Itsuki Takeuchi's Toyota Corolla Levin SR (AE85) (known simply as the Eight-Five, or the Eight-Five Turbo) is the only Toyota AE85 shown in Initial D. Itsuki purchases the car believing it to be a Corolla Levin AE86, after being inspired by Takumi Fujiwara and his own AE86.
Inspired by Takumi Fujiwara's victories against Keisuke Takahashi and Takeshi Nakazato, Itsuki purchases himself a Levin. This car arrives five days after the battle with Takeshi, with Itsuki keeping it a secret until the day it arrives, to surprise his friends. After turning on the engine, Kenji and Iketani note that the car doesn't sound as it should. After popping the hood, Yuichi inspects the engine and comes to the conclusion that the Eight-Six Levin that Itsuki thought he owned is actually an Eight-Five. With this revelation, the other members of the SpeedStars burst out in laughter, expressing amazement that he even found an Eight-Five. This causes Itsuki to run away, with Takumi following to console him, explaining that he is actually envious of Itsuki for having a car of his own. In an effort to cheer him up, Takumi agrees to go up Mt. Akina with Itsuki that evening. The two are confronted by several members of the Myogi NightKids (members of Thunder Fire in the anime), who mock the Eight-Five before leaving. Takumi drives Itsuki's Eight-Five on Akina's downhill, outrunning the racers, which leaves Itsuki proud of his car, saying that any car can run decently with enough skill.
Exclusively in First Stage, Itsuki drove his Eight-Five on the double date with him and Saori, Takumi and Natsuki Mogi. Itsuki also used the Eight-Five for his other date with Saori, and ended up crashing his car when he was attacked by Shingo Shoji on the drive home. This caused him to never see Saori again, as well as meaning he wasnt present for the battle between Takumi and Shingo. In the manga however, Itsuki was on Mt. Akina with his Eight-Five when Shingo and Takumi started their battle. Later on, Takumi secretly swaps out his Eight-Six with the Eight-Five so that he can go and raceImpact Blue on Usui Pass, shocking Bunta and making him think that his Eight-Six has been turned into an Eight-Five. During a drive on Akina, where Itsuki was trying to improve his skills with Takumi as a passenger, Itsuki is passed by Seiji Iwaki's Evo IV, which had previously been seen during Takumi's battle with Kenta Nakamura.
After Takumi's defeat against Kyoichi Sudo, Itsuki chooses against attending the race between Kyoichi and Ryosuke Takahashi to instead go up to Akina in his Eight-Five with Takumi, attempting to console him because of the loss of his car and engine. Soon after, Itsuki meets Kazumi Akiyama, the sister of Wataru Akiyama, the driver of an Eight-Six Levin. Itsuki admires Wataru and his turbo Levin, and puts him in contact with Takumi when he is searching for Gunma's undefeated Eight-Six. Itsuki and Kazumi spend a night up on the mountain, with the two of them sleeping in the Eight-Five, because of a bad experience with a customer at her job. Because she had spent the night away from her job, she is forced to go back to Saitama. Itsuki drives Kazumi to the train station in his Levin, with them parting ways. During the winter, Itsuki puts studded tires on his car, enabling his car to have more grip on the snowy roads. Him and Iketani go up to Akina one evening, where Itsuki practices drifting in the snow.
The Eight-Five Turbo[]
Itsuki and Takumi meet up at Lake Akina to talk about work life. Itsuki plans to use his pay check to get himself a loan so that he can buy a Turbo for his Eight-Five. After Project D's battles with the Todo School, Itsuki finally gets the bolt-on turbo fitted to his car, with him, Takumi and the rest of the SpeedStars going up to Akina to test it out. At the top of Akina, the Eight-Five Turbo is mocked by two racers that had passed the SpeedStars on their way up the mountain. The two racers park their S15 nearby, waiting to be passed before initiating a battle. Iketani goes first, however he makes Takumi follow behind in the Eight-Five as insurance in case he loses. Takumi passes the S15 in a corner, after the driver performs a circuit braking technique.
After the second round of battles between Project D and the Northern Saitama Alliance, Itsuki reconnects with Kazumi, with the two of them spending some time together. The two of them go up to Maze Pass, with Kazumi coaching Itsuki's driving. They later meet up again, with Itsuki allowing Kazumi to drive his Eight-Five, however one of the tires on the Eight-Five bursts, with Itsuki having to replace it. On another date, Itsuki and Kazumi spend some time at a zoo, before going to a café. Again, Kazumi tells Itsuki that she doesn't want to go home, with Itsuki suggesting that they should go to a hotel. Kazumi admits to having had a boyfriend until recently, when suddenly Wataru pulls up, along with her ex-boyfriend. Kazumi then gets back with her ex, after Itsuki tells her to follow her heart.
After Project D's battles with Purple Shadow, Itsuki and Takumi drive out in the Eight-Five to Saitama. In Saitama they discover a pair of Project D impostors, using Project D's image to get women and enjoy a few minutes of fame. Imposter Takumi mocked the Eight-Five upon confrontation. He eventually shooed them off after their schemes were discovered.
The Levin is fitted with a 1.5L litre, 8 valve 3A-U. It made around 80PS[3] and revved at 5600RPM. It is later fitted with a bolt-on turbo with front mount intercooler, and some other basic modifications, increasing its power to 150PS[4].
Itsuki and his Eight-Five as seen on the official Initial D Website
Trivia[]
Prior the turbo kit upgrade, Itsuki's AE85 was the weakest car in the series. However after the turbo upgrade, the vehicle made 150PS[4] with Sakamoto's Suzuki Cappuccino taking it's place of being the car with the least horsepower in the series.
Itsuki's AE85 was also the only car in the series to make less than 100PS before the turbo upgrade.
.png){kind=link}
