Kaido House × Mini GT
Jun Imai's kaido-racer brand, what makes the models special, and how the KHMG release numbers and V1/V2 versions work.
Quick version: Kaido House is designer Jun Imai's personal brand, built with Mini GT, celebrating Japanese kaido-racer street-tuning culture. The 1:64 cars wear fictional "Kaido Works" liveries with opening hoods and rubber tires. Each release has a KHMG catalog number, and popular castings return over time as new versions (V1, V2, V3…).
First, what Kaido House is
Kaido House is a personal brand from designer Jun Imai, a longtime Hot Wheels designer, built around his love of Japanese kaido racer (highway/street-tuner) culture. The diecast line is produced with Mini GT, the 1:64 division of TSM (True Scale Miniatures), pairing Imai's designs with Mini GT's premium tooling. Rather than replicating one real car, each release tells a story: a fictional shop or team build with its own livery, stance, and attitude under the "Kaido Works" banner.
What makes the models special
- Design & storyOriginal Jun Imai liveries and team builds, a whole kaido-racer world, not just a stock replica.
- Opening hoodMost releases open up to a detailed engine bay.
- Rubber tiresReal rubber tires on detailed wheels, with aggressive stance and fitment.
- Window box + cardPresented in a collector window box with artwork, part of the appeal, so keep it.
- Limited runsProduced in limited quantities and sold through Mini GT channels, so releases sell through and don't usually return.
Reading a Kaido House release
A Kaido House name looks long, but each part tells you something. Take a name like Datsun 510 Street Team XMM V1 (#176):
- KHMG numberEvery Kaido House × Mini GT release gets a sequential catalog number, written KHMG001, KHMG002, and so on, the running order of the series.
- CastingThe base car, Datsun 510, Nissan Skyline, Silvia, Civic, and so on.
- Team / liveryThe fictional build or shop theme, like "Kaido Works" or "Street Team," plus its paint and graphics.
- VersionV1, V2, V3…, the same casting revisited later in a new color or livery. Same body, different look.
- The "#" numberThe catalog/release number for that specific car, handy for tracking and pricing.
So V1 is the first take on a build and V2 / V3 are later re-issues of that same casting in fresh liveries, each a separate, limited release. Collectors often chase a specific version rather than "any" of that car.
Castings you'll see often
- Datsun 510The line's icon, sedans and wagons in Street Team, Racing, and Kaido Works trims.
- Nissan SkylineHakosuka 2000GT-R through the R33 and R34 Kaido Works cars.
- Nissan SilviaS13-based Kaido Works drift-style builds.
- Honda Civic & NSXEF Civic and NSX builds with Kaido Works flavor.
- BMW M3The Kaido Works / Touring Champ M3, a Western car given the kaido treatment.
Collecting tips
Mind the version
V1, V2, and V3 of a casting are different releases, check the version before you buy or sell.
Sealed vs opened
Sealed (unopened) boxes usually carry a premium; opened is fine for display, just know which you have.
Keep the box & card
The window box and artwork are part of the value; don't toss them.
Buy from the right places
Limited runs sell through fast, Mini GT dealers, events, and trusted resellers are your best bet.
Why collectors love them
Kaido House sits at the crossroads of design and diecast. You're not just buying a model of a car, you're buying a piece of Jun Imai's kaido-racer universe, executed with Mini GT's premium quality. The storytelling, the recurring casting-and-version system, and genuinely limited runs make each release feel like a chapter worth owning, which is exactly why they hold attention (and value) with collectors.
Good to know: Kaido House and standard Mini GT are related but not the same, Mini GT does licensed, mostly stock replicas, while Kaido House is Jun Imai's original kaido-racer builds. Both are 1:64 from the same maker.