Kyoichi Sudo

Kyoichi Sudo
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 350 hp equipped with a WRC style misfiring system. In his philosophy, a car must have a high power turbo and all-wheel drive.

An old acquaintance of Ryosuke Takahashi of the Akagi RedSuns, Kyoichi is much like Ryosuke: 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 Ryousuke'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 is equivalent to a loss.

He is also a graduate of the racing school, the Todo School.