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.
Oh man, it's finally starting to rain.
Really ?
Yeah, it's coming down really hard.
What does the forecast say ?
We can't trust it, especially when it involves mountain weather.
The half-wet surface will be tricky.
Either full wet or full dry is better.
No need to worry.
I kinda prefer difficult conditions.
I get more excited as the accelerator work gets more severe.
I don't hate wet roads either.
People say it's scary because you don't know when you'll start to skid.
But I've never felt like that while driving my Eight-Six.
I know how much I'll skid before entering a corner, so I just drive like I usually do.
Show off.
That's my main dish !
I was saving it for later !
It rained after all.
We can't do anything about God's will.
Poor conditions are perfect for my Zero theory.
This is a suitable setup for a street race where everything is unpredictable.
Besides, that Takahashi Ryosuke...
I sense something special about that guy.
Open, wide, deep, and gentle...
So then why does he seem to hold such sadness ?
Hey, Ryosuke, you're up early.
I can manage even with only three hours of sleep.
Besides that, Fumihiro, Spiral's Ikeda is one interesting guy.
He published his Zero theory for driving on his site, and it's quite unique.
It's interesting because there are so many similarities to mine.
With your theory of fastest street driving ?
Keisuke will have a hard time.
It's not going to be easy for him to win.
We have a chance of winning, don't we ?
Sure. It's my job to find it.
Mindset of Nothingness (Zero)
Geez, it's raining.
It must be the same in Hakone.
I hate tackling mountain passes in the rain.
I can never tell when my car is going to skid, and the brakes don't work like they should.
Visibility is poor, too.
It's really strange.
Night rain makes everything so dark, even with the headlights on.
I think you can only see half of what you see on a clear night.
On top of that, the wipers block the view.
Nothing scares me more than losing the ability to see.
Speaking of which...
...remember when I got to ride in Takumi's Eight-Six when he fought a rain battle at night ?
Yeah, Takumi was incredible that time.
He totally owned his opponent with extraordinary speed.
I was watching Takumi's impressive steering work from the rear seat.
I wondered why he didn't crash, even though he couldn't see a thing.
He was going flat out, and entered the corner sideways at incredible speed.
I can't express how scary it was.
Your facial expression is more scary than that.
I know that fear, too. I fainted from it once.
It's more than just driving skills, it's something special.
I think Takumi can see...
Like, he has some special...
Like he has another eye, and that he can clearly see his surroundings with it or something.
That's why I don't think rain will put him in a difficult position.
Stop.
How's the surface ?
I didn't see any water flowing across it.
The rain has stopped in almost every part of the course.
I think it'll stay like that.
The forecast didn't anticipate heavy rain, so I think the road conditions will remain the same.
Okay, we'll go with the half wet pattern B.
Keisuke, did you see any fog ?
Well, it was misty here and there...
...but not thick enough to block my view.
I see.
Is it time already ?
I always wonder what's on your mind whenever you meditate.
Nothing at all.
Eh ?
To meditate is to empty your mind.
I intentionally didn't come up with any plans for this race.
Desire for victory exposes human weakness.
I'll just try to bring the very best out of my car.
When I manage to do so, the result will follow.
What I need is a mindset of Zero.
I'll be the lead for the first run.
As soon as we pass under the tollway overpass, go full throttle.
Let's begin.
Pro-D and Spiral's match is about to begin.
Too bad the road is wet.
I wanted to see their dynamic full-throttle hill climb.
It's a battle between fast cars, but they can't open the throttle too much.
It means we won't see their top speeds in this race.
No, I don't think so.
Even if they don't reach their top speed, it'll be an exchange of high-level skills.
Under these conditions, those cars are required to have a high level of total balance, instead of power.
Depending on how you look at it, it's going to be an interesting battle that will excite those with sophisticated eyes.
The rain pisses me off.
If the road is wet, it's pointless to have increased power and fatter tires.
It stopped raining, so the surface should become somewhat dryer by the time the hill climb is over.
I hope Ikeda's race drags on for as long as possible.
The drier the surface gets, the easier it is for me to race.
It looks like Ikeda chose to be the lead.
But why did he do that under these conditions ?
Both Kobayakawa of 246 and Minagawa of Katagiri were defeated as the chaser.
Maybe he's trying to break that jinx.
Generally speaking, the lead driver will feel enormous pressure at the beginning of a wet race.
The driver has to build his pace while trying to figure out the road conditions.
It's the same for a street race.
Spiral's Zero has strong mettle.
People think we, team Spiral, are focused on tuning cars.
It's true that we're picky about tuning, but it's not like we spend our money aimlessly.
It's Spiral's style to focus on the approach of modification.
We build cars with clear objectives, as if the car demands a particular driving style.
That's the basics of Zero theory.
The human mind is weak...
...because of emotions.
Emotions hinder sound judgment and precise control.
For example, this rainy condition...
It causes frustration by not being able to step on the gas, as well as anxiety and fear of the slippery road.
Those human emotions will lead to a mistake.
So you have to empty your mind and listen to the voice of your car.
Zero theory begins by interacting with your car.
He's not just skilled, he's amazing.
He's so stable on this wet surface. Is he trying not to skid the tires ?
But that doesn't mean he's driving slow.
As proof of that, in just trying to keep up, I'm almost losing control of my car.
Does that mean he doesn't have any wasteful accelerator work ?
His lack of eagerness is eerie.
The younger Takahashi is facing a wall...
...but there's plenty of time to see how he tries to fight Zero.
A well-tuned car has its own soul...
...so the driver should be modest.
Instead of trying to manage the car...
...make yourself part of the car and drive as the car wishes.
Emotions like anger, anxiousness, and haste will cause a negative result.
Even fighting spirit is unnecessary for Zero driving.
What is Zero theory exactly ?
It sounds really ambiguous and I don't even know if I get it or not.
My interpretation is that it's a theory of prioritizing fewer mistakes.
Instead of letting drivers do as they like...
...assume cars have wills of their own, and let the drivers follow them.
That's the part I'm not sure about.
To put it in extreme terms, they assume an emotionless computer-controlled car as an ideal example...
...then they try to suppress the driver's consciousness and emotion.
Such an approach isn't wrong.
Mistakes are always caused by human emotions.
I agree with the idea of focusing on the interaction with the car...
...like the relationship between Fujiwara and his Eight-Six.
A driver's skills are determined by the amount and accuracy of information he receives.
Especially with wet road conditions like this, the information from the tires is crucial.
So our opponent has no weakness ? Is there any way we can break through his defenses ?
There is.
It's impossible for a human to completely control his emotions.
I won't be fooled.
In Zero theory even fighting spirit is regarded as unnecessary, but that's not true.
Very safe and stable.
I don't like that type.
He's an incredible technician since he's picking up the pace under these conditions.
There's something absolutely necessary for a driver to drive fast.
The key word between Keisuke and I is...
...fighting spirit.
Yesterday, you mentioned a worse condition than the rain, and now it's become real.
Hakone's infamous...
...white demon.
Fog ?!
According to the guys near the peak, it's getting thicker and thicker.
This's ridiculous.
We're in the middle of a hill climb race.
This's horrible.
If this was the Fuji Speedway, the race would be immediately terminated with a red flag.
We can only hope the fog doesn't get any thicker.
So long as he has good enough visibility...
...a seasoned driver like Ikeda should be able to manage.
But our race marshals scattered throughout the course will be useless because you can't see them.
That can't be helped.
In any case, no driver can maintain their pace in the fog.
You anticipated this fog ?
I knew this weekend's weather would be bad.
Before coming to Hakone, I gathered as much historical data as possible about the relationship between rain and fog.
I see.
I predicted that this fog was highly probable.
I told Keisuke about it beforehand.
We took this fog into account when we planned our strategy.
You're just amazing.
Normally people wouldn't notice that.
But, Ryosuke, this poor visibility affects both drivers equally.
If that's the case, don't you think the local driver has an advantage ?
I don't know about that.
Fog...
That's scary.
They popped out and disappeared into the fog.
They're both out of their minds. How can they keep their foot on the pedal in this fog ?
This area's most notable feature is the famous Fuji Speedway in their territory.
There's no doubt it's helping the locals improve their skills.
This is it. The situation is developing just like my brother predicted.
My chance to attack will come sooner than expected. I won't miss this window of opportunity.
Naturally, their cars and driving styles are biased toward the circuit.
Probably so.
I felt that strongly when I read Ikeda's Zero theory.
His idea is suitable for a closed circuit, an environment designed to be used for safe driving.
It's a superb theory that you can apply to mountain passes, but...
...it doesn't take uncertainties into account.
Now I must admit that my choice of taking the lead for the first run was wrong.
But the battle is still on. I want to keep the drop in my pace to a minimum.
It's obvious that I'm getting upset.
Interaction with the car is the basic of Zero theory.
But no matter how well I do it, I can't break free from this situation.
Even I'm scared of this poor visibility.
But it will wear out the lead more.
There's one clear difference from earlier.
I couldn't see any sign of emotion before, but now I do on the rear of Zero's car.
My theory of fastest street driving is even dirtier.
I've been making Keisuke practice a type of blind training inspired by Fujiwara's blind attack.
Really ?
It wasn't really meant for fog.
But our solution to temporary low visibility at night in the rain will come in handy.
Listen, Sakamoto, if you feel fear, ease up on the gas pedal.
It's the basics of the Zero mindset.
When we're petrified with fear, we tend to panic.
If you feel fear, you've already made a mistake.
When it happens, release the gas pedal, and calm yourself down.
You're risking your life if you drive with fear. Don't forget that.
From here on, it's a fight against fear.
Extra emotions will dictate your driving style.
What's this uncomfortable feeling ?
A part of me is telling me to ease up on the throttle.
But another self is refusing, keeping my foot on the pedal.
That contradiction is causing stress.
But I can't lose.
What I need now is focus and....
...a strong desire to win.
It's that fighting spirit...
...which I normally deny.
Project D consists of pure street attackers.
Whether it's fog or whatever, we'll do what we need to in order to win.
His line is different.
Clearly different from earlier in the battle.
I can't believe this. Am I not racing with the mindset of Zero ?
I can tell from his line that he's concerned about oncoming traffic.
In this visibility, there's no way you can avoid an oncoming car.
He must have arranged a number of course marshals at the blind corners.
But now they're useless because of this fog.
Brother's prediction was dead on.
Not yet ?
This place should do it.
This is where the average speed suddenly increases after a series of slow sections.
If the fog forms as my brother predicted...
...anyone would hesitate to step on the gas no matter how strong-minded he is.
The idea is to pick an overtake location and practice repeatedly until you can visualize it.
I don't know how thick the fog will become...
...but I've practiced until I could trace the line with my eyes closed.
Your role during the actual race is important. I'm counting on you, Kenta.
Keisuke went back and forth on this section with his eyes open and closed.
That was how he trained to avoid dropping his pace in poor visibility.
Is it okay to believe that the heavens are on Keisuke's side ?
Wasn't fog this thick within his expectations ?
Passing in this fog sounds so suitable for the bold Keisuke, but it's too dangerous.
Their exhaust sounds are close. He'll reach the planned location soon.
But what's more important is any sound from behind.
I have a great responsibility. For Keisuke sake, I can't make a mistake.
Isn't that incredible, Shin ? Spiral's Ikeda drives so fast in this fog.
I don't know about that.
The lower car in the rear seemed more amazing.
It looked like a yellow fireball to me, Mom.
We'll leave the woods and reach a hilly area soon.
Once the fog gets thinner, I should be able to see the right lane clearer.
Then I'll be able to let out my frustration...
...at full throttle.
Fog...?!
I can't see anything...
A white void !
Incoming call...
...which means no oncoming traffic in the target area.
Nice Kenta. Perfect timing.
This is scary.
No matter how strongly my brain commands me to do it, my intuition is firmly refusing it.
Fujiwara Takumi: Takahashi Ryosuke: Takahashi Keisuke: Ikeda Ryuji: Hojo Gou: Kubo Eiji: Kenta: Fumihiro:
Miki Shinichiro Koyasu Takehito Seki Tomokazu Nakai Kazuya Kiuchi Hidenobu Kase Yasuyuki Okano Kosuke Hosoi Hajime
Even when night falls, the scenery remains unchanged.
Takeuchi Itsuki: Iketani Koichiro: Kenji: Okuyama Hiroya: Inui Shinji: Shinji's Mom: Mechanic:
Iwata Mitsuo Yao Kazuki Takagi Wataru Sakaguchi Shuhei Abe Atsushi Hirose Yuuka Takahashi Ryokichi
Looking back at the path I've taken.
Sadness, happiness, incurable pains...
Realizing that there are too many to count, as I walk alone.
A Central Anime Production Translation: Hiro-kun Timing: Todd Perkins Editing: Lillian-Hime Barbara Todd Perkins Brain Dave Mouse Steve S. Nomake
Countless number of memorable scenes.
We lived through the hustle and bustle.
Sometimes we argued, sometimes we understood.
It wasn't always pretty, but I keep the truth to myself...
...as I take a new step.
Rosy clouds embellish the city.
I quietly ask about my future.
The sky remains silent.
Only illuminating this path before me.
Feel the translucent scenery.
The setting sun plays a melody.
Feel the translucent scenery.
The setting sun plays a melody.