An English subtitled version of the film series (renamed Freeway Speedway) was released on DVD in North America in 2004[1] due to commercial success of popular Hollywood films like The Fast and The Furious ("before there was The Fast And The Furious, there was Freeway Speedway" is a quote appearing on the fourth DVD).

Though also available in Hong Kong, the DVD edition was not released in Japan since the series is still banned and the last episode unreleased yet.

Before they were banned from doing so, car magazines freely covered illegal races, but in the mid 1990s, Western media started to report about the Bōsōzoku and in the 2000s a popular American street racing video game series was named after them, as Midnight Club.

The series became a semi biographical piece about him, partially about his experience as a hashiriya (native term for "street racer") and that when he quit to go professional racing.

It was also a source of inspiration for Hong Kong cinema's Legend of Speed and western video games like the Midnight Club series as well Hollywood films such as The Fast and the Furious.

However, in order to break the record of the Shuto Expressway, you need to have "luck" in addition to a high-powered street-machine and driving technique.

Yamanaka Takahiro (Silvia K's (S13)) breaks the street course record of his friend Toshiro Junichi (Skyline RS-X (R30)).

Junichi's fiancee had bought a Skyline GT-R (R32) as a wedding present, and gives this to Taka, on condition he never street races again.

Takahiro, overtakes Tsuchiya, in the final corner of the race, with Nozomi, Junichi's widow, waving the checkered flag as they cross the finish line.

Kyōhei is still haunted by that devastating crash that occurred on the Expressway a few years ago, which caused him to leave street racing.

After witnessing this, Kyōhei asked Yūsuke to quit street racing in which the later replied that beating his record was the only thing for him.

When Kyōhei hears his old rival, Yūsuke has crashed on the freeway while racing the unknown Supra, permanently blinding himself in the process, Kyōhei (R32) returns to the Megalopolis Express Freeway for one last street race to avenge Yūsuke.

Toshihiko chose to race on the streets because he knows his brother Keiichi won't be able to see it by the time he went pro.

During the movie, several side racing action evolves, including a white RX-7 (FC3S) versus a yellow 180SX (RS13), as well as the black Supra Twin Turbo R (JZA70), which was beaten by the red GT-R (BNR32) by a margin in the 0-400m (Zero-Yon) street drag race, and making the latest tuning magazine cover.

He then challenges another racer named Miyajima in a yellow R32 Nissan Skyline GTR, the result being Yusuke totaling his vehicle.

Along the way he acquires a new red Mazda RX-7 (FD3S) and later has a rematch with Miyajima who inevitably ends up in a fatal accident before the race could finish.

Being blamed for inadvertently killing Miyajima, Yusuke looks to redeem himself against Keiichi Tsuchiya, but pesters him further to race on the expressways which results in an altercation.

Tsuchiya Keiichi (NSX Type R) tells his mechanic Kazuki (also Shikiba's friend) he must give up street racing.

Tsuchiya tells him street racing is useless, and if he can't make it on the track, he's unfit for the wheel.

Shikiba finally returns home two days after the race to find Sendo staying with his sister.

• Akira Sudou's song "愛が眠れない (Love Can't Sleep)" from her 1996 album "パンドラ (Pandora)" is used midway in the film and during the ending.