What’s the Best Vehicle in Anime History?

The world of anime is one that too often goes underappreciated on this here car website. This is a heinous crime, and one I seek to rectify immediately. My holy war begins today, with a question that’s plagued the Earth’s greatest thinkers since time immemorial: What’s the best car in anime history?

In case you missed it:

Cars and anime are tightly linked. Modern viewers can go watch original series like MF Ghost, or see real-life heroes like Keiichi Tsuchiya battle anime stars like Takumi Fujiwara. Car ads even introduce original anime characters now, like Acura’s Chiaki’s Journey series.

The connection goes back a ways, too. One of the earliest anime to hit American shores, arguably the first to make a name for itself, was Speed Racer in the late 1960s. It made enough of a splash to later get its own live-action remake, somehow avoiding the terrible, terrible fate that seems to befall every other live action anime.

But through all those years, what’s the best car from anime? My pick is somewhat of an oddball, not Takumi’s hachiroku or Speed’s Mach 5. No, the best is something better: Akio’s Devil Z from Wangan Midnight. Maybe it’s my own love for the Z, maybe it’s the pure spirit of car culture that runs through Wangan Midnight, but that S30 beats out anything Project D ever faced. Impact Blue’s Sileighty gets second place.

That’s my pick for the best car in anime history, but what’s yours? Leave your responses in the comments below, and we’ll grab our favorites later in the week.