The Tyco Drift Kings Mazda RX-7 was a radio controlled car manufactured by Mattel under the Tyco RC brand in 2004. Focused on drifting and style, these cars are still popular and valuable today.
Cultural Phenomenon
Following the release of The Fast and The Furious in 2001, hopped up street cars and drifting would enter into the mainstream conscious and popular culture in a big way, and toy manufactures took immediate notice.
While Nikko would secure the exclusive rights to produce cars for the film series and its many sequels (too many to cover in this article), this didn't prevent other toy companies such as Mattel / Tyco from getting in on the action with their own cars.
Following the release of the much anticipated sequel, 2 Fast 2 Furious in 2003, Mattel would produce a twin set of street drift racers under their Tyco R/C brand, called "Drift Kings", in 2004, featuring a late model Mazda RX-7 (an early model RX-7 was used in the original Fast and Furious film, driven by Dominic 'Family' Toretto himself!) and a Nissan Silvia (a car that starred in the 1st and 3rd films), both selected as icons of the street racing scene in the era.
Tyco Drift Kings Mazda RX-7 with pistol grip controller
Features and Performance
While it was no Twin Turbo Lamborghini Countach, the Drift Kings RX-7 was legit. With a proper hobby grade 7.2V battery it had plenty of grunt to drive its oversized 4WD large scale body, and the punch to ensure its slick tires could slide into a drift and make its way around the included orange cones.
- Officially licensed Mazda RX-7 body (potentially a 2002 Series 8 model)
- Authentic looking modifications inc. carbon fibre bonnet, larger rear wing, grill, body kit, etc.
- Large Scale (exact unknown)
- Massive 7.2V Hobby Grade (Tamiya Style) battery. Woah!
- 4WD
- Swappable Slick Drift or Street Racing Tires
- New Pistol Grip Controller
- Orange cones for setting up a small course
Sadly I don't yet have one of these cars, and so rely on community members who collect them, YouTube videos, and my own judgement. Do you have a Drift Kings car? Would you like to add a few words or insight? Stories? Contact me and I'll be in touch!
Closer look
It's difficult to find good photos of cars that haven't been absolutely trashed (a sign of a great RC car!), however I've done my best so you can get an idea of what to look for when buying one of these things. Also check out the main gallery at the top of the page which includes box shots.
Availability and Collectability
I became desperate to get my hands on one of these about 5 milliseconds after some community members shared their cars in our Facebook Group (shoutout to Gibson and Vargas!), so yeah, I reckon they're pretty collectable!
They've also managed to maintain their value over the years, typically selling for around $100 USD for a loose (unboxed) car in reasonable condition, and two to three times that for a new in box, much more than they were ever sold for new back in 2004 tells you this is a collectable just like any Tyco Baja Bandit or Limited Edition Taiyo Racing Pickup 4WD.
At the time of writing there are several loose cars available online (in average condition), with cars actually selling at a rate of a few per month, mostly limited by the quality of cars available and ever increasing asking prices.
Nevertheless, this is one 2000s era Tyco RC that I will be getting my hands on... sooner or later!
