Initial D Excite Battle Special

Initial D Excite Battle Special (頭文字D エキサイト バトル スペシャル Inisharu D Ekisaito Batoru Supesharu) is a behind-the-scenes "making of" special for Initial D First Stage that aired on October 1st, 1998, alongside First Stage - Act 20.

Contents
The special is broken up into different battles, covering the four major battles that had been featured in the series at time of release. Each section features a recap of the battle, alongside a breakdown of the battle by Keiichi Tsuchiya and Takashi Nojima. The special is narrated by Osamu Hosoi, the narrator for the anime, as well as the voice actor of Fumihiro.

Also featured are interviews with the voice actors about their respective characters. Another section is dedicated to NEST, the CGI division of Studio Pastel, and how they made the 3D sections featured in the show, as well as several problems they faced. A segment about music is featured, with interviews with Masafumi Mima, m.o.v.e, and Galla.

Several sections feature Keiichi Tsuchiya driving in an Eight-Six, including a section where he duct-tapes his hand to the steering wheel to show the difficulty of the battle with Shingo. A later part features Shinichiro Miki (Takumi Fujiwara), Yumi Kakazu (Sayuki) and Michiko Neya (Mako Sato) talking with Tsuchiya, before they are shown drifting with him.

Release
The Excite Battle Special was first aired on Fuji TV on October 1st 1998, before the airing of Act 20 of First Stage. It was later released on the Initial D DVD Box in 2001.