Toyota Recreates Initial D Drift Scene With Real AE86 in New Video
Toyota partnered with Initial D to film an AE86 Corolla Levin drifting on a company test course without spilling a cup of water, marking Tofu Day.
Toyota has partnered with the street racing manga and anime series Initial D to release a video recreating an iconic drifting scene from the franchise, according to animenewsnetwork.com. The video was made to mark the unofficial Tofu Day on October 2, 2026.
In the video, Toyota driver Keizō Katō steers an AE86 Corolla Levin on a company test course while keeping a cup of water from spilling, mimicking Initial D protagonist Takumi Fujiwara. The recreation includes several sound effects and panels taken from the Initial D manga series.
The partnership centers on the AE86 Corolla Levin, the model driven by Takumi Fujiwara in the original story, with Katō performing the no-spill driving demonstration on Toyota's own test course.
Background
Shūichi Shigeno launched the original Initial D manga in Kodansha's Weekly Young Magazine in 1995. The manga spawned several anime series between 1998 and 2014. Shigeno later published a sequel series, MF Ghost, in Young Magazine from 2017 to 2025, and that series inspired an anime in 2023. The MF Ghost anime's staff announced the fourth and final season this past March.
Quick answers
What did Toyota release with Initial D?
Toyota released a video recreating an iconic Initial D drifting scene with a real AE86 Corolla Levin, driven by Keizō Katō on a company test course without spilling a cup of water.
Why did Toyota partner with Initial D?
The partnership celebrates the unofficial Tofu Day on October 2.