List of Initial D characters

This is a list of characters from the anime and manga series Initial D.

Fujiwara Tofu Shop

The Fujiwara Tofu Shop (藤原とうふ店, Fujiwara tōfu-ten) is located in Shibukawa, Gunma. It is in Ikaho, Shibukawa. Bunta owns the tofu shop with his son, Takumi.

Takumi Fujiwara

Age	18 (19 in Project D)
Sex	Male
Car	Toyota Sprinter Trueno GT-APEX Coupe (AE86, 3-Door Liftback), occasionally switches to a Subaru Impreza WRX STI Coupe Type R Version V (GC8)
Year	1983
Plate	13-954, classification 55 (main series), 26-749, classification 50 (2014 film)
Color	High Tech Two-Tone (AE86)
Engine	OEM 1.6L 16v Bluetop 4A-GEU 150 PS (AE86, 1st Stage-2nd Stage), TRD Group A AE101 1.6L 20v Silvertop 4A-GEU 240 PS (AE86, 2nd Stage onwards)
Custom Parts (AE86)	Cibié T353 Fog Lights, RS Watanabe Eight Spoke F8-Type Wheels (Magnesium), TRD 2-Way LSD, TRD Crossed 3 w/ 4.778 Final Drive (4th Stage), TRD Crossed 5 w/ 5.375 Final Drive (2nd and 3rd Stage), Fujitsubo Legalis-R Muffler (manga and anime), Fujitsubo MC50 muffler (arcade game), Toyota OEM Door Visors (pre-5th Stage), ItalVolanti Admiral Red Trim Steering Wheel, Smiths 12,000 RPM Tachometer, Smiths auxiliary gauges (Oil Pressure/Water Temperature), TRD Sports Seats (absent in the 2005 live-action film), Vent Cup Holder, TRD Carbon Fiber Hood, Carbon Fiber Headlights, TRD Short Stroke Adjustable Suspension Kit and Cusco Strut Bar, Lightweight acrylic windows and FRP rear hatch (5th-Final Stage)
Japanese voice actor	Shin-ichiro Miki (main series), Mamoru Miyano (2014 film)
English voice actor	Dave Wittenberg (Tokyopop dub), Joel McDonald (Funimation dub)
Actor	Jay Chou

Takumi Fujiwara (藤原 拓海, Fujiwara Takumi, "Tak") is the main character of the Initial D series and the son of legendary street racer Bunta Fujiwara. Throughout the series, Takumi develops his racing skills to be one of the fastest drivers in Kanto while driving an old Toyota Sprinter Trueno AE86. This is due to Takumi's job delivering tofu to Lake Akina every morning for 5 years (since 7th grade). Although Takumi believes this to be just a job, he had actually been manipulated subtly by his father into developing driving skills, without being fully aware of Bunta's intent.

Takumi works part-time at a gas station with his best friend Itsuki Takeuchi, and the leader of the Akina Speed Stars, Iketani. Early in the series, both Itsuki and Iketani think that Takumi has no driving ability because of Takumi's total disinterest in cars and racing. But actually, Takumi has far more experience on Mt. Akina than Iketani and Itsuki. The only person that suspects Takumi's superior driving skills is his boss, Yuichi, after Takumi correctly identified the correct technique to a four-wheel drift (much to Iketani and Itsuki's obliviousness).

Bunta aside, Takumi's driving technique is the best on Akina; given that he managed to win races against far more powerful cars with his Eight-Six Trueno is testament to his driving skills. One factor in his nearly unparalleled driving skill is his ability to visualize the road in his head, thus making up for the lack of visibility no matter how dark the mountain pass may be, but only if he has driven on the road before. He is an instinctive rather than an intellectual driver. Although the mizo otoshi technique (a technique where the driver drops the inside tires into the rain gutters on the side of the road to defeat centrifugal force) is a great but difficult technique that his father taught him, it led him to many victories throughout the story.

At first, Takumi was not part of any team (he was just loosely affiliated with the Akina Speed Stars), but later joins Project D, a special team created by Ryosuke Takahashi aimed at breaking every course record in the Kanto region.

Takumi looks docile and weak-minded, yet stubborn and strong-willed in reality. Yuichi realized that Takumi was like his father in his behavior. Because he is not as outwardly ill-tempered as Keisuke, the mechanics of Project D tend to find him docile. However, to those who have raced against him, Takumi possesses tremendous concentration and instinctive insight once behind the wheel. His apparent docility became traps for many opponents. Takumi wishes to be the fastest racer on the streets and aspires to be a professional racer. By the end of the Purple Shadow races, Takumi remarks that he believes Keisuke (who was displaying incredible development at the time) will defeat him one day.

Though his car had reached its limit (after the engine blow with Shinji Inui), he ultimately decides to leave the car in the garage, using his job's pay to save up enough money to repair the 86. After the disbanding of Project D, he receives an invitation from another professional racing team. Although it is not known whether he had joined the racing team, though seen spectating one of the pro matches, his ambition to keep racing will stay on forever.

Bunta Fujiwara

Age	43/44
Sex	Male
Car	Subaru Impreza WRX STI Coupe Type R Version V (GC8)
Year	1998
Plate	13-600, classification 52
Color	Sonic Blue Mica (Anime, late Arcade Stage, Extreme Stage) / Cool Gray Metallic (Manga, early Arcade Stage, Special Stage, and Street Stage)
Engine	OEM 2.0L flat-4 16V EJ20 Turbo 280 PS
Custom Parts	STI WR-typed front bumper (different from those of limited-run 22B STi Version), black STI Sports interior trim w/red accents, STI Sports Momo steering wheel (black with red accents), Unknown Sports exhaust.
Japanese voice actor	Unshō Ishizuka (main series), Hiroaki Hirata (2014 film)
English voice actor	Kerrigan Mahan (Tokyopop dub), Kent Williams (Funimation dub)
Actor	Anthony Wong

Bunta Fujiwara (藤原 文太, Fujiwara Bunta) is the owner of a tofu shop in Akina, and the father of Takumi. He used to be the No.1 downhill racer in Mt. Akina years ago, but he no longer races, preferring to guide Takumi's racing development. He is the original driver of the mysterious "white ghost of Akina" AE86 Sprinter Trueno that holds the record of the fastest downhill time at Akina.

Bunta has a unique way of training his son to drive—every morning when Takumi delivers tofu, Bunta gives Takumi a cup of water which is placed in the drink holder. Takumi must not spill even a drop of it while he is driving. This is ostensibly to prevent breaking the tofu in the boot, so Takumi has to drive very smoothly. As for Bunta, he is still considered the best downhill racer in Akina, which is shown early in the series when he pushes the Trueno with Yuichi in the passenger seat, lighting a cigarette while drifting around a corner.

Later in the series, Takumi used the Trueno more than Bunta, so he gave the car to Takumi. While test driving a Subaru Impreza WRX STI Type R Version V on Akina, Bunta defeated his son, inducing an AWD complex in Takumi. Bunta decided to buy the car, but hid this fact from Takumi for some time. After revealing that he was the driver, he then told Takumi to alternate between the Impreza and his Eight-Six for deliveries—another strategy to improve Takumi as a driver, showing him the potential of modern cars and the characteristics of AWD. While this shows his training strategy, it is seen that Bunta is, once again, proven to be the most formidable opponent in Akina.

Bunta is thought to have been undefeated during his time as a street racer, but there are still some controversies on whether this is true or not.

Project D

Project D (プロジェクトD, Purojekuto Dī, Stylized as Project.D) is a racing team created by Ryosuke Takahashi with the purpose of taking the best drivers in the Gunma Area (Takumi and Keisuke), and traveling to challenge other teams in various prefectures. While he vocalizes the purpose of Project D to establish a legend, it is apparent that the primary reason of D is to develop the skills of its drivers to a new and extraordinary level. Ryosuke points out before the formation of Project D that he has only one year left to realize his dream. In the manga, Ryosuke states that he has to move out of Gunma Prefecture as part of a job requirement (though the job itself is never stated), and can only postpone it for another year. While he never states anything explicitly, Ryosuke reveals on separate occasions as 4th Stage progresses that both the purpose of "D" and the true meaning of "the initial" will come to light.

Project D is different from the other mountain racing teams as it has a highly technical regimen and a support team of technicians, who are mostly members of Akagi RedSuns. Each car has a dedicated mechanic, as well as other support personnel. Kenta Nakamura, being the only member of the RedSuns other than the Takahashi brothers and Fumihiro seen in earlier stages, is part of the Project D support staff; he usually scouts the course before the team and provides the video recording that the drivers use to study the course and is more or less a gofer for Keisuke and occasionally drives one of the support vans.

Name	Car	Section
Takumi Fujiwara	Toyota Sprinter Trueno GT - APEX (AE86)	Downhill
Keisuke Takahashi	Ẽfini RX-7 Type R (FD3S)	Uphill
Ryosuke Takahashi	Savanna RX-7 Infini III (FC3S)	Downhill

Akagi RedSuns

The Akagi RedSuns (赤城レッドサンズ, Akagi Reddosanzu) is a highly skilled team led by Ryosuke Takahashi. The RedSuns' team policy is not to race on their home course, because, according to Keisuke, they "can't get excited about it". Based in Gunma, their home course is Mount Akagi.

Ryosuke Takahashi

Age	23
Sex	Male
Car	Mazda Savanna RX-7 Infini III (FC3S)
Year	1990
Plate	13-137, classification 58
Color	Crystal White
Custom Parts (RedSuns)	Fujita Engineering Front Lip (2nd Stage-3rd Stage), Single sports exhaust (right side in 1st Stage, left side in 2nd Stage onwards), 2.0 Boost Meter, Unknown Silver 5-spoke rims (1st Stage and early 2nd Stage), Work Meister S1 3-Piece (Silver) Rims (Battle Stage of 1st Series), RS Watanabe Eight-Spoke F8 rims (Black) (Episode 7 of 2nd Stage-3rd Stage), One-Off Custom Side Mirrors, Bucket Racing Seats, Mazdaspeed Steering Wheel and RedSuns Sticker.
Custom Parts (Project D)	One-Off Custom Front Lip Spoiler, Single sports exhaust (left side), 2.0 Boost Meter, RS Watanabe Eight-Spoke F8 Rims (Arcade Stage games), Work Meister S1 3-Piece (Silver) Rims (manga and anime), One-Off Custom Side Mirrors, Bucket Racing Seats and Mazdaspeed Steering Wheel.
Custom Parts (Later Project D)	RE Amemiya Kouki Full Cowl SPL Front Bumper with Fixed HID Headlights, Garage Kagotani aero bonnet (carbon fiber), RE Amemiya Rear Side Step + sports exhaust (right side) kit, FreeStyle 3D GT wing, One-Off Custom Side mirrors, SSR Type C rims (bronze), custom roll cage, MOMO steering wheel.
Engine	OEM 1.3L 2-Rotor 260-270ps 13B-T + Boost-Up Turbine
Japanese voice actor	Takehito Koyasu (main series), Daisuke Ono (2014 film)
English voice actor	Lex Lang (Tokyopop dub), J. Michael Tatum (Funimation dub)
Actor	Edison Chen

Ryosuke Takahashi (高橋 涼介, Takahashi Ryōsuke, "Ry") is one of the most skilled drivers in the series; he and his younger brother Keisuke have been featured in racing magazines and are regarded highly by other drivers. Ryosuke drives a second-generation Mazda RX-7 (FC3S) and was previously undefeated until he met Takumi Fujiwara. Ryosuke is very serious about racing; he pores over technical data just like any professional driver and he is one of the few drivers with skills as a mechanic to match those he possesses as a driver. He can usually be found in his room going over data on his laptop. He is known to be able to tell what kind of modifications have been made to a car just by hearing it, and what a driver is capable of just by watching the car drift. Ryosuke's fame is so widespread throughout Japan that he has been given the moniker, "Akagi's White Comet" (赤城の白い彗星, Akagi no Shiroi Suisei). He is also referred to as "Akagi's Lone White Comet" in reference to his early racing days when he refused to join a local racing team at Akagi.

His only rival aside from Takumi would be Kyoichi Sudo. They argued about racing theories when Ryosuke ended Kyoichi's winning streak a year before the series began. Currently, he is enrolled in college studying medicine, and planning to become a doctor to work at his father's clinic. Before retiring from street racing, and with only one year of racing left, he estimates, and assembles a new team (named Project D) aimed at capturing all of the records in Japan. During the majority of the Project D storyline, he is the leader and primary coach for Project D and doesn't personally race, leaving the driving to Takumi and Keisuke. A manga-exclusive side story features Ryosuke quickly and methodically defeating a Porsche on the Akagi mountain road, although the driver of the Porsche was quite unskilled and was only trying to impress his girlfriend.

There is a rift in Ryosuke's past involving Rin "Shinigami" Hojo. An altercation between the two in medical school led to another student named Kaori (also another medical student and Rin's girlfriend) taking her life. Rin retreated from the racing scene for years, becoming a recluse, before making an abrupt return against Team Spiral's Leader, Ikeda. Ryosuke emerges from retirement and races against Rin at the Toyo Turnpike in Kanagawa with Ikeda spectating behind.

After the disbanding of Project D, he continues spectating street racers, saying that he would eventually pick up new gifted racers.

Ryosuke is modeled after the "Drift King" Keiichi Tsuchiya's mentor, retired race car driver Kunimitsu Takahashi.

Keisuke Takahashi

Age	21/22
Sex	Male
Car	Mazda Ẽfini RX-7 Type R (FD3S)
Year	1991
Plate	63-887, classification 37 (main series), 89-301, classification 13 (2014 film)
Color	Competition Yellow Mica
Custom Parts (RedSuns)	Painted Front Lip (1st-2nd), Unknown Wide Rear Spoiler (Premiere of 1st Stage), Mazdaspeed A-Spec Spoiler Type II (until 3rd Stage), Unknown Silver 5-spoke rims (Premiere of 1st Stage), MS-02 (Black) rims (Until 3rd Stage), Mazdaspeed Turbo Gauge, Mazdaspeed Suspension Kit, Mazdaspeed Cluster, Mazdaspeed Sports Sound Muffler, Recaro Bucket Racing Seats, Mazdaspeed Front Nose Type II (3rd Stage), Mazdaspeed Steering Wheel and RedSuns Sticker.
Custom Parts (Early Project D)	Mazdaspeed Steering Wheel, Mazdaspeed Suspension Kit, Mazdaspeed Front Nose Type II, Mazdaspeed MS-02 (Black) rims, Mazdaspeed Sports Sound Muffler, Mazdaspeed Cluster, Mazdaspeed A-Spec Spoiler Type II, 2.0 Mazdaspeed Turbo Gauge, and Bucket Racing Seats
Custom Parts (Later Project D)	RE Amemiya GT-AD Wide Body Kit with Carbon Fiber Canards and Fixed HID Headlights, RE Amemiya AD Hood 9 (Carbon fiber hood in the finale of 5th Stage), RE Amemiya GT II Wing, A'PEXi Power FC, RE Amemiya TA Replica Dolphin Tail Muffler, RE Amemiya Quantum RS Coilovers, SSR Type C (Bronze) rims, RE Amemiya AD Mirror Type 1, RE Amemiya Steering Wheel, 1.5 RE Amemiya Turbo Gauge, Roll Cage, and Ẽfini RX-7 Type RS taillights (finale of 5th Stage)
Engine	OEM 1.3L 2-Rotor 380PS-420PS 13B-REW w/ Boost-Up Normal Turbine (via Power FC)
Japanese voice actor	Tomokazu Seki (main series) Yuichi Nakamura (2014 film)
English voice actor	Steven Jay Blum (Tokyopop dub), Todd Haberkorn (Funimation dub)

Keisuke Takahashi (高橋 啓介, Takahashi Keisuke, "K.T.") is the number two driver for the RedSuns. Keisuke drives Mazda's third generation RX-7, and is a skilled driver, second only to his brother. He is a rather hot-headed young man and does not like losing, which is shown as he drives with his emotions. Before Ryosuke got Keisuke involved in street racing he was the leader of a Bōsōzoku gang. He joins his brother's new team and has a rivalry with Takumi. Keisuke races the hill climb (uphill) on most races, while Takumi races the downhill.

Keisuke isn't analytical like his older brother, and Ryosuke's ability to compute and analyze amazes Keisuke. But at the same time, Keisuke's ability to think less while he is driving, and to do only what he feels amazes Ryosuke. While Ryosuke has decided that he won't race much longer, and that he will become a doctor in the future, Keisuke has dedicated his life to racing and become a professional racer should he defeat Takumi. Though visibly getting along, they still have some kind of argumentation over who is the ace amd has respect for Takumi. He stated once he was not as strong minded as Takumi, because Takumi fell asleep really fast before a great battle, making him ask himself if he knew what pressure was.

By the end of the Fourth Stage anime, Keisuke's skill has dramatically improved to the point that he is offered contact information for a professional racing team. Keisuke turns the offer down since he believes he still has a ways to go before he's ready for a professional racing career. At the same time, Takumi remarks that Keisuke could probably defeat him if they had a serious race.

After the disbanding of Project D, he receives an invitation from a professional racing team, which he accepts and remodifies his RX-7, alongside with him Tomiguchi as his mechanic.

Keisuke is voiced by Yuichi Nakamura, who has also voiced Rin Hojo in the series, in Initial D the Movie: Legend 1 - Awakening.

Kenta Nakamura

Age	19/20 (?)
Sex	Male
Car	Nissan Silvia Q's Aero (S14)
Year	1993 (Zenki)
Plate	35-918, classification 37
Color	Super Clear Red (Arcade) / Orange Metallic (Anime and Manga)
Custom Parts	Nissan Silvia rear window screen, Nissan S14 muffler, RedSuns Sticker (Until 4th Stage), Primax 333 wheels, Rally drivetrain
Engine	OEM 2.0L 16v S14 Blacktop SR20DE
Japanese voice actor	Kousuke Okano
English voice actor	David Rasner (Tokyopop dub), Greg Ayres (Funimation dub)

Kenta Nakamura (中村 賢太, Nakamura Kenta, "Kent") is one of the youngest members of the Akagi RedSuns and the third best driver of the team. Kenta absolutely adores Keisuke Takahashi and is always eager to prove himself to Keisuke. Kenta was recognized by Keisuke himself for his driving skills, and has been somewhat taken under Keisuke's wing. Kenta specializes in rain conditions, because he had a habit of practicing in the rain since the wet roads wouldn't wear his tires down as much, meaning he wouldn't have to spend money on new tires as often.

In First Stage, he arrogantly challenged Takumi to a wet race and lost, mistakenly believing that the weather would cripple the AE86. It was quickly understood that Takumi was used to all road conditions due to delivering tofu every night, regardless of the weather. After this race, Kenta is quickly put into a support position, and isn't shown racing for the Akagi RedSuns ever again. He still accompanies Keisuke to various races, apparently still under Keisuke's mentorship.

In Fourth Stage, he drives the #2 van for Project D and mostly does the reconnaissance recording of courses before the team actually travels to the locations. For one of these surveillance videos, Kenta noted that he was driving his S14 while recording, leading Keisuke to remark on the "sloppy driving" displayed on the video, to Kenta's dismay. In the English version of Initial D arcade games, he is named Danny rather than Kent.

Hiroshi Fumihiro

Age	Late 20's
Sex	Male
Car	Toyota MR2 GT-S (SW20) or Mazda Roadster (NA6C)
Color	Silver Metallic (MR2), Classic Red (Roadster)
Engine	OEM 2.0L 16v 3S-GTE (MR2) OEM 1.6L 16v B6ZE (Roadster)
Japanese voice actor	Osamu Hosoi
English voice actor	Chris Cason

Hiroshi Fumihiro (史浩 弘, Fumihiro Hiroshi) serves as Project D's second in command and handler, setting up and organizing battles with other teams, as well as scouting out prospective courses. In many ways he is also a sort of Executive Assistant to Ryousuke Takahashi. He had the same role during his time with the Akagi RedSuns and, presumably, has known Ryousuke for some time. It is not specifically known whether he has a history as a street racer or how he came into contact with Ryosuke and the RedSuns; his personal car, a Toyota MR2 (SW20), is only seen once during a daytime meeting with Keisuke but is never seen at any races. Fumihiro typically drives the Number 1 van during Project D's events.

Shuichi Matsumoto

Age	Unknown (Likely late 20's, early 30's)
Sex	Male
Car	Nissan 180SX Type S (RPS13)/Toyota Hiace
Engine	OEM 1.8L 16v CA18DET
Japanese voice actor	Rintarō Nishi
English voice actor	Mike McFarland

Shuichi Matsumoto (松本 修一, Matsumoto Shūichi) is the personal mechanic for Takumi Fujiwara's AE86 and possibly Chief Mechanic for Project D. He droves Project D's #3 support van during their expeditions. Like Fumihiro, Matsumoto appears to be close with Ryosuke, as seen in Volume 39 of the manga (and the 5th Stage anime), Matsumoto was asked by Ryosuke to tune his FC for his anticipated encounter with Rin Hojo.

He is the only member of Project D present during Ryosuke's battle with Hojo, as he came with Ryosuke to his meeting with Hojo, waiting for the former's safe return from the battle and driving the FC back to Gunma after the race left Ryosuke exhausted.

Tomiguchi

Age	Unknown (Likely late 20's, early 30's)
Sex	Male
Car	Toyota Hiace
Japanese voice actor	Ryoukichi Takahashi

Tomiguchi is Keisuke's assigned mechanic in Project D. He's likely the driver of the #4 van during the latter part of Project D's expeditions where they go to farther prefectures.

Teams

These are the teams from their respective cities or regions.

Akina Speed Stars

The Akina Speed Stars (秋名スピードスターズ, Akina Supīdosutāzu) is a team made up from a bunch of friends who like to race in their leisure time. Based in Gunma, their home course is Akina. Named after a Japanese brand of wheel, they are among the weakest teams in the series, not having proper training and using erroneous techniques. They are the only team that Takumi did not challenge in the start of the anime series and manga.

Name	Car	Section
Koichiro Iketani	Nissan Silvia K's (S13)	Downhill
Kenji	Nissan 180SX Type II (RPS13)	Uphill
Itsuki Takeuchi	Toyota Corolla Levin SR (AE85)	Uphill

Koichiro Iketani

Age	21[1]
Sex	Male
Car	Nissan Silvia K's (S13)
Year	1988
Plate	51-745, classification 58
Color	Lime Green Two-Tone
Custom Parts	S13 OEM K's Aero Body Parts (Front bumper, side skirts, and rear under spoiler) S13 OEM K's rear spoiler, BRIDE driver bucket seat (anime), Nismo LM GT4 wheels (anime), SSR Mark II R wheels (manga and arcade), Nissan OEM Door Visors, SpeedStars Sticker, and Nissan S13 Exhaust
Engine	OEM 1.8L 16v CA18DET
Japanese voice actor	Kazuki Yao (main series), Hiroshi Tsuchida (2014 film)
English voice actor	Crispin Freeman (Tokyopop dub), Eric Vale (Funimation dub)

One of Takumi's friends, Koichiro Iketani (池谷 浩一郎 , Iketani Kōichirō, "Cole") works at a local gas station with both Takumi and Itsuki. Itsuki admires him, as Iketani is leader of the local racing team, the Akina SpeedStars. Iketani drives a Nissan S13 Silvia. At first, Iketani thinks that the SpeedStars are the best drivers in Akina but later his boss Yuichi tells Iketani of the mysterious driver of an Eight-Six who was the fastest driver in his time, and that he suspects that the driver is the owner of the local tofu shop.

He is an average racer at best, but his skills are decent enough for him to be leader of the Speed Stars.

Through Iketani, Takumi learns the practice of referring to street-racing cars by their chassis codes, since this is the simplest way of denoting different body style/engine combinations. For example, instead of specifying the 1983-1987 Toyota Sprinter Trueno or Corolla Levin with the 4A-GE engine, one can simply call it an AE86, or more simply, an "Eight-Six".

Itsuki Takeuchi

Age	18
Sex	Male
Car	Toyota Corolla Levin SR (AE85)
Year	1984
Plate	11-009, classification 54
Color	High Tech White
Custom Parts	Toyota OEM Door Visors, Work Ewings rims (silver), TRD Sports Muffler, Momo Steering Wheel, AE86 Corolla Levin grille, and SpeedStars Sticker
Engine	OEM 1.5L 12v 3A-U + Bolt-on turbo, tuned to 150 PS
Japanese voice actor	Mitsuo Iwata (main series), Minoru Shiraishi (2014 movie)
English voice actor	Robbie Rist (Tokyopop dub), Josh Grelle (Funimation dub)
Actor	Chapman To

Itsuki Takeuchi (武内 樹, Takeuchi Itsuki, "Iggy") is Takumi's best friend; he is the comic relief of the series, and is generally quite loud and obnoxious. Itsuki works part-time at a gas station with Takumi and Iketani; Itsuki plans to use the money he earns to buy an AE86 Corolla Levin (to complement Takumi's AE86 Trueno) but mistakenly buys an inferior AE85. This upsets him until Takumi takes him for a drive (ultimately racing it downhill), demonstrating that the driver's skill can make a difference. With a car, he is a self-proclaimed member of the Akina Speed Stars. He eventually purchases a turbocharger for his Eight-Five, raising the power output to 150 PS, nearly doubling the 85's original output of 84 PS.

Kenji

Age	21/22
Sex	Male
Car	Nissan 180SX Type II (RPS13)
Year	1994
Plate	11-305, classification 58
Color	Warm White
Custom Parts	OEM 180SX Type III Aero Parts (Front lip + fog lamps, side sill protector, and rear spoiler), Nissan S13 Exhaust, Rays Group AV wheels, SpeedStars Sticker
Engine	OEM Redtop 2.0L 16v S13 SR20DET
Japanese voice actor	Wataru Takagi (main series), Anri Katsu (2014 film)
English voice actor	Jason Spisak (Tokyopop dub), Christopher Bevins (Funimation dub)
Actor	Tsuyoshi Abe

A member of the Akina Speed Stars and Iketani's best friend, Kenji (健二) drives a Nissan 180SX. He hangs out at the gas station where Iketani, Takumi and Itsuki work from time to time, usually discussing cars and driving techniques with Iketani and Yuichi. He has respect and admiration for Iketani and Takumi; Iketani since he is the leader of the Speed Stars and Takumi for his driving skills.

Kenji is believed to be the second-best driver of the Speedstars. He was set to race Keisuke in the first battle because Iketani was injured and the mysterious "Tofu Shop Eight-Six" was thought to be a no-show.

To this day, his last name hasn't been revealed in any media form of Initial D. His age has also not been explicitly stated, though judging from Iketani and Itsuki's constant joking in regards to Kenji not having a girlfriend at his age, and that he and Iketani don't address each other as Senpai, it's probably safe to say that he is about the same age as Iketani. His occupation is also unknown, although he often goes to the gas station where his friends work bringing car magazines and racing news.

Thunder Fire

Not much is known about team Thunder Fire and where their home course is. Their symbol is a lightning bolt with the word Thunder Fire written within it. Thunder was the first team that was defeated by Team Emperor in the beginning of Stage Two. A purple 180SX driven by one of the members was beaten by Seiji Iwaki's Evo IV, and tore their team sticker in half and stuck upside down on the spoiler. The same car also hit the guardrail midway in Second Stage, which halted the unofficial race between Keisuke and Wataru. Thunder Fire's prominent team members and skill level are unknown, but like the Akina Speed Stars, Thunder Fire may be just a group of friends who race in their leisure time with little knowledge on proper technique.

Team Thunder Fire is an anime-exclusive team, and therefore are not part of the manga series.

Myogi NightKids

The Myogi NightKids (妙義ナイトキッズ, Myōgi Naitokizzu) are a team of drivers from Gunma, led by Takeshi Nakazato and their number-two driver, Shingo Shoji. Their home course is on Mount Myogi. Shingo and Takeshi both show aggressive driving styles; both races with Akina's Eight-Six have resulted in crashes.

Name	Car	Section
Takeshi Nakazato	Nissan Skyline GT-R V-Spec II (BNR32)	Uphill
Shingo Shoji	Honda Civic SiR-II (EG6)	Downhill

Takeshi Nakazato

Age	22 (23 in Project D)
Sex	Male
Car	Nissan Skyline GT-R V-Spec II (BNR32)
Year	1994
Plate	26-037, classification 33
Color	Black Pearl Metallic
Custom Parts	Work Meister S1 Rims (Manga & Anime), 1989 R32 Rims (Battle Stage), Split painted front lip spoiler (with R32 N1 air intakes) (manga, arcade, and 2015 film), Nismo S-Tune front lip spoiler (with R32 N1 air intakes) (anime only), Flat Tip Racing Exhaust & BRIDE racing seats (anime)
Engine	OEM 2.6L 24v R32 V-Spec II RB26DETT
Japanese voice actor	Nobuyuki Hiyama (main series), Junichi Suwabe (2014 film)
English voice actor	Wally Wingert (Tokyopop dub), John Burgmeier (Funimation dub, Third Stage), Chris Burnett (Funimation dub, First & Second Stage)
Actor	Shawn Yue

Takeshi Nakazato (中里 毅, Nakazato Takeshi, "Zack"), also known as the Black Lightning (黒い稲妻, Kuroi Inazuma), is the leader of the Myogi NightKids. He made his first appearance at the race in Akina where Keisuke Takahashi of the RedSuns is to race against Takumi. Surprised that Takumi could defeat Keisuke, Takeshi decides that he is going to be the one to challenge and defeat the "Akina downhill specialist", and that the RedSuns are next on his list.

He is an intelligent and skilled driver, notably recognizing Takumi's gutter hook technique while observing the 86's first battle with Keisuke's FD. However, his downfall is his anger and emotions getting in the way of his mind, resulting in poor throttle control. He also races all-out and usually fails to consider tire wear, losing the race in the end, sometimes crashing his car. He is very good at acceleration and is known for his grip driving philosophy. His previous car was a Nissan Silvia (S13), which he used for drifting techniques. He changed it to the R32 after losing to a white (or rather silver) R32 on his home course of Myogi. Following his defeat by the Skyline, his philosophy changed, favoring grip driving techniques over "weak" and "showy" drifting techniques. He also believed that no matter what skill a driver has, a car will not run beyond its capabilities.

Takeshi is the leader of the NightKids team on Mount Myogi and he has shown an interest in Sayuki of Impact Blue. He is also a fan of the GT-R just like Kunimitsu Takahashi.

Shingo Shoji

Age	20 (21 in Project D)
Sex	Male
Car	Honda Civic SiR-II (EG6)
Year	1995
Plate	32-145, classification 59
Color	Milano Red
Engine	OEM 1.6L 16v VTEC EG6 B16A SiR-II
Custom Parts	Mugen RNR Silver Metallic wheel, Unknown sports muffler, Honda OEM Door Visors, Unknown Front Bumper, NightKids sticker (since Arcade Stage 4), and Bucket Racing Driver Seat
Japanese voice actor	Keiji Fujiwara
English voice actor	Quinton Flynn (Tokyopop dub), Vic Mignogna (Funimation dub)

Shingo Shoji (庄司 真吾, Shōji Shingo) is a member of the NightKids who drives a red Honda Civic SiR-II (EG6). Shingo races dangerously: he will nudge his rival's car in order to make him lose control of his car. He finds plain downhill races "boring", preferring to race under a mutual handicap called the "Duct tape deathmatch", taping the drivers' right hands to their steering wheels during the race. By doing this, a driver limits their own steering capabilities, making turning a challenge in a rear-wheel-drive car, as "catching" a car's oversteer on the exit becomes quite difficult. In a front-wheel-drive car though, the use of the handbrake assists in turning the vehicle in corners. He detests Takeshi because he believes that he is unfit to be leader of the NightKids, a position that Shingo openly covets. In terms of racing ability, Shingo is the second best driver on the NightKids team. He is also a childhood friend of Impact Blue's navigator, Sayuki.

Shingo actually shares many beliefs with Takeshi, but whenever they watch other battles, they stay away from one another so people won't mistake them for friends. There were also times that he supported his teammate for the NightKids' sake, like the battle against Seiji's Evo IV.

Impact Blue

Impact Blue (インパクトブルー, Inpakuto Burū) is a partnership between its two members, Mako and Sayuki. Their home course is Usui. It is revealed that Impact Blue is disbanded in Extra Stage 2 due to Mako leaving for Tokyo to race there for a year.

Mako Sato and Sayuki

Age	Both 20[2][3] (Both 21 in Project D)
Sex	Female
Car	Sileighty (RPS13)
Year	1996
Plate	78-547, classification 57
Color	Impact Blue (as a nod to their team name)
Engine	OEM Redtop 2.0L 16v S13 SR20DET + Boost-Up w/ Normal Turbine
Custom Parts	S13 OEM K's Aero Body Parts, BBS RM wheels (gold, silver in early Arcade Stage games), Nissan S13 Exhaust, unknown whale tail spoiler, Recaro Racing Seats (Anime)
Japanese voice actor	Michiko Neya (Mako) and Yumi Kakazu (Sayuki)
English voice actor	Bridget Hoffman (Maya) and Kate Higgins (Simone) (Tokyopop dub) Colleen Clinkenbeard (Mako) and Monica Rial (Sayuki) (Funimation dub)

Mako Sato (佐藤 真子, Satō Mako, "Maya") is the driver of the Usui combination. She becomes interested in Iketani of the Akina Speed Stars. In order to race Takumi's Eight-Six in Usui, she offers her virginity to Iketani.^[2] Following the race, Mako asks Iketani to meet her at the billboard sign where they first met, but after waiting most of the night, she leaves before Iketani arrives, leaving both of them broken hearted. In the Extra Stage 2 OVA, they meet again, but encounter more misunderstandings. During the end of Final Stage, she becomes a race driver of a professional racing team like Keisuke Takahashi, though it is unknown if she got the invitation

Sayuki (沙雪, "Simone") is Mako's co-driver/navigator, a combination similar to that found in the WRC. She is a cheerful, outgoing girl and she is always looking for good looking guys like the Takahashi brothers. She also developed a crush on Takumi, finding him cute and invited him to a pool after his race against them. As navigator, she gives out instructions to Mako when they're racing (when to brake, what drifting technique to use etc.). Her last name is not listed.

Driving a blue Sileighty, the duo is the fastest in Usui.

In Initial D Arcade Stage 4, the duo races the player in Myogi, the home of the Myogi NightKids.

Emperor

Emperor (エンペラー, Enperā) is a highly skilled team led by Kyoichi Sudo. The entire team is made of Mitsubishi Lancer Evolutions, claiming their cars are the king of the mountains. Based in Tochigi, their home course is the one-way road of Irohazaka.

Name	Car	Section
Kyoichi Sudo	Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution III GSR (CE9A)	Downhill
Seiji Iwaki	Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IV RS (CN9A)	Downhill

Kyoichi Sudo

Age	Unknown (possibly similar to Ryosuke/Takeshi)
Sex	Male
Car	Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution III GSR (CE9A)
Year	1995
Plate	30-395, classification 58
Color	Pyrenees Black
Engine	Auto Produce Boss 2.0 L 16v III 4G63 350 PS Complete Engine + Aftermarket turbine
Custom Parts	Unknown Racing Muffler, Rally-style Anti-Lag "Misfiring System", Recaro Bucket Seats, Emperor Sticker (early Arcade Stage games and anime)
Japanese voice actor	Masahiko Tanaka
English voice actor	Richard Cansino (Tokyopop Dub), Christopher Sabat (Funimation dub)
Actor	Jordan Chan

Kyoichi Sudo (須藤 京一, Sudō Kyōichi, "Kyle") is the team leader and driving ace of the Lancer Evolution-only Emperor team from Gunma (according to his license plate), and one of the best drivers in the series. He drives a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution III powered up to 350PS equipped with a WRC style misfiring system. In his philosophy, a car must have "high power turbo plus 4WD". He serves as the main antagonist in 2nd Stage and secondary antagonist 3rd stage the movie.

Kyoichi is much like Ryosuke in terms of racing beliefs: he is a calm and composed driver, compared to his teammate Seiji. Eager to show Ryosuke that he and his team are the best, Kyoichi and the Emperor team goes on to beat the various teams of Gunma, including the NightKids. He believes in the ultimate superiority of his race circuit techniques, whilst Ryosuke holds that street racing has its own special requirements. His home course is one-way, so he is unable to fully attack blind corners on two way roads, supporting Ryosuke's view. He is also often considered the first driver to have beaten Takumi, when Takumi blew out his engine at Akagi, but lost during a rematch at Irohazaka. It should be noted however, that the result should normally be considered a tie at best, and the race itself did not last more than one round. Kyoichi declared Takumi as the winner for merely being able to resist being overtaken at the last part of the course where other drivers fell prey to him. To Kyoichi, who takes pride in his ability to win, a tie at his home turf equals a loss. He often wears a bandana to make him look like a pirate or a gang member, presumably to make him look more evil.

He is also a graduate of the racing school, the Todo School, though he never drove a Honda or learnt about braking as an offensive maneuver.

Seiji Iwaki

Age	36
Sex	Male
Car	Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IV RS (CN9A)
Year	1996
Plate	46-037, classification 78
Color	Scotia White
Engine	OEM 2.0L 16v IV 4G63 + Boost-Up Tune
Custom Parts	OEM Evo IV GSR wheels, Brembo 4-pot Calipers, Large Intercooler, Bucket Racing Seats, Monster Sport Hood Decal, Unknown Racing Muffler, spoiler brake lights removed (Arcade Stage games before 4) & Emperor Sticker
Japanese voice actor	Kazuhisa Kawahara
English voice actor	Grant George (Tokyopop Dub), Jason Douglas (Funimation dub)
Actor	Will Liu

Seiji Iwaki (岩城 清次, Iwaki Seiji, "Hawk") is the number two driver in the Lancer Evolution-only Emperor team, therefore he drives the Lancer Evolution IV. Seiji is a driver with good racing skills, but is rather arrogant and overconfident and occasionally imprudent. He has won many races driving for Emperor against other teams, including Takeshi Nakazato of the NightKids and a member of Thunder Fire.

After defeating various teams in Gunma, the Emperor team then set their sights on the Akina Speed Stars, aiming to beat Akina's infamous Eight-Six. Seiji volunteered to race for the Emperor team in his Evo IV against Takumi's Eight-Six, but he was humiliated when his overconfidence and impatience led to his downfall, causing Kyoichi, the team leader, having to race the Eight-Six before the team could move on to the next opponent. It was also verbally stated that Seiji lost to Kai Kogashiwa in Irohazaka, but no actual battle was shown in the series. In Battle Stage, his Evo IV also raced Keisuke's FD, and lost.

One of Seiji's trademarks is to take the team sticker of teams he has defeated, cut it in half, and stick it on the sideblade of his spoiler upside-down, emulating the "kill" markers that fighter pilots paint on their planes. He loves to mock his opponent's cars and see them as "Out of existence" (アウト·オブ·眼中, Auto obu ganchū).

In the manga and anime, Seiji's race at Irohazaka is downhill, whereas beginning with Arcade Stage 6 AA's Project Kanto mode, his race at Irohazaka is in reverse due to the ruling that each member of a tag team must each race downhill and uphill individually.

Seven Star Leaf

Seven Star Leaf (セブンスターリーフ, Sebun Sutā Rīfu, "SSR") is an average skilled team, and the first team to face Project D in 4th Stage, there are previous Project D victories mentioned prior to the start of 4th Stage. Based in Tochigi, their home course is the Nichien-Momiji line. Like the Akina Speed Stars, they are named after the same Japanese wheel manufacturer (Speed Star Racing).

Name	Car	Section
Toru Suetsugu	Eunos Roadster NA Package (NA6C)	Downhill
Atsuro Kawai	Nissan Skyline 25GT Turbo Coupe (ER34)	Uphill

Toru Suetsugu

Age	Unknown
Sex	Male
Car	Eunos Roadster NA Package (NA6C)
Year	1989
Plate	86-596, classification 55
Color	Classic Red
Engine	RS Aizawa 1.6L 16v NA6C B6-ZE, bored to 1.8L
Custom Parts	OEM NA8C Body Parts (front and side air dam skirts + rear mud guards), Mazda fog lamps, Unknown one-way muffler, Roadster S Special rear spoiler, NA8C J-Limited II Wheels, OEM NA8C Door Mirrors, Mazda Detachable Hard Top, Nardi Classic Steering Wheel, RS Aizawa Complete Tune Setup, Bucket Racing Seats, RS Aizawa Individual Throttle Bodies
Japanese voice actor	Daiki Nakamura
English voice actor	Chris Patton

Toru Suetsugu (末次 トオル, Suetsugu Tōru) is the downhill racer for the Seven Star Leaf team and known for his reckless, kamikaze downhill style. Toru is also the only driver in the series who actually has a decent relationship; he has a girlfriend called Nao (Voiced by: Miki Nagasawa). Nao cares for him very much and she doesn't really approve of him racing, especially that he is practically broke almost all of the time and borrows money from her often.

When the Seven Star Leaf team is challenged by Ryosuke of Project D, Tohru is slated to race against Takumi. He borrows money from his girlfriend again for a new set of tires. She agreed, with a condition: if he is defeated, he'll have to stop racing, or they will have to break up. He lost when he tried to emulate Takumi's weight-shifting technique of bypassing the uncovered gutters: his right front wheel snagged on the open gutter, flipping his car over once before coming to a standstill.

The exterior of Toru's NA6C Roadster is made to resemble a hardtop NA8C.

Atsuro Kawai

Age	24
Sex	Male
Car	Nissan Skyline 25GT Turbo Coupe (ER34)
Year	1998
Plate	22-936, classification 34
Color	Dark Blue Pearl
Engine	OEM 2.5L 24v R34 GT Turbo RB25DET NEO + Aftermarket Turbine, tuned to 400 PS
Custom Parts	Panasport G7 C5C2 wheels, one-off custom front bumper kit, Fujitsubo Legalis R Evolution Muffler, and Seven Star Leaf Sticker
Japanese voice actor	Seiji Sasaki
English voice actor	Scott Freeman

Atsuro Kawai (川井 淳郎, Kawai Atsurō) is the hillclimb racer and the leader of the Tochigi-based Seven Star Leaf. He seems to be a decent enough driver, again favouring the grip racing techniques, but his mastery of it is uncomparable to that of Takeshi Nakazato. His car is powered up to 400 PS.

Atsuro races against Keisuke during Project D's first expedition in Tochigi.

• Note: Atsuro is driving a 2.5 L Turbo RWD Nissan GT R34 (also known as a 25GT Turbo Skyline, chassis code ER34), not an AWD Nissan Skyline GT-R R34 (chassis code BNR34).

Todo School

The Todo School (東堂塾, Tōdō Juku) is a racing school run by a performance shop owner/ex-rally driver named Todo. They are very highly skilled, with many of their graduates going semi-pro/professional. Interestingly, they prefer FWD cars, particularly Hondas, using the Civic Type R as their best "demonstration" car. Based in Yaita, Tochigi, their home course is Happogahara. In Initial D Arcade Stage 4, they race the player in Tsukuba, the home of Purple Shadow. But in Extreme Stage, they also have a rematch in their home course of Happogahara.

The Todo School exclusively use parts from Spoon Sports to modify their cars.

Name	car	section
Daiki Ninomiya	Honda Civic Type R (EK9)	Outbound/Downhill
Smiley Sakai	Honda Integra Type R (DC2)	Inbound/Uphill
Tomoyuki Tachi (OB)	Honda Civic Type R (EK9)	All-around

Daiki Ninomiya

Age	late 20s
Sex	Male
Car	Honda Civic Type R (EK9)
Year	1998
Plate	56-838, classification 50
Color	Sunlight Yellow
Engine	Spoon 1.6L 16v B16B-R '98 Complete Engine (Street Spec)
Custom Parts	Spoon Carbon Roof Spoiler, Spoon Carbon Mirrors, De-badged hood, Todo School Custom Exhaust & Volk TE37 (Black) Rims
Japanese voice actor	Toshiyuki Morikawa
English voice actor	Ian Sinclair

The ace and current student of the Todo School, Daiki Ninomiya (二宮 大輝, Ninomiya Daiki, "Dice") is one of the better drivers of the series. Driving a yellow Civic Type R (EK9), Daiki races against Takumi of Project D in an outbound battle. He excels in braking, being able to release the brake pedal in the perfect spot during a corner every time. Daiki is also one of the school's all time three best downhill drivers.

Smiley Sakai

Age	Unknown
Sex	Male
Car	Honda Integra Type R (DC2)
Year	1997
Plate	32-094, classification 55
Color	Championship White
Engine	Spoon 2.0L 16v B18C-R '98 Spec Complete Engine + Bolt-On Turbo (Possibly HKS or Trust/GReddy)
Custom Parts	Spoon Carbon Hood, Spoon DC2 Cluster, Spoon Momo Steering Wheel, Todo School Custom Exhaust, SSR Type V Wheels (black), Low Compression Setup.
Japanese voice actor	Akimitsu Takase
English voice actor	Anthony Bowling

Another driver and current student of the Todo School, Smiley Sakai (スマイリー 酒井, Sumairī Sakai, "Smiley") is one of Daiki's friends and drives an Integra Type R equipped with an aftermarket turbocharger. Sakai races against Keisuke of Project D in an inbound battle. He uses two techniques to race, first, using high speeds to enter a corner to get the other person to do the same, then correcting his speed during the turn. The other trick is to brake-test his opponent, forcing them to back off while he speeds away. His face tenses up when he is racing to make him look like he is smiling, hence his nickname, "Smiley" Sakai.

Judging by the way that Daiki refers to him with the san honorific (Smiley-san), it can be inferred that Smiley is a senior student of the Todo School, and probably the reason why he knows much of Todo's experiences in racing, especially the school's rivalry with Purple Shadow and their top racers.

Tomoyuki Tachi

Age	Unknown
Sex	Male
Car	Todo School Spoon Civic Type R Demo Car (EK9)
Year	1998
Plate	10-547, classification 57
Color	Sunlight Yellow
Engine	Spoon 1.8L 16v B16B-R '98 Spec Complete Engine (Circuit Spec)
Custom Parts	Spoon SW388 Rims, Momo Steering Wheel w/Spoon Horn Button, Todo School Custom Exhaust, Spoon Carbon Mirrors, Spoon Carbon Fiber Hood, Bucket Racing Seats, Spoon 11,000 RPM Gauge Cluster, Spoon Damper Kit, Spoon Brakes, and Advan Sticker
Japanese voice actor	Kazuhiro Nakata (pre-Final Stage & Arcade Stage games up to 7 AAX), Daichi Endo (Final Stage and Arcade Stage 8 ∞)
English voice actor	Jeff Johnson

The Todo School could not live with their team being completely annihilated by outsiders, so they invited Tomoyuki Tachi (舘 智幸, Tachi Tomoyuki, "Touch"), a graduate of the school who is now a professional racer, to have a rematch against Project D on Happogahara, which is a course that consists of both outbound and inbound sections. Tomoyuki took Daiki's EK9 and beat Takumi's downhill record in one try, without pushing the car to the limit. Tomoyuki agreed to use the school's top car, the Spoon-tuned demonstration EK9, at Happogahara. Tachi tuned the Civic the best he could to be able to compete with the FD on the straights, but surprisingly, Ryosuke decided to send out the Eight-Six. He lost the race to Takumi when he steered off the center of the road to avoid hitting a raccoon that crossed the street near the finish line. Because of this dodging he creates enough space for Takumi to pass him in his Eight-Six. Afterwards Takumi asks Tomoyuki why he suddenly created space for Takumi to pass. Tomoyuki responded that he saw a raccoon jump across the road and because of his racing reflexes immediately dodged it. Takumi's headlights were turned off as part of his technique.

It is highly speculated that his professional racing outfit seems to be based on the racing outfit that Keiichi Tsuchiya wears during his racing days and his appearances in Best Motoring. The Green Racing suit, Green Kei Office (now K1Planning) gloves and the red Ard Asic racing shoes are evidence to this speculation. It appears that Tomoyuki was in the CD Initial D Drama which included Keiichi

He attended the Todo School with Kyoichi Sudo of Emperor.

Northern Saitama Alliance

A racing group made of teams located in the Northern Saitama Prefecture. Included in this alliance, is the team that Nobuhiko and Kyoko are on, and also includes Wataru. Their home course is Sadamine pass. They joined together to meet the challenge they knew would be coming from Project D. Nobuhiko Akiyama is the leader of the Alliance. The Alliance faces Project D twice, on two different courses, Sadamine and Maze pass. The Alliance throws the first downhill race against Project D so that Nobuhiko can gather enough information on Takumi to defeat him during the second set of races. Nobuhiko recruits Sakamoto for the job of defeating Takumi and all of the Alliance members (except Kyoko) chip in to purchase a Suzuki Cappuccino for Sakamoto to use in the race.

In Initial D Arcade Stage 4, only Wataru and Kyoko appear to race the player in Akina, the home of the Akina Speed Stars and the base of the Fujiwara Tofu Shop.

Name	Car	Section
Wataru Akiyama	Toyota Corolla Levin GT-APEX (AE86)	Inbound/Uphill
Nobuhiko Akiyama	Toyota Altezza RS200 Z-Edition (SXE10)	Outbound/Downhill
Kyoko Iwase	Ẽfini RX-7 Type R (FD3S)	Inbound/Uphill
Sakamoto	Suzuki Cappuccino (EA11R)	Outbound/Downhill

Wataru Akiyama

Age	21 (22 in Project D)
Sex	Male
Car	Toyota Corolla Levin GT APEX (AE86)
Year	1985
Plate	73-212, classification 56
Color	High Tech Two-Tone
Engine	OEM 1.6L 16v Bluetop AE86 4A-GEU + Bolt-on Blitz KKK K26 Turbo 280 PS (2nd Stage), OEM 1.6L 16v AE92 Kouki 4A-GZE Supercharger 250 PS (4th Stage)
Custom Parts (2nd Stage)	TRD N2 Rear Spoiler and FRP Rear Hatch (normal rear hatch in the anime), Toyota front aero spoiler and side mud guards, Black sports muffler, TRD sports seats, SSR Dori Dori Mesh rims (silver), Nardi Classic Steering Wheel, Cusco 6-point roll bar, Toyota OEM Door Visors, and HKS boost meter
Custom Parts (4th Stage)	TRD N2 Rear Spoiler and FRP Rear Hatch, Toyota front aero spoiler and side mud guards (with grille-mounted intercooler), Black sports muffler, Cusco 6-Point Roll Bar, TRD Carbon Fiber Hood, Toyota OEM Door Visors, BBS RM rims (black) (early Arcade Stage games), Unknown 10-point gravel rally rims (white) (anime and late Arcade Stage games), TRD sports seats, and ItalVolanti Admiral Red Trim Steering Wheel (seen while turning on the Wipers against the FD)
Japanese voice actor	Yasunori Matsumoto
English voice actor	Michael Lindsay (Tokyopop dub), Robert McCollum (Funimation dub)

Wataru Akiyama (秋山 渉, Akiyama Wataru, "Aki") was one of the first racers from Saitama to actually race against Takumi with his turbocharged Levin; he appeared later in the Project D arc, this time replacing the turbocharger with a supercharger for more linear acceleration at the cost of raw power. Wataru is a skilled driver who honed his skills on the treacherous Shomaru Pass. He came to Gunma in hopes of facing new racers to challenge, as well as to watch over his sister Kazumi, who just got a job at a hotel with her aunt. Wataru is Nobuhiko's cousin, as seen when he watches Takumi race against the Northern Saitama Alliance in the hopes of finding a weak spot.

Wataru later raced against Keisuke in a wet-weather race, but was defeated when his tires lost grip upon touching a metal gutter while adjusting his wipers.

Some time later, Wataru confronts the impostor Project D somewhere in Saitama and helps the real Project D expose them as the frauds they are.

Nobuhiko Akiyama

Age	Unknown
Sex	Male
Car	Toyota Altezza RS200 Z-Edition (SXE10)
Year	2000
Plate	17-919, classification 33
Color	Silver Metallic
Engine	TRD Blacktop BEAMS Dual VVT-i 2.0L 16v 3S-GE N1 Complete Engine
Custom Parts	TRD Sports T3 wheels (silver), TRD High Response Muffler Ver. S, TRD Sports front aero spoiler and grille, Toyota side mud guards, TRD rear aero spoiler (ducktail), TRD N1 tuning package, Chrome garnish
Japanese voice actor	Jin Horikawa
English voice actor	Justin Pate

The leader the Northwest Saitama Alliance, Nobuhiko Akiyama (秋山 延彦, Akiyama Nobuhiko, "Nobu") is very intelligent and analytical. His skills as a driver, however, are not very good. Because of this, he usually recruits other highly skilled drivers and uses his technical data to further tune their cars according to each course. Nobuhiko did race against Takumi once on the downhill, but was left behind after the first hairpin and only because Takumi was letting him keep up, upon Ryosuke's instruction. It is revealed that Nobuhiko is Wataru Akiyama's cousin (as they share the same surname and looks pretty similar). Kazumi mentioned he lived in Higashimatsuyama.

Nobuhiko exclusively uses parts from TRD to modify his Altezza.

Kyoko Iwase

Age	20
Sex	Female
Car	Ẽfini RX-7 Type R (FD3S)
Year	1993
Plate	54-369, classification 39
Color	Brilliant Black
Engine	OEM 1.3L 2-Rotor 13B-REW with Aftermarket Single Turbine
Custom Parts	'98 Spec Rear Spoiler, One-Off Custom Hood, One-Off Custom Muffler, Border Front Bumper Spoiler Type II and Side Steps, Knight Sport Aero Mirror Type 1 (Electrical), RE-Amemiya AW-7 Rims (Silver, gold in early Arcade Stage games)
Japanese voice actor	Megumi Toyoguchi
English voice actor	Caitlin Glass

A skilled uphill driving ace in the Northwest Saitama Alliance, Kyoko Iwase (岩瀬 恭子, Iwase Kyōko, "Kylie") was originally the fastest in the alliance, but after racing against Keisuke Takahashi, she falls in love with her opponent. This creates a conflict of interest between defeating Project D and supporting her love. Love prevailed. Attesting to this, Kyoko later lent her FD to Keisuke after he damaged the left front suspension of his own FD in an accident during a trial run on Tsuchisaka. Keisuke went on to win the race with her car, instead of the loaned FD Ryosuke planned for him to use. Unfortunately for her, Keisuke chooses to focus on Project D to the exclusion of all romantic relationships, although he admits liking her.

Kyoko's FD is a single turbo (compared to Keisuke's twin-turbo FD). Because of this, it has less torque and more turbo lag despite the power output being almost the same.

Sakamoto

Age	26
Sex	Male
Car	Suzuki Cappuccino (EA11R)
Year	1991
Plate	35-218, classification 71
Color	Cordoba Red
Engine	Garage Limit Displacement-Up 0.7L 12v F6A
Custom Parts	Elite SPL Front Spoiler Type II, Unknown Ducktail Spoiler, Garage Limit Tuning Package, Racing Gauges, Gold EA11R Wheels, and Sports Muffler
Japanese voice actor	Hiroyuki Yoshino
English voice actor	Orion Pitts

Sakamoto (坂本, "Sid") is a rally driver who trains almost exclusively on mountain passes. He has the uncanny ability to take any car and put it in a drift on a mountain pass, usually to figure a car's characteristics and limitations. He was outsourced by Wataru Akiyama, recruited by Nobuhiko in a desperate measure to defeat Takumi Fujiwara of Project D in a downhill race using a Suzuki Cappuccino, a Kei car lighter than the Eight-Six. His speciality is driving FR cars.

Tsuchisaka Lan Evo Team

Otherwise known simply as the "Men in Evos", this team, composed of two Mitsubishi Lancer Evolutions, challenged Project D on Tsuchisaka and are secondary antagonists in Initial D 4th Stage and the manga. They race for money, and they win by all means necessary (including cheating). When they were defeated by Project D, they asked a bunch of bosozoku gangsters to beat them up, without knowing that these gangsters they called were actually from the Gunma area (the base of Project D), and former subordinates of Keisuke Takahashi. As a result, for the humiliation, the gangsters turned on the losers and were interrogated by them for what they did before being informed by Fumihiro that they'll have trial runs cancelled because Keisuke's FD got damaged. It is unknown what happened to them after they were interrogated by the gangsters, but it can be assumed that they may have been beaten up by the bosozoku gang members or arrested by the police for their actions. They are similar to Team Emperor because of their cars, but what makes them different from Team Emperor is their use of dirty tactics, and their behavioral traits being more similar to racing criminals.

Name	Car	Section
Ichijo	Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VI GSR Tommi Makinen Edition (CP9A)	Inbound/Downhill
Aikawa	Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution V GSR (CP9A)	Outbound/Uphill

Aikawa

Age	mid 20s
Sex	Male
Car	Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution V GSR (CP9A)
Year	1998
Plate	12-159, classification 30
Color	Scotia White
Custom Parts	Volk TE37 (bronze) wheels, Carbon fiber mirrors (GSR), fog light covers, HKS Super Drager Muffler Type II, One-Off Custom Door Visors
Engine	2.0L 16v 4G63 V Light Tune + Aftermarket Turbine
Japanese voice actor	Masuo Amada
English voice actor	Bryan Massey

Aikawa (会川, "Man in Evo V" or "Kuro Waru") is the outbound racer for the final team that Project D races in the Saitama Prefecture. He faces Keisuke on the outbound run on the Tsuchisaka pass. Unlike previous opponents, both he and his racing partner Ichijo are more than willing to use dirty tactics, such as spilling oil on the road, to defeat Project D. It is due to this team's slicking of the road with oil that leads to Keisuke spinning out on the road and damaging his FD to such a state that it cannot be used in the race.

As a person, he is depicted as being an "ugly", mid to late 20s, arrogant jerk, an example of which occurs when he confronts Project D after Keisuke crashes his FD, at which point he acts innocent in regards as to who was at fault for slicking the road. In his race versus Keisuke (who drove Kyoko's black FD), he displays little skill and considers the Lancer Evolution to be in a totally different class apart from the FD. He loses when he was spooked as Keisuke takes the inside when the two cars drive along a long straight line with a barricade on the left side of the road. He was humiliated when he was given a lecture by Keisuke when he complained of "reckless driving."

In Arcade Stage 3, Street Stage, and Arcade Stage 8 ∞, his Evo V is an RS, while in the manga and anime it was a GSR.

Ichijo

Age	mid 20s
Sex	Male
Car	Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VI GSR Tommi Makinen Edition (CP9A)
Year	2000
Plate	86-502, classification 36
Color	Scotia White
Engine	OEM 2.0L 16v 4G63 VI TME Spec
Custom Parts	Spoiler removed, HKS Legal Muffler, Ralliart Header, One-Off Custom Door Visors
Japanese voice actor	Mitsuaki Madono
English voice actor	Jonathan Brooks

Ichijo (一条, "Man in Evo VI" or "Shiro Waru"), is the inbound racer for this team. Unlike Aikawa, he is more cunning and tactful, in that he arranges for the oil spill on the road and bringing a group of gangsters (via another team member) to beat up Project D's members should Project D win. Although there is no mention of who the leader of this team is, it seems that he shows more of a leadership role than his partner. Prior to his race against Takumi, he advises for Takumi to lose his match otherwise there will be dire repercussions.

As a racer, he is depicted as having good braking skill, but in comparison to Bunta, his skill is not as good. In the race with Takumi, he takes the runner position and leads for a fair share of the race until they hit the corner where the oil had been spilled earlier. He manages to slip on a bit of the oil and slides to the outside, allowing Takumi to easily pass him and take the lead. There were plenty of chances to outrun him, but he was spooked by Takumi's drifting of the 86 on the final corner. There he finds out that Takumi is a different, terrifying animal once he is driving, unlike the timid guy he tried to scare before the race.

Purple Shadow

Purple Shadow (パープルシャドウ, Pāpuru Shadō) is the team Toshiya "God Arm" Joshima and Kozo "God Foot" Hoshino race for, both of whom are legendary around those parts. Based in Ibaraki, they drive on a course on Mount Tsukuba called Fruitline.

Name	Car	Section
Toshiya Joushima	Honda S2000 (AP1)	Outbound/Downhill
Kozo Hoshino	Nissan Skyline GT-R V-Spec II Nür (BNR34)	All-around

Toshiya Joshima

Age	40+
Sex	Male
Car	Honda S2000 (AP1)
Year	2002
Plate	71-109, classification 35
Custom Parts	Myumyu Papa Factory Yap Lip, Cusco 3D Carbon GT Wing, Spoon Momo Steering Wheel, Recaro SP-G Seats w/Takata Harness, Mugen Carbon Air Intake, Aftermarket Header, Navi System, Mugen MF-10 (Bronze) wheels, J's Racing Type S Aero Bonnet, Myumyu Papa Factory SSP Single Exhaust (Right Side), & AP2 '04 Cluster
Engine	OEM 2.0L 16v AP1 VTEC F20C + Amuse ECU
Color	Monte Carlo Blue Pearl (manga and anime), Long Beach Blue Pearl (arcade)
Japanese voice actor	Masashi Ebara
English voice actor	R. Bruce Elliott

Dr. Toshiya Joshima (城島 俊也, Jōshima Toshiya), affectionately called "Jo-chan" (城ちゃん, Jō chan) by Kozo, is one of the two leaders of Purple Shadow, known as God Arm (ゴッドアーム, Goddo Āmu) due to his one-handed steering and his ability to control the car's yaw rate with very delicate steering/throttle inputs. He is the outbound half of Purple Shadow. He battles in a refined intellectual style, intentionally pulling his punches for his own private satisfaction.

Joshima's techniques also include gutter jumps and the ability to confuse his chaser by manipulating his race line. Some of his team consider his methods very cruel, especially given the irony that he is a doctor. During Takumi's battle with Joshima, Takumi felt as if he were being chased by Bunta in the Impreza. Initially Joshima toyed with Takumi, hiding his true ability, trying to instill confusion and self-doubt, confident he could dominate the battle. After Joshima finally sprang his tactical trap, Takumi recovered and retook the lead. The astonished Joshima eventually had to abandon his game, and used his ultimate time attack line to pull away. Takumi broke his suspension trying desperately to catch up, and was reduced to limping down the mountain. This would have been a loss for Takumi, but Joshima's fatigue from multiple rounds of downhill got to him and forced him to make a vomit stop. The crippled Trueno hobbled past to a technical victory. After the race, Joshima admits that Takumi's comeback put him under so much pressure that he was forced to put his left hand back on the steering wheel, something that hadn't ever happened to him.

However, Takumi did not feel that his victory was justified. Afterwards, Takumi requests a favor from Joshima, asking him to ride in his S2000 as he drives down the mountain again so that Takumi could watch Joshima's technique firsthand and hopefully improve upon his own techniques.

Kozo Hoshino

Age	40+
Sex	Male
Car	Nissan Skyline GT-R V-spec II Nür (BNR34)
Year	2002
Plate	38-274, classification 35
Color	Millennium Jade Metallic
Engine	OEM 2.6L RB26DETT V-Spec II N1 Nür Version (Gold/Jade Valve Cover)
Custom Parts	Yokohama Super Advan Racing SA3R wheels (silver), Amuse R1 TITAN exhaust system, Apex'i sports catalyser, Nismo R-Tune front aero bumper (painted front lip in manga and arcade, carbon front lip on anime), & Brembo racing brakes, Sabelt Harness
Japanese voice actor	Ryuzaburo Otomo
English voice actor	John Swasey

Kozo Hoshino (星野 好造 Hoshino Kōzō), affectionately nicknamed "Ko-chan" (好ちゃん, Kō chan) by Joshima, is a member of a two-man team of middle-aged racers, known by the name of "God Foot" (ゴッドフット, Goddo Futto) due to his extraordinary acceleration control and his ability to drift the BNR34 with the ATTESA-ETS 4WD system activated, which is considered almost impossible. He shouts exclamations during a race in order to keep himself from overconcentrating. If he becomes silent and concentrates too hard, he will drive without braking, which would cause him to crash. He races Keisuke Takahashi in a full lap (uphill and downhill) battle, demonstrating his sense of fairness, as the FD3S would have no chance against the R34 uphill.

He has owned a total of 4 GT-Rs: an R32, an R33 in which he was disappointed with, another R32, and finally the R34 in which he uses in the race against Project D. He displays incredible control of his accelerator and brake pedals, but his heavier car is chased down by Keisuke's lighter FD3S in the first run although it barely wins the first run. The second run displays Kozo's cunning as he overtakes Keisuke on the uphill/downhill pylon, though his heavier GT-R begins losing traction. Keisuke's doggedness inspires Kozo to initiate a drift battle which make his tyres suffer even more. Near the goal line Kozo drifts too far because of his tires, allowing Keisuke to attempt to pass him on the outside. Although Kozo's weaker tyres made him bump Keisuke slightly, the FD pulled out in front and finished the second round in the lead. Kozo conceded the match as his traction was now not enough to win another run.

After his race with Keisuke, he offers to introduce him to his professional racing contacts. Keisuke refuses the offer, as he has unfinished business he wishes to take care of first (beating Takumi Fujiwara). Although he lost, his time attack record still remains unbeaten, even by Keisuke no matter how hard he tried, due the fact that the R32 that Kōzō used had over ¥3,500,000 invested in it.

His last name may be a nod to Kazuyoshi Hoshino, a professional race driver known for driving Skylines and other Nissans in several major Japanese circuits, and also Impul Corporation's founder.

In Initial D Extreme Stage, Kozo first appears to challenge the player in his home course of Tsukuba before having a rematch in Happogahara, the home of the Todo School.

Team 246

Team 246 (チーム246(ツーフォーシックス), Chīmu Tsū Fō Shikksu) (read "Two-Four-Six"), also known as The 246ers, is a team based in the Kanagawa Prefecture. Racing in Yabitsu, they are direct rivals to Team Sidewinder, another team located in the Shizuoka Prefecture. According to Bunta and Ryosuke, Shizuoka is the center of street (drift) racing, notable for its mountainous regions (Mount Fuji is located there) as well as the Fuji Speedway. Therefore, Shizuoka attracts many racers, amateur and professionals alike.

Name	Car	Section
Satoshi Omiya	Mazda Roadster RS (NB8C)	Downhill
Kobayakawa	Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VII GSR (CT9A)	Uphill

Team 246 has many members, where representatives for a race are voted by its 31 members. The representative who will race against Keisuke on the uphill: Kobayakawa received 26 out of 31 votes, and races with a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution (which Fumihiro has made fun of, as Keisuke is an emerging FD Evo Killer). Takumi will race against 246's leader: Omiya, who unanimously received 31 votes to represent Team 246 on the downhill. He will be driving a heavily modified Mazda Roadster.

Satoshi Omiya

Age	Unknown
Sex	Male
Car	Mazda Roadster 1.8 RS (NB8C)
Year	1999 (zenki)
Engine	RS Aizawa 1.8L NB8C 16v BP-ZE + RS Aizawa Individual Throttle Body kit.
Custom Parts	BIM Creative Studio Downhill Special AE031 wheels (dark gray), Garage Vary Type N Body Parts (Front bumper spoiler, side steps, and rear bumper spoiler), Garage Vary GT-Wing (High Mount), Momo Steering Wheel, Mazda Detachable Carbon Hard Top, Unknown Racing Muffler & Mazdaspeed Header
Color	Evolution Orange Mica
Plate	37-125, classification 501
Japanese voice actor	Hiroki Tōchi

Satoshi Omiya (大宮 智史, Ōmiya Satoshi) is Team 246's leader and downhill representative who drives a 2nd generation Mazda Roadster. After seeing Kobayakawa's defeat, he decides to lead in the downhill planning to take the same approach as Keisuke. During the race, he also holds back until he sees an opening to go all out against Takumi. When he finally did so, his superior braking technique began to show. While miraculously keeping up, Takumi is distraught to see that he loses in terms of braking technique.

The race becomes so intense that while a rear wing would normally be considered purely cosmetic in the touge, Eiji Kubo of team Sidewinder notes that at the speed that both cars is enough to let aerodynamics be a possible deciding factor in the race. Trying to find any method of speeding up, Takumi turns his headlights off to reduce the Eight-Six's coefficient of drag. Omiya, after deciding earlier on not to look back and turns his rear-view mirror away, does not notice the eight-six disappearing and so, would negate the usual effect of the blind attack. However, when approaching a corner, Takumi decides to turn on his headlights again. Seeing that the road ahead was suddenly lit up, Omiya is led to believe that there is an oncoming car and brakes early while leaving the outside lane open. Takumi jumps in to go side-by-side, but Omiya refuses to budge and maintains the inside. However, because the line was so tight, the Roadster's wing collided with a road sign, leaving it hanging on the car, imbalancing its aerodynamics.

Ryosuke mentions how Mazda's FR layout cars are naturally oversteery because their rear ends are always uniquely higher than the front, making the rear very light. He notes that while the FD makes good use of these dynamics, the Roadster suffers from excessive oversteer and that an imbalance to the car would be Takumi's best opening. This manifests itself after Omiya retakes the lead but oversteers the last corner and spins out, losing the race.

Kobayakawa

Age	20
Sex	Male
Car	Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VII GSR (CT9A)
Year	2001
Color	Dandelion Yellow
Plate	25-645, classification 330
Engine	Auto Produce Boss Light Tune 2.0L 16v VII 4G63 + Boost-Up w/ Normal Turbine
Custom Parts	C-West N1 front bumper + front canards, Creative Sports side steps and rear under spoiler, Voltex 3D GT Wing Type IV, Ganador Super Mirrors (carbon), Creative Sports aero bonnet, C-West painted carbon trunk, roll cage, Bucket racing seats, Defi gauges, Momo steering wheel, Unknown sports muffler, Ralliart header & Boss Lap ECU, Racing Hart CP-035 wheels (gunmetal gray)
Japanese voice actor	Kenji Hamada

Kobayakawa (小早川) is Team 246's uphill representative who drives a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VII. Sure of his own skill and 4WD's abilities on the uphill, he chooses to chase behind Keisuke with the plan of observing his opponent from behind; confident that he can overtake if Keisuke is underwhelming. Keisuke tunes his FD with as much power as possible with the plan of outrunning his opponent in the first round. This has a disadvantage, however, because the extra power causes the FD to become oversteery and would wear the rear tires very quickly (Kobayakawa notes during the race that the FD was looking clumsy). Kobayakawa becomes aware that Keisuke plans to lose him and attempts to anticipate when the FD driver plans to attack. The race progresses, however, without a sign of Keisuke's attack and Kobayakawa lowers his guard. Just when he did this, however, Keisuke initiated his attack and pulled away. Kobayakawa was unable to catch up and lost the race by a margin of 7 seconds.

Due to the fact that his Evo VII is yellow, this is basically tied to the stock Evo VII and Evo IX painted in one of the colors yellow in the Initial D Arcade games.

Racing Team Katagiri Street Version

Racing Team Katagiri Street Version (レーシングチームカタギリ ストリート バージョン, Rēshingu Chīmu Katagiri Sutorīto Bājon, often called R.T. Katagiri S.V.) is a team who is the next opponent for Project D after Team 246. They are also known as "The Second Line". Their homeground is Nagao. The team was named after the real professional racing team, Katagiri.

Name	Car	Section
Kai Kogashiwa	Toyota MR-S S Edition (ZZW30)	Downhill
Hideo Minagawa	Toyota Supra RZ (JZA80)	Uphill

Kai Kogashiwa

Age	19 (20 in 5th Stage)
Sex	Male
Car	Originally drives a Toyota MR2 G-Limited (SW20), later switched to a Toyota MR-S S-Edition (ZZW30)
Year	1994 (SW20)/2001 (ZZW30) (Zenki)
Plate	37-597, classification 58 (SW20)/56-824, classification 500 (ZZW30)
Color	Tropical Blue Metallic (SW20)/Silver Metallic (ZZW30)
Engine	OEM 2.0L 16v VVT-i Red Top SW20 MR2 3S-GE (SW20), Techno Pro Spirits 1.8L 16v VVTL-i TODA ITB ZZT231 Celica 2ZZ-GE (ZZW30)
Custom Parts (SW20)	Twin Sports Mufflers and TRD Alumi-K Wheels
Custom Parts (ZZW30)	C-ONE Body Parts, C-ONE SA-90 wheels (black), Techno Pro Spirit Tuning Package, C-ONE 6-Speed Crossed Mission w/ 4.6 Final Drive, Nardi Classic Steering Wheel, C-ONE Carbon Fiber Hood, C-ONE Mid Engine Hood, Toyota Detachable Hard Top, C-ONE GT Wing, C-ONE Performance Muffler
Japanese Voice Actor	Nobutoshi Canna
English Voice Actor	Will Short

Kai Kogashiwa (小柏 カイ, Kogashiwa Kai) is a street racer from Tochigi, and a son to a legendary Downhill ace and Bunta's rival, Ken. It was Ken who taught Kai the racing world from a young age, participating in karting competitions which made him a specialist in midships (colloquial term for mid engine, rear wheel drive). Before his transition to street racing, Kai was the fastest motorcyclist on Irohazaka. It can be seen that Kai's speciality on Irohazaka is similar to Takumi on Akina as he lives at Lake Chuzenji (which is at the top of Irohazaka) and takes the road during his daily commute to the bottom.

Kai had challenged Takumi on the Emperor's home course of Irohazaka. Kai had defeated Seiji Iwaki of Emperor and wanted to defeat Kyoichi as well, but set his sights on Takumi after Sudo's defeat. Kai uses a trick taught to him by his father to overtake Takumi by jumping a turn in a break in the guard rail on 33rd corner. However, he spins out on the final straightaway after losing traction from landing on leaves on the side of the road and was defeated.

Kai reappears as an opponent for Project D in Kanagawa prefecture. Kai represents the downhill ace for R.T. Katagiri against the Eight-Six. However, he spins out at the last sector costing him the race, just like he did in Irohazaka.

Originally, Kai drives his father's blue SW20 MR2 but later switches to a silver ZZW30 MR-S (3rd Generation MR2 Roadster), leaving the SW20 to his father.

Kai uses parts exclusively from C-ONE to tune his MR-S.

Hideo Minagawa

Age	Unknown
Sex	Male
Car	Toyota Supra RZ-S (JZA80)
Year	1998
Color	Super White II
Plate	81-973, classification 35
Engine	OEM '98 Spec 3.0L 24v VVT-i JZA80 Supra 2JZ-GTE
Custom Parts	BOMEX Type II front under spoiler, BOMEX Type I side step, Toyota OEM rear under spoiler, Advan RC II wheels, Sports muffler
Japanese voice actor	Katsuyuki Konishi

Hideo Minagawa (皆川 英雄, Minagawa Hideo) is a professional racer who represents Racing Team Katagiri as their uphill ace. On Hakone, Minagawa races against Keisuke and decides to go all out in an attempt to pressure Keisuke into making a mistake and capitalize, causing their tires to wear. He concedes the race after lightly tapping Keisuke's rear bumper. His Supra is similar to Keiichiro Aizawa's Monster Supra from Wangan Midnight because they both have similar bodies and the color is similar, but where as his Supra is white, Kei's Supra is silver.

Team Spiral

Based at Hakone Nanamagari, Team Spiral (チーム・スパイラル, Chīmu Supairaru) is the 3rd line in the "4 lines of defense" strategy formulated by team Sidewinder. Their philosophy is tuning a car to bring out its full potential to fit the characteristics and skills of the driver through heavy modification by buying the most expensive tuning parts. Unlike R.T. Katagiri, the members of Team Spiral have no professional racing background and have acquired their near professional level skills from racing in the streets.

Name	Car	Section
Ryuji Ikeda	Nissan Fairlady Z Version ST/350Z (Z33)	Uphill
Hiroya Okuyama	Nissan Silvia Spec R Aero (S15)	Downhill

Ryuji Ikeda

Age	Unknown
Sex	Male
Car	Nissan Fairlady Z Version ST (Z33)
Year	2003
Colour	Burning Red
Plate	69-556, classification 301
Engine	Nismo Light Tune 3.5L 24v VQ35DE + Unknown bolt-on twin turbochargers
Custom Parts	INGS+1 N-Spec Body Parts (Long nose, side step, and rear bumper), INGS+1 Z-Power Wing (Single Low Mount), INGS+1 LX-Sport LM VII wheels (manga and arcade), INGS+1 TS06 (anime), INGS+1 Bonnet I, custom LED tail lamp (manga and anime), Auto Produce Boss Original Titanium 70φ exhaust, T&E Vertex Steering Wheel, Mine's carbon aero mirrors (anime), Roll cage, Front Window Sticker (solid) & Bucket Racing Seats
Japanese voice actor	Kazuya Nakai

Ryuji Ikeda (池田 竜次, Ikeda Ryūji) is the leader of Team Spiral and referred to as Zero. Ikeda's father is a wealthy head priest of a temple and as a result had ample funds to finance his car racing.

Ikeda believes in a theory he created known as "Zero Theory" in which car and driver come together to become a single entity. To do so, a great deal of tuning has to be done to a car in order to match the characteristics of the driver to attain a higher level of racing. Ikeda is an older racer and is very calm and level headed even in the heat of a race. He prepares for races by zoning out. When asked by Junichi Sakamoto, the number 2 driver of Team Spiral, what he thinks about when zoning out, Ikeda replies with "I don't think about anything. It's how I empty my mind and focus."

Shortly before Team Spiral's race with Project D, Ikeda is challenged to an unofficial race by Rin Hojo. Ikeda is pushed to his limits and bows out of the race in an attempt to prevent any damage to his car before the race with Project D. During the race with Project D, he remains in a confident position until he reaches a section of the track where it had been fogged over. This makes Ikeda hesitate, which goes against his zero theory. Keisuke, with assistance from Kenta, passes Ikeda at the start of a higher speed section near the end.

Ikeda would later watch the race between Rin Hojo's Shinigami GT-R and Ryosuke Takahashi's FC3S, driving his Z33 to stay behind the two. However, after Rin decides to go kamikaze on Ryosuke, both he (Ryosuke) and Ikeda would use their cars (Ryosuke in his FC and Ikeda in his Z33) to buffer Rin's GT-R and slow it down before crashing a toll booth.

Hiroya Okuyama

Age	Unknown
Sex	Male
Car	Nissan Silvia Spec R Aero (S15)
Plate	16-801, classification 501
Year	2000
Colour	Brilliant Blue
Engine	OEM 2.0L 16v S15 SR20DET + Boost Up w/ Normal Turbine
Custom Parts	GP-Sports Zero-One Wide Body Kit (with G-Sonic rear diffuser), GP Sports 3D GT Wing, GP Sports Gullflame Wheels (white) & GP Sports Exas Evo Tune Muffler
Japanese voice actor	Shūhei Sakaguchi

Hiroya Okuyama (奥山 広也, Okuyama Hiroya) is the number 2 driver of Team Spiral. Okuyama too believes in Ikeda's "Zero Theory" and is disappointed when he won't be able to use his car's full potential due to the fog. Okuyama, unlike Ikeda is very arrogant and confident in his abilities, thus making him the red oni to Ikeda's blue. He also refuses to greet Project D upon meeting them. His battle against Takumi is raced in the team's first fog battle, but the result was similar to Takumi's battle against Nobuhiko of the Saitama Alliance: Takumi used half his potential until the first hairpin, where he left Okuyama behind.

Okuyama modifies his S15 by exclusively using parts from GP Sports.

Junichi Sakamoto

Age	19/20
Sex	Male
Car	Unknown
Japanese voice actor	Kōsuke Okano

Junichi Sakamoto (坂本 順一, Sakamoto Jun'ichi) is the number 3 driver of Team Spiral. It is not known what car he drives and is only briefly seen talking to Ikeda before his race with Keisuke.

Sidewinder

Sidewinder (サイドワインダー, Saidowaindā) is a highly skilled team that organized the "4 lines of defense". Their home course is the Tsubaki Line, but the nearby Toyo Turnpike maybe part of their home territory (Ryosuke's battle with Rin Hojo was raced there). There are many rumors that they might be the "fourth line" or the last team in Kanagawa that Project D will compete with. In the storyline this team is trying to analyze Project D's weaknesses. They collect information by watching Project D during their practices and races.

Name	Car	Section
Go Hojo	Honda NSX (NA1)	Uphill
Shinji Inui	Toyota Sprinter Trueno GT-APEX Coupe (AE86, 2-Door)	Downhill
Rin Hojo	Nissan Skyline GT-R V-Spec II (BNR32)	Downhill

Go Hojo

Age	23-25?
Sex	Male
Car	Honda NSX (NA1)
Year	1991
Colour	Formula Red
Plate	40-298, classification 39
Engine	OEM NA1 '91 Spec 3.0L 24v VTEC C30A
Custom Parts	ADVANCE Flatout GT Wide Body Kit with rear side cowl, ADVANCE Flatout GT Titanium Muffler, ADVANCE Flatout GT aero bonnet, ADVANCE Flatout GT Wing, BBS LM (gold) rims, '99 NSX NA2 Type S ABS, '92 NSX NA1 Type R Final Drive (4.235) & '99 NSX NA2 Type S Drive-By Wire system
Japanese Voice Actor	Hidenobu Kiuchi

Go Hojo (北条 豪, Hōjō Gō) is the Chief Driver of this team. He seems to know Ryosuke Takahashi quite well, despite not having any past connections or quarrels with Ryosuke. Instead, he knows him through his elder brother, Rin, alluding to a girl named Kaori. He serves as the main antagonist of Initial D Fifth Stage and in the manga chapters.

Go helps the chief mechanic of Sidewinder named Eiji Kubo to evaluate Project D's weaknesses. He loses the race after spinning out while chasing Keisuke due to wearing out his rear tires.

Shinji Inui

Age	15
Sex	Male
Car	Toyota Sprinter Trueno GT-APEX (AE86, 2-Door Coupe)
Year	1986 (Kouki)
Colour	High-Tech Two-Tone
Plate	12-186, classification 57
Engine	1.6L Mecha-Tune Balanced, Port and Polish 16v Bluetop AE86 4A-GEU
Custom Parts	Cusco 7-Point Bolt-On Roll Bar, RS Watanabe Eight-Spoke rims (black), Toyota OEM Rear Spoiler, TRD Sports Muffler, OEM AE101 Throttle Bodies, Black Valve Cover, TODA Cams (272/272), TRD 0.8mm Gasket, TODA Cam Pulleys, TODA Air Intake, Tomei Pistons, TODA Conn. Rods, TODA Header, FREEDOM ECU, TODA Timing Belt, TRD Plug Wires, TODA Valves, OEM AE111 Forged Crankshaft, & AE92 Kouki Redtop Block.
Japanese Voice Actor	Atsushi Abe

Shinji Inui (乾 信司, Inui Shinji) makes his debut during Project D's battle against Team Spiral, where he is seen spectating the race between Takumi and Hiroya and imagines Takumi AE86 having white bird wings. Shinji is a member of Sidewinder and therefore second driver of this team and one of Go Hojo's henchmen. Shinji appears to be a boy (possibly younger than Takumi) but seems very intelligent. He knows Hakone's roads very well due to his experience with his mother (Voiced by: Yuka Hirose) taking him on a frequent trip to Hakone when he was young.

He serves as a minor antagonist of Fifth Stage, and the main antagonist in Final Stage and the final manga chapters. Shinji's car is the notchback coupe variant of the AE86 Trueno (not to be confused with Takumi's Eight-Six). He is the fourth character to drive a Toyota AE86 model, after the fake Takumi's Trueno AE86. During the race, Shinji basically was overtook by Takumi using his blind attack before regaining the lead by bumping on the door of the AE86 several times, and saw the AE86 wings again in his imagination after Takumi used another blind attack on him before regaining another lead. Shinji lost to Takumi, due to both cars spinning out. With the tires of Takumi's 86 locking up, it sent Takumi's 86 into a spin. Shinji had no choice but to follow. At this moment, with the experience gained from the engine blow in Akagi when going against the Evo III, Takumi instinctively presses on the clutch, freeing up the tires and regained control of the 86 momentarily. However, Takumi was going in reverse with inertia alone. Shinji, on the other hand, lacked actual dogfight experience and didn't know what to do, spinning a full 360 degree, causing him to lose more momentum than Takumi did. Takumi won by crossing the finish line backwards with his 86. Shinji's 86 ended up facing the finish line after the 360 spin. After the race in Final Stage, Shinji apologized to Hojo, Kubo, and his mother that he wasn't able to win for them. But they're weren't angry at him at all, and said that he had done enough for the team and glad that he returned safely after the fierce battle.

Rin Hojo

Age	26
Sex	Male
Car	Nissan Skyline GT-R V-Spec II (BNR32)
Year	1994
Plate	37-564, classification 33
Colour	Gun Gray Metallic
Engine	HKS Step 2 2.6L 24v R32 V-Spec II RB26DETT + HKS Turbine (650PS)
Custom Parts	Nismo S-Tune Painted Front Lip Spoiler (with R32 N1 air intakes), 3D GT wing, roll cage, large racing muffler, OEM R33 GT-R wheels (both front and rear in anime, front only in manga & arcade), Work Meister S1 rear wheels (Manga & Arcade)
Japanese voice actor	Yuichi Nakamura

Rin Hojo (北条 凛, Hōjō Rin), known as "Shinigami", is Go Hojo's elder brother and a legendary driver of Kanagawa. Rin has had a long-standing feud with Ryosuke because of a girl named Kaori, who was the former's arranged fiancee at the time. Kaori would commit suicide after Rin verbally abuses her, claiming that she'll regret rejecting him when she and her family will be ruined. After this event, Rin left the racing scene and became a recluse, locking himself in his home for years, before making a surprising return and racing (unofficially) against Team Spiral's leader, Ikeda. Rin is an extremely skilled driver who utilizes a dangerous driving style.

He races against Ryosuke so as to make him pay for a past incident involving Kaori by trying to push him off the road. This severely backfires as Ryosuke manages to shake off Rin's attacks, resulting on serious brake problems on his GT-R. Rin decides to do a "kamikaze" as his last final attack on Ryosuke. To prevent him and Ryosuke from crashing at a toll booth, both Ryosuke and Ikeda (who had been spectating from behind) use their cars to buffer Rin's BNR32 to slow it down. Kaori's presence was felt by both Ryosuke and Rin during the attempt. Fortunately, Rin's car was indeed stopped and the whole race managed to bring closure of Kaori's death to Rin. He knew Ryosuke felt his pain. His R32 Skyline GT-R is almost similar to Takeshi Nakazato's, but whilst Rin's GT-R is dark gray with major modifications, Takeshi's GT-R is black with minor modifications.

Eiji Kubo

Age	40s
Sex	Male
Car	Unknown
Japanese Voice Actor	Yasuyuki Kase

Eiji Kubo (久保 英次, Kubo Eiji) is the Chief Mechanic of Sidewinder. Kubo appears to have a high amount of knowledge about a car's performance and capabilities as well as race theories. He can make very precise anticipations as he did during Project D races against Team 246. As seen in the manga, Kubo has been entrusted to analyze and evaluate Project D's weaknesses.

Other characters

Natsuki Mogi

Age	18
Sex	Female
Japanese voice actor	Ayako Kawasumi (main series), Maaya Uchida (2014 film)
English voice actor	Kat Cressida (Tokyopop dub), Brina Palencia (Funimation dub)
Actress	Anne Suzuki

Natsuki Mogi (茂木 なつき, Mogi Natsuki, "Natalie") is a schoolmate of Takumi who takes an interest in him as a friend and potential love interest. Prior to the series' First Stage, she breaks up with her boyfriend Miki, but engages in enjo kosai (subsidized dating) with a middle-aged man nicknamed "Papa", who drives a white Mercedes. In the manga, when Takumi eventually learns that Natsuki and "Papa" have been sleeping together, he challenges and suffers his only official loss to Team Emperor. The live-action movie concludes where Takumi discovers the two coming out of a love hotel.

After the discovery, Natsuki tries to free herself from her stained past. She ends her relationship with "Papa" and then tries to reconcile with Takumi; in the manga, she even takes a part-time job at the gas station. The status of her relationship with Takumi is somewhat unclear at this point: in volume 17 of the manga (and at the end of 3rd Stage), she and Takumi appear to mutually break up as they are going their separate ways. In the first episode of 4th Stage in a flashback sequence where she and Takumi promise to find each other again. She is working hard to enter a university in Tokyo.

Yuichi Tachibana

Age	42[4] (43 in stage 4)
Sex	Male
Car	Toyota Camry (V40)
Color	Black Mica
Japanese voice actor	Tomomichi Nishimura
English voice actor	Michael McConnohie (Tokyopop dub), Chuck Huber (Funimation dub)
Actor	Kenny Bee

Yuichi Tachibana (立花 祐一, Tachibana Yūichi, "Boss") is the boss of the gas station that Takumi worked in. An old friend of Bunta and a racer in his youth, Yuichi acts like a father figure to the Akina Speed Stars.

His Toyota Camry appears in the first episode of the Initial D First Stage anime while Takumi (assumed to be Bunta by Yuichi) passes Yuichi on a run down Mt. Akina.

Saori

Age	17
Sex	Female
Japanese voice actor	Orine Fukushima
English voice actor	Colleen O'Shaughnessey (Tokyopop dub), Jamie Marchi (Funimation dub)

Saori (沙織) is a character who appeared only in First Stage and was Itsuki's first love interest. She would later break up with him after being involved in a car accident caused by Shingo, who mistook Itsuki's 85 for Takumi's 86. Itsuki negligently engaged in a downhill battle with Shingo while Saori (still in the vehicle) pleaded with him to stop. The reason for the breakup was that if she stayed with Itsuki, her memories of the accident would come back to haunt her, so it would be better to break it off completely.

Shiraishi

Age	18
Sex	Female

Shiraishi (白石) is Natsuki's classmate who revealed to Takumi that Natsuki was engaged in an Enjo-Kosai affair to an old man in Benz who is her "papa", as her way to earn a living and pay her debt. She informed Takumi on the phone as she cried. She is a manga-only character, and has never appeared in the anime. She does however makes an appearance in New Initial D Movie Legend 1. She wears glasses and has black hair tied in pigtails.

Tsugumi

Tsugumi (緒美) is a female cousin of Ryosuke and Keisuke Takahashi. She is a middle school girl, and has fought with Keisuke before. Neither her family nor her last name is revealed, but it is speculated to be "Takahashi".

Masashi Suzuki

Age	40s
Sex	Male
Japanese voice actor	Koji Ishii
English voice actor	Kirk Thornton (Tokyopop dub), Bob Carter (FUNimation dub)

Masashi Suzuki (鈴木 政志, Suzuki Masashi) is a mechanic with an incredible list of connections that enables Bunta to get even the most outrageous car parts from him, including the engine that he and Bunta installed in the AE86: a TRD tuned Group A Silvertop 20V 4A-GE from an AE101 race car, a replacement for the Trueno's original 4A-GE engine after Takumi blows it in a run against Kyoichi. After handing down the Trueno to Takumi, Masashi was entrusted by Bunta to find him a "suitable" car for him, and as a result he finds him the GC8V (Coupe) Subaru Impreza WRX STi Version V.

Tsukamoto

Age	20
Sex	Male
Car	Nissan 180SX Type II (RS13U)
Year	1989
Custom Parts	180SX Type R bumper
Engine	OEM 1.8L 16v S13 CA18DET

Tsukamoto (塚本) is a minor character that appears in the manga around the time of Takumi's race against Kyoichi of Emperor. Tsukamoto was a high school senior when Takumi and Natsuki were freshmen, but now he is mildly involved with the street racing scene in Akagi. Although he believes that his skills are extreme, they are in fact far from it. He soon experiences real extreme driving when Takumi drives his 180SX down Akagi after a request by Natsuki to pass a cocky couple in a Silvia S13, leading to Tsukamoto fainting.

Miyahara

Age	Unknown
Sex	Male
Car	Toyota MR2 (SW20)
Color	Super Red II
Engine	OEM 2.0L 16v Greytop VVT-i 3S-GE
Plate	95-593, classification 58
Japanese voice actor	Tomoyuki Shimura
English voice actor	Yuri Lowenthal (Tokyopop dub), Regan Adair (Funimation dub)

Miyahara (宮原) is a character that appeared in Extra Stage, who encountered Mako during a vacation at a ski resort. He had minor interest in racing and planned to replace his car with a more practical family mover. He developed an affection to Mako and asked her to quit racing and settle down, but she invited him to sit with her in the SilEighty, where she drove hard, implying that she still wanted to race.

Iketani's mom

Age	Unknown
Sex	Female
Japanese voice actor	Kyoko Terase

Koichiro Iketani's unnamed mother appears in Initial D: Extra Stage 2. She was the one who met Mako and Sayuki.

Voice on the Phone to Bunta in Stage 1, Ep23

The voice on the phone to Bunta in Stage 1, Ep23 is actually a cameo by Keiichi Tsuchiya, who is considered the father of Drift and who is on the technical advisory crew for the anime series. In the second episode of First Stage, the SpeedStars drivers are shown watching and chatting over his Best Motoring Video Special, "Tsuchiya Keiichi Super Drift Technique!" or known as Drift Bible, a beginner's guide to drift. Takumi buys Tsuchiya's Best Motoring Video Special Vol. 41 video in Third Stage. In the English dub, Tsuchiya is voiced by Neil Kaplan in the Tokyopop dub and Kyle Hebert in the Funimation dub, while in the Japanese version, Tsuchiya is voiced by himself.

Kazumi Akiyama

Age	19 (20 in stage 4)
Sex	Female
Japanese voice actor	Ryoka Yuzuki
English voice actor	Melissa Fahn (Tokyopop dub), Cherami Leigh (Funimation dub)

Kazumi Akiyama (秋山 和美, Akiyama Kazumi, "Carrie") is Wataru's younger sister. She was Itsuki's second love interest after Saori "left" him. She is an impatient girl that came to Gunma from Saitama to work in her aunt's inn, but left due to being framed by a senior worker (in 2nd Stage). Kazumi appeared in 4th Stage in Saitama with Wataru against the race with Project D, then after she started spending some time with Itsuki and she reveals she broke up with a working adult man then after she patched up with him again (after he begged for her forgiveness), leaving Itsuki heartbroken.

Ken Kogashiwa

Age	40+, possibly similar to Bunta
Sex	Male
Car	Toyota MR2 G-Limited (SW20)
Year	Same as Kai Kogashiwa
Color	Same as Kai Kogashiwa
Plate	Same as Kai Kogashiwa
Custom Parts	Same as Kai Kogashiwa
Engine	Same as Kai Kogashiwa
Japanese voice actor	Kinryu Arimoto
English voice actor	Bruce Carey

Ken Kogashiwa (小柏 健, Kogashiwa Ken) is Kai's father and Bunta's lifelong rival when Bunta was still racing with the AE86 Trueno. Ken was defeated multiple times by Bunta, and it still seems to be a sore spot for him.

Miki

Age	20-21
Sex	Male
Car	Toyota Celica GT-Four (ST205)
Year	1998
Color	Black
Engine	OEM 2.0L 16v ST205 Celica 3S-GTE
Custom Parts	C-ONE Performance Muffler, Unknown 6-spoke wheels (white), C-ONE aero bonnet, C-ONE rear spoiler
Japanese voice actor	Wataru Takagi (First Stage), Takumi Yamazaki (Third Stage, Arcade Stage 8 ∞)
English voice actor	Chris Ayres

Miki (御木) is a senior in the football (soccer) club of the school that Takumi attended and the main antagonist in 3rd stage the movie. He drives a Celica GT-Four (ST205). In 1st Stage, Takumi punched him in the changing rooms for bragging about his sexual exploits with Natsuki, during the time when Takumi was ignorant of the truth. In 3rd stage, during winter, he kidnaps Natsuki and forces her to come to Lake Akina with him. His plans are foiled by Takumi who gets Natsuki's call for help and chases Miki with his Trueno until he spins out on the snow and Natsuki escapes from his Celica. Although he drives a Celica, he isn't a rival to Takumi when racing, but is an opponent in Initial D Arcade Stage Version 3 and a playable in Arcade Stage 8 Infinity.

Two Guys From Tokyo

Age	Unknown
Sex	Both Male
Car	Nissan Silvia Spec R (S15)
Year	1999
Plate	34-628, classification 55
Engine	OEM 2.0L 16v S15 SR20DET (250 PS)
Custom Parts	Bucket Racing Seats and Nissan S15 Muffler
Color	Sparkling Silver Metallic
Japanese voice actor	Koji Ishii (Otaku 1), Makoto Higo (Otaku 2)
English voice actor	Sonny Strait (Otaku 1), Craig Dvorak (Otaku 2)

A pair of unnamed racers originally from Tokyo, the capital of Japan. During a visit to the Gunma area, they chance upon Itsuki and Iketani while they are driving up to the top of Mt. Akina. They appear out of nowhere with their Nissan Silvia S15 and quickly blow by both cars. When Itsuki and friends reach the top and check out the newly installed turbo in his 85, the duo reappear in their S15. They begin making insults about Itsuki's car and gloat about the experience they've obtained by racing on circuit tracks. Iketani tells them to get lost. The duo gets in and waits for Iketani to descend the mountain to force him into a race to defend his honor as a racer. The S15 passes Iketani relatively quickly but is subsequently overtaken by Takumi driving Itsuki's 85 after attempting to use their signature maneuver, dubbed the "Ultra Super Late Braking". Being passed by such a "lowly" car persuaded them to stop picking any more battles with the local racers.

The Bosozoku Gang Leader

Age	Unknown
Sex	Male
Car	Nissan Cima (FY33) (Manga), Toyota Celsior (UCF10) (Anime)
Year	1998 (Cima)/1994 (Celsior)
Engine	4.1L 32v VH41DE (Cima), 4.0L 32v 1UZ-FE (Celsior)
Custom Parts	Unknown (but they refer to VIP style tuners such as Impul)
Color	Sparkling Silver Metallic (Cima), Super Silver III Metallic (Celsior)
Japanese voice actor	Tomoyuki Shimura
English voice actor	Bob Carter

Based in Gunma Prefecture, the Bosozoku Gang Leader is also Keisuke Takahashi's old friend, as Keisuke was a gang leader himself at one point. This gang appears in Tsuchisaka as the men in Evo V and Evo VI, defeated by Project D, called them to beat them up as a favor. This greatly backfires as they end up turning on their would-be employers.

Imposter Project D

Age	Unknown
Sex	Both Male
Car	Toyota Sprinter Trueno GT-APEX Coupe (AE86, 3-Door Liftback) and Mazda Ẽfini RX-7 Type R (FD3S)
Year	1986 (Fake Takumi) & 1991 (Fake Keisuke)
Color	High-Tech Two-Tone (AE86), Competition Yellow Mica (FD3S)
Engine	OEM 1.6L 16v Bluetop 4A-GEU (Fake Takumi), OEM 1.3L 2-Rotor 13B-REW (Fake Keisuke)
Custom Parts (Fake Takumi)	Unknown 12-spoke 4-bolt wheels (silver) and Fake Project D sticker
Custom Parts (Fake Keisuke)	Same as Kyoko Iwase with Fake Project D sticker
Plate	29-679, classification 500 (Fake Takumi); 81-431, classification 300 (Fake Keisuke)
Japanese voice actor	Anri Katsu (Fake Takumi), Hirokazu Miura (Fake Keisuke)

The Imposter Project D (ニセプロジェクトD, Nise-Purojekuto Dī) are two guys that pose as Takumi and Keisuke and are minor villains in 5th Stage and the manga. These imposters go around living off Project D's success. They talk down to people that ask them questions, gloat about their "skills" and try to pick up women. Their antics are quickly put to an end when they are confronted by the real members of Project D and were humiliated.

Mika Uehara

Age	17
Sex	Female
Japanese voice actor	Saori Hayami

Mika Uehara (上原 美佳, Uehara Mika) is Takumi's love interest during the latter part of the Project D story arc. When the Fake Takumi blows off her best friend Tomoko, she gets angry and decides to confront Takumi about it (not knowing it wasn't the real Takumi that did it). She takes the train out to Yuichi's gas station and asks to see Takumi; when he arrives, she slaps him hard in the face. Bewildered to why she did this, Mika tells her story to Takumi and his friends. They in turn ask Mika to send a photo of Takumi via cell phone to her friend to confirm if the real Takumi was the guy that blew her off. She comes to find out from her friend that the real Takumi had nothing to do with it. Later, Takumi drives out to Saitama (where she lives) to see her. She apologizes for her previous actions and they talk for several hours. After exposing the imposters, the Fake Takumi apologizes to Mika's friend. Mika thanks Takumi and they continue to see each other as the story progresses.

Mika is a senior in high school and is exceptionally talented at playing golf. Her father has raised her to play golf early in life the same way that Bunta raised Takumi to drive early in his life.

Kaori

Age	Unknown
Sex	Female
Japanese Voice Actor	Aya Endo

Kaori (香織) was Rin Hojo's arranged fiance at the time. Kaori would commit suicide after Rin verbally abuses her, claiming that she'll regret rejecting him when she and her family will be ruined.

References

Initial D by Shuichi Shigeno Series Chapters Episodes Characters 2005 film New Initial D the Movie Video games Arcade Stage Arcade Stage 4 Street Stage Extreme Stage