Shinji Inui drives downhill for Sidewinder and seems to be one of the younger racers in the series—possibly even younger than Takumi. Despite his age, he's got a sharp mind that belies his appearance.
What's interesting about Shinji is how much he mirrors Takumi's story. Like Takumi, he has basically zero interest in racing itself, yet he'd been behind the wheel for years before he ever got his license. It's just something he did, not something he aspired to.
He pilots a notchback coupe AE86 Trueno that belonged to his late father—a car with its own history and weight. Fans often note the distinction between his Eight-Six and Takumi's more famous version; they're different enough that mixing them up would miss the point. Technically, Shinji becomes the third driver in the series to pilot a Toyota AE86, following after Wataru's Levin AE86.
Content compiled by AnimeList.moe from publicly available sources.
