When people think of bringing the Mad Max vibz to real life, the American festivals introducing lifted, rusty muscle car builds to the world normally come to mind. However, the Land of the Rising Sun has no shortage of Mad Max love. For one, the original movie has enjoyed a manga parody done by Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama back in the early 1980s. Nowadays, the Mad Max in Japan twist can be enjoyed via the Internet’s ever-sharper 3D work, which is where this Mazda RX-7 “Interceptor” enters the scene.
Sure, we’re feasting our eyes on Mad Max fan art here. However, you’d be hard-pressed to come across more elaborate and car-savvy work of the sort. And that’s because its creator, Walker Kim (aka walter_kim_213) is a Los Angeles-based digital artist and photographer whose resume includes working for Los Angeles customization specialist RWB LA ( and designing the Orange Flame Porsche 911 widebody kit.
Given all the love the final FD generation of the Mazda RX-7 gets, it’s no wonder this was selected as a base for the JDM Interceptor—if anything, the FD RX-7’s popularity is only increasing as Mazda moves into the electric era.
Super GT and DTM aero work for the RX-7
Inspired by the Japan’s Super GT (GT500 top tier) and Germany’s DTM (Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters) grand touring racing series, Walter first shaped the project back in 2020. However, while those motorsport influences are obvious in the heavy aero that (re)defines the iconic RX-7 body, there’s much more to the rendering.
For one, the engine compartment is fully open. This exposes a naturally aspirated four-rotor engine, which makes for twice the rotors and none of the turbos the factory engine of the Japanese sports car packs.
In addition, we get to see the full F1 front suspension, while the Turbofan front wheels, another racing realm addition, add even more downforce while keeping the brake temperature in check.
The Neo Tokyo fictional setup is accompanied by futuristic electronics that would allow this RX-7 to drive itself, even though this would probably leave so many Mad Max fans and car enthusiasts in general lusting for a spot behind the wheel.
And the project keeps evolving. For one, if you’re seeking an additional connection to the real world, the artist (have you seen his Gundam F1 3D work?) has also portrayed the four-rotor RX-7 in the Renown livery that adorned Mazda’s legendary screamer, the 787B racer, during its 1991 Le Mans victory.
PS: We mentioned real-world Mad Max-style muscle car builds in the intro and here’s a recent example coming from a 1968 Pontiac LeMans, bullet holes and all.
