This story is fiction. The names of people, places and groups are imaginary. Obey traffic rules and drive safely.
Initial
Raise up your hands high.
(Everybody now raise your hands)
Take hold, there's a brand new tomorrow.
(You don't stop)
It's a beautiful eternal dream...
...where you learn about yourself.
(Let's go)
Oh
Oh (Let's go)
Oh, raise up your hands now.
If you think you're lucky just to be alive go for the highest stake in the gamble.
Same mission creates similar lives.
But your passion for your dream will make a difference.
You can never use the escalator.
But you can build up your strength, yeah yeah.
You must eventually climb the stairs.
Customize them the way you like.
Intense days go by.
Intense days go by. (But you know?)
Just laugh it off, 'cause it's a game worth competing.
Let's see how fast you can do it.
Raise up your hands forever.
(Everybody now raise your hands up)
Run, sleepless challenger.
(You don't stop)
It's a quest of the never-ending dream...
...where you now search for the reason to live.
(Let's go)
Oh
Oh (Let's go)
Oh, raise up your hands now.
Way to go !
Keisuke managed to shake off his opponent ! It's a perfect win !
Amazing !
A huge gap of 7 seconds...
Today's downhill is scary.
Don't get me wrong.
I'm not afraid of my opponent, but of myself.
Once I start driving, I won't be able to suppress my fighting spirit.
I've gotta shave down the margin as much as possible. My attack will be really close to my limit.
I'll be alright within my zone, but if I screw up, I'm done for.
But I'm not afraid of that, and that's what scares me.
Omiya...
Don't worry. I should be able to manage myself well.
I'll show you the best performance of my career tonight.
Our opponent chose the lead position for the first run.
I see.
He might have been inspired by Keisuke's driving.
He might use the same strategy.
In other words, he has absolute confidence in his mad dash speed.
In turn, we can take advantage of that.
Listen. The steep area in the second half will be the decisive point.
Try to adapt to his change in speed flexibly.
And if you feel you can make a move, do it in this first run.
There's no need to hold back.
I'm Omiya Satoshi.
I'm Fujiwara Takumi.
Don't lose, Fujiwara.
Okay, I'm going to start the countdown !
Dead Line
How do you read this downhill race ?
You hit the nail on the head for the hill climb, Kubo.
I have no idea this time.
It's unpredictable. Omiya is definitely a first-class driver.
Three...
Two...
One...
Go !
There are too many unknowns about that Eight-Six.
There's something strange about that car.
And also something strange about that young driver.
I've been in this business for quite a while.
I can tell you he's a rare breed with a unique style.
Is he fast ?
Oh, sure.
That Eight-Six driver is backed by a certain someone.
Takahashi Ryosuke.
You look like you've been troubled by him. Do you have some kind of issue with him ?
Takahashi Ryosuke...
I do. No, I mean...
There's someone else who does more than I do.
NB8C Roadster and AE86 Trueno...
...both have a light and compact body with a small displacement NA engine.
They take advantage of their agility to zip along a winding road.
They share the same concept.
Even though they were made years apart, their potential is very similar.
That's why...
...victory will be decided by the driver's instinct.
The instincts of the NB driver, Omiya Satoshi, and...
...the instincts of the Eight-Six driver, Fujiwara Takumi.
I think the result will be determined by whose instincts match their car the best.
You make it sound like both cars are alive.
Maybe so.
The one who doesn't listen to the voice of their car, even for a moment, will lose.
Project D is a legendary team which swept the northern Kanto area without any losses.
It'd be wise to carefully observe how they drive from behind. That's what Kobayakawa thought.
I feel the same way.
But that was the pitfall.
To observe your opponent means you can't keep your pace.
I sense it's risky to just watch the Eight-Six.
I just have a hunch.
That's why I chose the lead.
I'll keep my pace without any obstacles ahead...
...in order to win.
I wonder how the downhill will develop.
I don't think we can win very easily.
To be honest, our opponents' level is very high.
My race wasn't easy, even though it may have looked like it from the result.
That guy Fujiwara's facing is especially tough.
He must have perfected street driving.
Can you tell ?
I can sense it...
...and Fujiwara...
...senses it as well.
The entire space seems filled, as if he's always on guard.
The leading NB will hold on, then it will suddenly accelerate somewhere.
As a local who knows this course best, he can maintain his pace, which gives him an advantage.
So the decisive point will be...?
The steep, rough road near the end of the course.
That section is disadvantageous to the Eight-Six because its suspension design is old.
Well, that's true...
But our disadvantage didn't just begin tonight.
It's been our motto to fight on our opponents' stage since the Red Suns days.
Right.
My brother's carefully built know-how of fighting those away races has always worked perfectly.
If our opponent is a specialist on this course...
...we're a special team organized to attack enemy territories.
Whoever is faster than the other...
That will be everything in the end.
Nothing is impossible for Project D, as long as we have the genius of Takahashi Ryosuke.
I truly believe that.
They're close, almost at the corner.
They're gonna dive into the mid-section hairpin.
There they are !
Alright !
Go, Omiya ! Throw everything you've got at 'em !
Leave the Eight-Six in the dust !
They've passed the mid-section, fighting tail to nose.
It's developed the same way up to this point.
I knew my opponent would accelerate somewhere.
I was frustrated by my opponent, who didn't make his move according to my predictions.
For some reason, I felt cornered.
The same thing must be happening to that Eight-Six driver.
In a situation where Omiya maintains his pace, neither of them can ease up, even for a second.
We're only at the halfway point.
My tension is almost going off the scale.
But I have one more level.
There will be a moment when my fighting spirit turns on.
Seems like my legs got thicker...
Here...and here.
It must be because of the muscle training.
I can hit my drives farther, which is nice...
...but my pants size changed, which isn't so nice.
I'm supposed to be on summer vacation.
I wish I could go to the beach once in a while...
...with Takumi.
That's impossible. I'm too busy...
Takumi must be racing in Kanagawa now.
I want to see him race just once, but...
...that'll probably scare the hell out of me.
Do your best, Takumi. Make sure you win.
Good, I'm focused.
From a strategic point of view, I think braking is the most important on the downhill.
Stopping distance increases dramatically on the downhill versus level ground, so one braking mistake is critical.
Unlike circuits, public streets are dark without any distance markers before each corner.
So, to determine the precise braking point...
...you can only rely on your refined intuition.
Landmarks are useless.
I'm constantly surprised by the potential of the human brain.
Fujiwara's braking sense is exceptional.
That's why he can keep winning on the downhill against locals who are familiar with their course.
It's not something you can acquire by just practicing.
He's definitely a natural.
You can figure out your opponent's driving skills by watching how he brakes as you stay right on his tail.
You're right. That's not so difficult.
And it's even more true between two drivers with similar skills.
Conversely, hiding skills can be the key.
You show your true braking skills when...
...you decide to settle the match.
I was late, only a little, but definitely late.
That hard braking from the long straightaway...
Even if it was just that one time, I was late in braking.
Incredible entry !
The gap with the Eight-Six is getting wider !
I'm using everything I've got at 100% capacity.
I'm in a dangerous zone.
They're getting closer...
They're almost at the corner...
Looks quite dangerous.
The cars of that era tend to behave like that when their suspension is stiffened.
You can say it's very 86-like.
The car's seriously tuned to be the very best in the stages where the average speed is below 100km/h (62mph).
So there's a meaning to the choice of using the Eight-Six...
That's something Ryosuke would come up with.
He knows what he's doing based on the fact that the car doesn't have any aerodynamic parts, but...
...the level of competition is so high that the cars will momentarily reach their critical speed even during the slow-speed stage.
People say the GT wing only works on the circuit, but at their level, it's no longer a decoration.
Aerodynamics might decide the outcome of this race.
Basically, Mazda's rear-wheel drive cars are designed to have the roll axis a little forward of the mid-point.
The FD is no exception, but the Roadster in particular gives you a better handling feel thanks to the biased load to the front.
But if you push it harder, it tends to over-steer because of the lack of load to the rear.
It becomes an unavoidable issue when tuning a Roadster.
There are many different approaches, but you can't eliminate the car's natural over-steering tendency.
I wonder how they dealt with it.
Over-steering on the downhill is bad.
Instead, you can drive faster by under-steering.
Knowing our opponents, their car must have been perfectly tuned, but...
If something destroys that balance, Fujiwara will have a chance.
I can't catch him, but...
...the gap hasn't widened, even though I'm only tracing his car's line and speed.
It's almost a miracle that you've kept up with me.
From this point on, I don't need the mirror.
No need to play a guessing game. I just have to look ahead and keep pushing hard.
I'll just have to check the rear after crossing the goal line.
That's when I'll ensure my victory.
The Eight-Six's headlights went off !
No way ! On this pitch-black mountain pass ? What's going on ?
The Eight-Six's headlights are off ?!
The blind attack, huh ?
Ryosuke...
During the race until now, Fujiwara must have intuitively learned that he's at a disadvantage in the high-speed sections.
Fujiwara's god sent talent...
No, he may have heard the voice of the Eight-Six.
Blind attack, which is Fujiwara's forte, is a two-sided diversion technique of confusing his opponent...
...as well as hiding his offensive strategy.
But when the opponent is familiar with the course and remains highly focused...
Right. It doesn't create the desired effect.
However...
Retractable headlights have a lower drag coefficient value when they're lowered.
Because of less air resistance.
Fujiwara must have wanted to raise his top speed by reducing the drag, even if only by a very small amount.
Fujiwara's tenacity ?
His tenacity might create...
...a breakthrough.
Just before his braking action...
I'm not exactly sure, but most likely...
Right here.
It was too soon, if only by a little.
What the hell happened ?
Dammit, I won't lose after coming this far.
I'll keep my space. Can you keep up ?
I messed up the wing. I've gotta keep the race short.
I'll settle this match on the first run.
The car is unstable.
I don't know what's wrong with the wing, but the car's lateral balance is off.
I would've been better off if it had broken off completely.
Damn, no need for excuses. I just have to motivate myself to raise my limit.
So, today wasn't my day after all.
Fujiwara Takumi: Takahashi Ryosuke: Takahashi Keisuke: Uehara Mika:
Miki Shinichiro Koyasu Takehito Seki Tomokazu Hayami Saori
Omiya Satoshi: Eiji Kubo: Gou Hojo: Kobayakawa:
Tochi Hiroki Kase Yasuyuki Kiuchi Hidenobu Hamada Kenji
Fumihiro: Matsumoto: Kenta: Mechanic: 246A: 246B: Gallery:
Hosoi Hajime Nishi Ryotaro Okano Kosuke Takahashi Ryokichi Maeda Hiroki Murakami Yuya Asari Ryota
Following the brake light of the front car.
A shimmering light up ahead in the dark street.
It's the silence like a silent film.
A Central Anime Production Translation: Hiro-kun Timing: Todd Perkins Editing: Barbara Todd Perkins Brain Dave Mouse
The light was all I could depend on.
I felt like I could catch it...
...if I passed through this tree-lined street.
Get up! I just can't understand.
I couldn't find what I'd been looking for.
Yeah, it starts at this moment.
At this place.
Please turn over the flyleaf.
I lost my way.
Fogged up windows, and...
...messed up navigation.
As the stoplight turns red...
...a light in the side mirror blinds my eyes.
I gradually close the window...
...to stop the cold wind from blowing in.
Get up! I just can't understand.
We must choose one of the paths that lie ahead.
Yeah, it starts at this moment.
Because you're with me.
Please turn over the flyleaf.