Toyota makes its own Initial D inspired anime with 'GRIP'

GRIP: Autonomous vehicles vs humans in GR models

There’s another anime series to watch out for. And much like Initial D and MF Ghost, a Toyota… or rather Toyotas, are the hero cars.

The Japanese carmaker has made its entry into the animated series with “GRIP: A Toyota Story”, and it has indeed an interesting plot story. If anything, the plot looks like Toyota is giving a subtle dig against self-driving vehicles, as they portray their cars along with the protagonists as “the last hope for the spirit of driving”.

Toyota says GRIP “is a high-octane original anime series that combines heart-pounding action, adrenaline-fueled races, and a battle between human spirit and computer control”. It features protagonist Jae Kang in his Toyota GR Corolla taking on primary antagonist Dr. Aron Synth, the evil of soulless automated driving.

The series also features the GR86 and the GR Supra driven by the supporting characters. Toyota claims the GRIP series is heavily inspired by Initial D and MF Ghost. Much like the two anime series, GRIP has Master Rugu - a mentor figure that can be likened to Initial D’s Bunta Fujiwara and Takumi in the MF Ghost series.

The trailer of the first episode is already out on Toyota USA’s website, while the series itself will air on February 26 (February 27 in the Philippines).