieberman, the structural components for that stereo system still exist in the stunt car to date.

2 Why The RX-7 Didn't Get Much Screen Time

This red Mazda RX-7 is the first car we get to see Dom drive at the illegal drag race in the Fast and Furious franchise. As a result, the car became a fan favorite, and many were curious why the RX-7, the fastest car in the film, was rarely used besides a few glimpses here and there.

RELATED: Why The Legendary Mazda RX-7 Is A Tuner’s Dream Car

According to Craig Lieberman, the director, editor and screenwriter are in charge of such decisions, and there was no reason to extend the car's screen time beyond what the script demanded.

1 What Happened To Dom's RX-7 After The Movie

Many fans often ask what happened to the cars after the end of the production of the Fast and Furious film. In this case, Dom's RX-7 plus the other stunt cars went to different places.

The crew retained one of the stunt cars and featured in the 2 Fast 2 Furious sequel. Another got sold to George Barris (later sold to another buyer in the Netherlands), while two others got bought by museums in Las Vegas and Florida. Dom's "hero" car resides in a storage facility but misses most original cool parts.