Cyber Formula

http://poster.idvd.cn/poster/2005/10/2005100821492260.jpgIf you're a fan of cars (betting my life that you are) and a fan of anime, but all you could find was Initial D, you need to look deeper, or should I say...early 90's. Cyber Formula is the race series that replaces F1 as the highest level of motorsport in the future, although this show came out when Ayrton Senna and Nigel Mansell were racing. The difference between F1 and Cyber Formula is that the CF cars come with an onboard navigational computer, and the races take place on extremely long roads and futuristic race tracks. CF cars even rally race now.
http://www.toonmax.com/upload/2006/01/20060110140945_f8.jpg

What I like the most about this show is that it's so much more real then half the shows we see about cars. It focuses on driver strategy, reflexes, g-forces, the engineers, the mechanics, the business of the CF teams and their owners. Then it meshes textbook anime right in there. To be honest when I started watching it, it looked a LOT like Speed Racer, but I'm here to tell you, it isn't, even if Knight Schumacher wears a mask like Racer X, it's Cyber Formula with 30+ episodes and around 4 OVA series.
http://www.toycom.net/YUS%20Web/Page%20Elements/Cyber%20Formula/Asurada%20GSX1/Product%20Images/MAP335318%20-%20Asurada%20GSX%203%20LR.jpg
Btw, If you watch the original show, you'll notice Hayato has a much different looking car at first.

I've never heard of it actually... It is an anime right?

Yeah, and so long as I'm on the subject, you're gonna want to check out Capeta also, the most recent kart racing anime. Far more realistic then CF, because it takes place in modern times. It starts with a poor kid Capeta and his father tries to buy him a go kart. When he realizes how much they cost, he builds one from spare parts and a generator engine, little known that Capeta will one day be a Formula 1 race driver (of course the show ends at 40+ eps before he even comes close to F3). Watch his quick progression from 4cycle karts, to 2cycle, and eventually open wheel cars (F2000).

I used to watch CF when I was a kid, makes me think of= F1+Taxi(the way the 406 transforms)
thought you might be interested:http://www.hlj.com/hljlist2/?word2=&series2=Cyber+Formula&btnSearch=Narrow+Search&Dis=-2&GenreCode=Sci&MacroType=All&Maker1=AOS&Scale=24&SeriTxt1=
Not sure if the models themsleves are good, but I've seen a few built... looks sharp when completed.They're 1/24 plastic kits.

I used to watch CF when I was a kid, makes me think of= F1+Taxi(the way the 406 transforms)
thought you might be interested:http://www.hlj.com/hljlist2/?word2=&series2=Cyber+Formula&btnSearch=Narrow+Search&Dis=-2&GenreCode=Sci&MacroType=All&Maker1=AOS&Scale=24&SeriTxt1=
Not sure if the models themsleves are good, but I've seen a few built... looks sharp when completed.They're 1/24 plastic kits.
Hey thanks a lot! Great to meet a fan. Actually, I'm more interested in the video games for the OVAs.