Some life events inspire movies, and some movies inspire, well, real-life obsessions. The Fast & Furious franchise is the perfect example of the movies taking on a life of their own. At least that’s the case for collector Jorge Acosta. Not only is his replica car collection the largest in the world, but it’s also possibly getting out of hand. 

The ‘Fast & Furious’ franchise is going strong

The Fast & Furious media franchise got its start with the first film in 2001. It rose to success quickly and was even recently filming the ninth installment in Georgia. Though one of the series’ most beloved characters was tragically killed in a car crash, the franchise has remained relevant. Lego has created kits of cars from the movie, many video games nod to the movies, and Netflix even streams a spinoff series. 

The film actors have become household names thanks to the movies’ action-packed sequences and fast cars. But it’s not just the actors and merchandisers who’ve benefited from the popularity of the franchise. Car shows have been forever changed because the movie influenced collectors and their recent obsession with heavily modified cars. Collector Jorge Acosta can attest to that. 

Who is Jorge Acosta?

Jorge Acosta is just a regular guy living in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The difference between him and you? He’s got the world’s largest Fast & Furious replica car collection, with more on the way.

According to The Drive, it all began with the series’ green Mitsubishi Eclipse. It so inspired Acosta that he built his own three years ago. He found out about replica builders through the early films’ technical adviser, Craig Lieberman, who runs the website Fast and Furious Facts. When Acosta discovered other replica owners owned three to five cars, he knew he wanted more. But he never intended his collection to grow to two dozen cars. It has brought him unexpected satisfaction and excitement. 

Acosta began flipping cars for money to spend on buying more replicas to modify so they would be just right. You might not expect that body kits often cost more than the original cars themselves. He calls this the “Fast & Furious tax,” the cost of movie-related enhancements. That isn’t stopping him from expanding his collection, though. Where will he stop? Right now, he wants to grow his collection to 35 cars, and he already has eight more in the works. 

So how does he feel about the series itself? The first race hooked him, but he also believes the direction the series is taking will make even more people fall in love with the car community. For him, there may be no end to creating replica cars, just as the franchise seems like it might go on forever, much to fans’ delight. “I don’t know if I’m going to stop or not,” Acosta admitted to The Drive. 

‘Fast & Furious’ isn’t the only franchise that makes fans go this crazy

No matter the movie, show, or music you find yourself immersed in, sometimes there’s just something that draws you in so much that you can’t help but take notice. Some people begin collecting their favorite movies’ memorabilia, some go to conferences and conventions related to the genre, and others find little ways to be a part of the fun.

The Gone in 60 Seconds 1967 Shelby GT500 Mustang, nicknamed Eleanor, went up for auction in 2013. A fan grabbed it for over a million dollars. Marvel and DC comic books are another big hit among fans who like to collect things, and they go crazy when conventions come to town. And regular people aren’t the only ones collecting. Famous people do, too. Just look at Jay Leno’s and Jerry Seinfeld’s car collections.