Keisuke Takahashi thinks he has seen the spirit of a racer who perished on Mount Akina when a black and white Toyota AE86 passes by his Mazda RX7 on a misty morning. Keisuke organizes the Akagi Red Suns to compete against the neighborhood Akina Speed Stars racing team in an exchange race in an effort to vanquish this phantom. He believes that the contest will make the elusive "Ghost of Akina" appear, giving him the chance to wreak retribution for his earlier loss. Takumi Fujiwara does not share Itsuki Takeuchi's passion for automobiles and racing. He is unable to comprehend the "rush" that racers feel, and any discussion of automobiles makes him think of the tofu deliveries he is responsible for his dad driving a vintage AE86. His early morning regimen involves climbing and descending Mount Akina, where he knows every hairpin, brake, and bend like the back of his hand. The Speed Stars accept the Akagi team's invitation to compete in an exchange race when they show up one evening, only to discover that they have been completely outmatched. The panda-colored AE86 must join the Speed Stars in order for them to have any chance of defeating them. Takumi gets behind the wheel of the AE86 and drives to Mount Akina under some pressure to protect the honor of all racers in Akina.