Aoshima introduced some new series to get some extra mileage from their existing car patterns.
For the RX-7 kits, some very interesting options were added, such as authentic
Mazdaspeed MS-01 wheels and twin Supertrapp exhausts. The MS-01 wheels were also available separately, the Supertrapp exhausts could also be used on an RX-7 SA or FC tuned for street racing.
I have put the Enfini and Mazda (factory) FD3S versions on this page and put the Tuner versions to a separate page.
released in 1992
New parts are front and rear skirts, 18in Euro X II wheels (in addition to the stock Mazda wheels), twin Supertrapp mufflers and new decals.
Body and skirts are molded in red, interior and chassis parts in black, both sets of wheels and the set of mufflers are satin plated.
(thanks, Werner !)
released in 1997
New parts are front and rear skirts, 18in Mazdaspeed MS-01 wheels, twin Supertrapp mufflers and new decals with tiny Mazdaspeed decals for the wheels and extra Bridgestone and Mazdaspeed logos.
Body and skirts are molded in white, chassis parts in black, both sets of wheels and the set of mufflers are satin plated.
This kit is a later release of the S-Package kit listed above, same kit number, same catalog number.
released in 1993
New parts are 18in Mazdaspeed MS-01 wheels, twin Supertrapp mufflers and new decals with tiny Mazdaspeed decals for the wheels and larger Mazdaspeed logos in silver.
Body and chassis parts are molded in black, both sets of wheels and the set of mufflers are satin plated.
released in 1995
New parts are 18in Speedline wheels and Bridgestone G'Grid tires.
released in 1997
With its black body, this is the same kit as nr.87B but it comes
with additional decals for the black borders around the front and rear windows and a generous sheet
of self-adhesive chromed plastic film for the rear view mirrors (actually the sheet is big
enough to last you a lifetime of coating 1/24 scale sized mirrors !).
Former Aoshima USA import company SATCO had a resin lefthand drive dashboard added to the kits of this series sold in the US.
released in 1998
New parts are front and rear skirts, Mazdaspeed MS-01 wheels, twin Supertrapp mufflers, a huge high-mounted rear wing
and additional decals. Body parts molded in red, chassis parts in black.
released in February 1999
New parts are front and rear skirts, 18in Speedline wheels, twin Supertrapp mufflers, a huge high-mounted rear wing
and additional decals.
Body, spoilers and all interior parts are molded in a deep orange-yellow shade, great if you want
to do a customized version with a color-keyed interior.
released in August 2005
rereleased in Mar 2010
This kit is based on the same body as the RX-7 FD tuner kits.
This time the separate front bumper is a Mazda factory item as fitted from model year '99 onwards.
New items in this kit are:
Also included are the clear parts set from the C-West kit to provide clear front indicator covers and lenses and the early factory wheel parts set to provide the door mirror faces.
Body, chassis and interior parts are all molded in black.
The 2010 rerelease got a new catalog number and slightly changed box art, the kit contents are identical to those of the previous release.
released in July 2007
This is the same kit as the '98 FD in the Best Car GT series with factory painted parts.
Body parts, rear spoiler and door mirror housings are painted in metallic blue, unfortunately the shade does not match the
actual Innocent Blue Mica paint well: the shade looks similar to Nissan TV2 Bayside Blue, whereas this picture (by Tokyolll on Tumblr) shows that Innocent Blue is a much darker shade than Bayside Blue is.
Interior parts are painted flat dark gray. The old stock wheels are still included and are painted aluminum, which makes a nice change from the usual plated wheels.
The window parts have the edges painted satin black, the clear part for the tail lights is also painted black, including the glasses for the brake and tail lights.
All parts from the Best GT '98 FD kit are included except the pre-cut paint masks.
A new set of decals is included offering a set of dealer plates, Mazda emblems, decals for front, side and lower tail lamps and a choice of black or white instrument faces.
released in July 2007
rereleased in Mar 2010
This is the same kit as the blue '98 FD in the Prepainted Car Series but this time with the body parts, rear spoiler and door mirror housings painted in gloss black.
The black paint coat is nice and smooth and is just as brilliant as the actual Brilliant Black paint.
released in June 2018
This a limited edition. It is basically the same kit as the '98 FD in the Best Car GT series with factory painted parts and the 18in Gram Lights 57Fpro wheels replaced with the proper Mazda type IV/V 17in wheels with matching Bridgestone Expedia S-07 tires.
Body parts, rear spoiler and door mirror housings are painted in Vintage Red .
Interior parts are painted flat dark gray with flat black details and medium gray seat inserts.
Chassis parts are painted flat black with silver details.
Both the old stock wheels and the new wheels are satin aluminum plated.
The window parts have the edges painted satin black. Two sets of clear parts are included, a full set of untinted parts and a smoke-tinted set without main windows. The tail lights of the tinted parts are painted clear red, the rear reflectors/backup lights and the rear side markers of the clear set are painted clear red.
In addition to all parts of the Best GT '98 FD kit, new parts are the smoke tinted clear parts (D-2 parts), the extra set of suspension parts for fitting 'female' wheels (E and F parts) and the FD-W wheels set from the type IV kit .
The decals offer a set of Japanese plates, a set of dealer plates, Mazda emblems, decals for side indicators and a choice of black or white instrument faces.
released in November 2018
This a limited edition. This is the same kit as the Vintage Red '99 FD in the Prepainted Car Series but this time with the body parts, rear spoiler and door mirror housings painted in Innocent Blue Mica .
The old stock wheel parts are now brightly plated, so the door mirror faces on that same sprue are ready for use.
This time Aoshima did pick the correct shade of blue, so everything is in the box to recreate the iconic Innocent Blue '99 FD.
released in July 2015
The introduction of the 'type IV' 1996 model of the RX-7 FD coincided with the end of exporting the FD to the US and to Europe.
'Type IV' introduced a lot of changes that were carried over to the facelifted 1998 'type V' model including new 17in wheels and larger brake discs, new tail light clusters with circular masks and a choice of either a Momo steering wheel or one fitted with an SRS airbag.
Unique to the 'type IV' are a new rear wing, a revised front fascia and revised front fog lights.
'Type IV' was sold in Japan in 1996 and 1997, the Enfini brand was discontinued in 1997 so from 1997 on Japanese RX-7 were fitted with Mazda badges.
The kit represents the high-specs RS version and is another variation on the '98 FD3S kit, but for this release some parts have been added and changed on existing part trees:
On the A-parts tree a new 'type IV' rear wing replaces the 'type I' rear wing and new fog light lenses have been added to the clear D-parts tree.
A new G-parts tree with a revised front bumper, a new SRS steering wheel and new fog lights and new FD-W trees with new factory 17in wheels fitted with Bridgestone Expedia S-07 tires have been added.
The new 17in wheels have bushing inside the wheels, so the additional set of suspension parts (that was introduced in the Drift Machines RX-7 FD kit) is included.
Body, interior parts and the 'type I' wheels are molded in white, chassis parts are molded in black, the 'type IV' 17in wheels are satin plated.
A set of self-adhesive masks for the insides of the windows and a large sheet of self-adhesive chromed plastic film for the rear view mirrors are included.
A new set of decals offers a choice of Enfini or Mazda emblems and dealer plates, Japanese plates, decals for front side lamps and a set of instrument faces.
released in June 2016
This is a rerelease of the RX-7 'type IV' 1996 model kit.
The kit is identical to the earlier release, apart from the box art and the kit number on the decal sheet.
Body, interior parts and the 'type I' wheels are molded in white, chassis parts are molded in black, the 'type IV' 17in wheels are satin plated.
A set of self-adhesive masks for the insides of the windows and a large sheet of self-adhesive chromed plastic film for the rear view mirrors are included.
Apart from the kit number the decals are identical to the earlier release, so there is a choice of Enfini or Mazda emblems and dealer plates, Japanese plates and decals for front side lamps and a set of instrument faces.
released in October 2020
This is a rerelease of the RX-7 'type IV' 1996 model kit.
The kit now contains two extra sets of parts: a dark gray tinted set of clear parts and H-parts (05-27) with front fascia and rear spoiler of the 'type V' FD.
A set of aluminum license plate blanks is also included and the decals now offer license plate decals with and without background color.
Body, interior parts and the 'type I' wheels are molded in white, chassis parts are molded in black, the 'type IV' 17in wheels are satin plated.
A set of self-adhesive masks for the insides of the windows and a large sheet of self-adhesive chromed plastic film for the rear view mirrors are included.
Apart from extra license plates the decals are identical to the earlier release.
released in December 2015
This is the FD3S 'type IV' kit with extra parts, new decals and a pre-cut paint mask for the nose added for making a Japanese patrol car version.
From 1998 to 1999, seven 'type IV' RX-7s were used as police cars by seven different police departments.
All cars were based on the RS type (with engines uprated to 280hp) and were fitted with rear seats and an all black interior.
The new kit parts consist of a lightbar (without radar), a radio set with microphone and antenna, a clear debris shield and a police badge for the nose.
The decals offer a choice between a car from either Gunma (decals 2, 3 and 18) or Niigata (decals A, B, C, D and E) prefectural police department.
Note that the actual Niigata car had radar fitted to the lightbar (no radar equipment is included in the kit). The picture below shows the Miyagi car with similar radar equipment fitted.
Body, interior parts, police equipment parts and the 'type I' wheels are molded in white, chassis parts are molded in black, the 'type IV' 17in wheels are satin plated and the light bar covers are molded in clear red.
In addition to the police markings the decal sheet offers Mazda emblems (no Enfini emblems included), dealer plates, decals for front side lamps and a set of instrument faces.
Self-adhesive paint masks for the insides of the windows and a mask for the black curve on the nose are included.
released in May 2020
This is a limited rerelease of the FD3S 'type IV' Patrol Car kit with some extra parts and new decals.
New optional parts for the radar transceiver and its lightbar mount (parts 79-82) have been added to the FD-P tree.
As with most new Aoshima releases a set of optional aluminum license plate blanks is now included.
The new decals offer all markings for each of the seven RX-7 FD patrol cars.
Although most of the instructions come with English translations, the text listing which cars were fitted with radar and the separate sheet with instructions for selecting the decals for each prefecture are in Japanese only.
The next table list all decals for each of the prefectures (same order as table in instructions) :
| prefecture | license plates | doors | roof | rear | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| front | rear | left | right | wing | window | ||
| Saitama | 2 | 3 | 32 | 32 | 48 | 41 | - |
| Miyagi | 4 | 5 | 33 | 34 | 49 | - | 45 |
| Gunma | 6 | 7 | 35 | 35 | - | - | - |
| Niigata | 8 | 9 | 36 | 36 | 47 | 42 | - |
| Tochigi | 10 | 11 | 37 | 37 | - | 43 | - |
| Chiba | 12 | 13 | 38 | 39 | - | - | - |
| Kyoto | 14 | 15 | 40 | 40 | - | 44 | - |
The third and fourth columns in the instructions list the license plate decals without backing color (add 48 to license plate decal numbers in table above).
The color scheme on the main instruction sheet shows the Saitama car.
According to the instructions the Gunma and Niigata cars were not fitted with radar, the others were (I only have pictures of the Saitama car without radar and of the Niigata car with, so equipment might have been changed later).
The radar mount in the lightbar (parts 79 and 80) was satin aluminum, the front dish of the radar transceiver was pale gray.
In addition to the radio set fitted to the glove box (part 78), there was also a black box (radar controls ?) fitted to the rear of the transmission tunnel, just in front of the rear seats. This box is not included in the kit.
Body, interior parts, police equipment parts and the 'type I' wheels are molded in white, chassis parts are molded in black, the 'type IV' 17in wheels are satin plated and the light bar covers are molded in clear red.
Tires are 17in Bridgestone Expedia S-07.
In addition to the police markings the decal sheet offers Mazda emblems, dealer plates, decals for front side lamps, a set of instrument faces, a set of license plate decals and an extra set of license plate decals without white backing for the optional aluminum license plates.
Self-adhesive paint masks for the insides of the windows and for the black curve on the nose and a generous sheet of self-adhesive chromed plastic film (for applying to the rear view mirrors) are included.
released in Aug 2022
This is a regular rerelease of the FD3S Radar Patrol Car '98 kit, with some extra parts, new decals and a revised instruction sheet.
Compared to the Radar Patrol Car kit, this kit contains an additional set of smoke tinted clear parts, of which only the tail lights cluster is used.
The decal sheet is mostly the same as the one in the Radar Patrol Car kit but now has a set of white 'POLICE' decals added, however these are not mentioned on the decal placement instructions and I have no images of RX-7 Patrol cars with white 'POLICE' legends.
The decal placement instructions are again in Japanese only but the decals all have the same numbers, so the translated instructions for the Radar Patrol Car kit listed above can be used.
All other notes mentioned above also apply to this kit.
Body, interior parts and police equipment parts are molded in white, chassis parts are molded in black, the 'type I' wheels and the 'type IV' 17in wheels are satin plated and the light bar covers are molded in clear red.
Tires are 17in Bridgestone Expedia S-07.
In addition to the police markings the decal sheet offers Mazda emblems, dealer plates, decals for front side lamps, a set of instrument faces, a set of license plate decals and an extra set of license plate decals without white backing for the optional aluminum license plate blanks.
Self-adhesive paint masks for the insides of the windows and for the black curve on the nose are included.
released in May 2018
This is a variation on the RX-7 'type IV' 1996 model kit with new BBS wheels, 'type V' front fascia and rear spoiler, an extra set of smoke-tinted clear parts, an unused set of lefthand drive parts, a set of aluminum license plate blanks and new decals.
This is another great Aoshima RX-7 kit, Aoshima got the design for the BBS wheels and the decals absolutely right so everything in the box is there to make an accurate 'Spirit R' Type-B (apart from cross-drilled brake rotors).
Unfortunately some errors and omissions crept into the instruction sheet:
A set of lefthand drive parts is included (F parts), however Mazda made no lefthand drive 'Spirit R' versions (US distributer MAzda North America has a lefthand drive 'Spirit R' look-alike in its collection, but that one is actually a converted 'type II').
Body parts, interior parts and the 'type I' wheels are molded in white, chassis parts are molded in black, the BBS 17in wheels are satin plated. Tires are Bridgestone Expedia S-07.
A set of self-adhesive masks for the insides of the windows is included.
A new set of decals includes 'Spirit R' badges for the front fenders and unique 'Spirit R' dashboard instruments, plus the usual Mazda RX-7 badges and license plates.
released in Jan 2021
This release is identical to the previous 'Spirit R' Type B kit, apart from some minor changes to the box art and the instruction sheet and the addition of a sheet of self-adhesive chromed plastic film for applying to the rear view mirrors.
released in November 2005
This is a variation on the recent '98 FD3S kit, but one that comes with a neat surprise.
There are two systems for fitting wheels to model cars, one has a stub axle in the wheel (like Tamiya uses), the other one has a bushing inside the wheel which is fitted over an axle (Fujimi uses this).
Aoshima switched systems somewhere in the 90ies, their earlier kit designs like the RX-7 FD kit used the stub axle system, their later kits have bushings inside the wheels that fit over axles.
Sofar all Aoshima RX-7 FD kits had wheels with stub axles, but this new kit has new suspension parts added to allow wheels with bushings to be fitted. The old suspension parts are still included, which makes this kit ideal for customizing as you can now fit any set of Tamiya, Aoshima, Fujimi or Rosso wheels.
The new rear axle assembly is 3.3mm more narrow to allow for the wider wheel hubs, the ride height has not been changed.
New parts in this kit (compared to the regular '98 FD3S kit):
The kit contains a body with vents molded in the hood, similar to the body in the Vertex kit.
Body, bumpers and interior are molded in bright yellow, chassis parts are molded in black, the AVS wheels are satin aluminum plated.
released in May 1999
Japanese Highway Patrol men must be happy doing their job: driving an RX-7 all day long and getting paid for it !
The kit is a stock RX-7 kit with an additional set of parts for the lightbar and some other police-related bits.
Body and interior parts are molded in white, chassis parts in black.
A huge set of decals with a wide selection of prefecture names for the doors and a smaller set with dials, emblems, etc. completes this kit.
The black border on the lower body has to be painted, a template is printed on the instruction sheet for the curved part
on the nose.
released in February 2008
This is the first release in the Itasha Series, depicting real-life cars which are decorated with anime characters.
The RX-7 in this box is similar to the FD3S '98 kit with some additions:
Body and bumpers are molded in metallic blue, interior and chassis parts are molded in black, the spare stock wheels are not plated.
released in April 2010
This kit is similar to the FD3S '98 kit with the decals replaced by a large sheet of Itasha decals.
The decals offer a choice of three different versions for each of the main characters of the Loveplus manga.
Body parts, aerokit parts and interior are molded in white, chassis parts are molded in black, the Gram Lights wheels are brightly plated, the spare stock wheels are not plated.
released in October 2012
This kit is similar to the FD3S '98 kit with the decals replaced by a large sheet of beautifully silkscreen-printed Itasha decals and a set of 'Advan Super Racing Version 2' wheels added.
It looks like despite the large size of the decal sheet, Aoshima forgot to include the decals for the Advan wheel centers.
If you have any of the S-Parts Nr.97 to Nr.100 wheel sets or any of the The Tuned Parts Nr.69 to Nr.72 wheel sets (2017 rereleases of the S-Parts sets), you can use decals nr.16 (eight semi-circular silver 'Super ADVAN Racing Ver.2' texts, two for each wheel center) from the decals in those sets.
Body parts, aerokit parts and interior are molded in white, chassis parts are molded in black and the Advan wheels are red with separate brightly plated rims.
