Hakone

Hakone is where Initial D sends its characters once the story moves beyond their home mountains — the turnpike and the older passes stacked across the hills southwest of Tokyo, run as the proving ground for “Project D” against drivers from outside their home turf.

It's also simply one of the most scenic drives within range of the city: real elevation, real camber, long views over Sagami Bay, and on a clear day, Mt. Fuji sitting on the horizon through almost every high-altitude corner. Hakone is a major tourist region too, so traffic and pace vary a lot by time of day — early morning is where the road actually opens up.

It works equally well in either car in our fleet: the Fairlady Z's torque makes the longer straights satisfying, while the 86's balance is happiest in the tighter sections closer to the old pass roads. Most guests end up wanting to drive it in both.