Mach GoGoGo (1997 TV series)
A 1997 remake of the classic Speed Racer anime.
Mach GoGoGo, also known as New Mach GoGoGo, is a 1997 remake of the 1967 anime series by Tatsunoko Production, the same studio that made the original. It aired on TV Tokyo in 1997 and ran for 34 episodes. A Blu-ray release came out in Japan on April 18, 2017, and Funimation later released it with English subtitles as *Speed Racer: The Next Generation*.
In this version, Rex Racer doesn't run away; instead, he's presumed dead after a crash while testing the Mach 5. His father, Pops, rebuilds the car with a "Safety Seven" system—seven functions marked A through G on the steering wheel. Speed, Rex's younger brother, follows in his footsteps. Trixie is a reporter who befriends Speed, and Spritle is her younger brother (unlike the original where Spritle is Speed's brother). The Japanese version uses different names: the family is the Hibikis, with Go (Speed), Mai Kazami (Trixie), Wataru (Spritle), Daisuke (Pops), and Misuzu (Mom). Episode 20 adds a baby gorilla named Rocky, replacing Chim-Chim. Sabu is replaced by Takumi. The English dub keeps the original *Speed Racer* names but calls the team "Hibiki Motors."
The first 21 episodes form an Earth Grand Prix arc. The next 13 involve time travel: when the Mach 5 hits 555 km/h, Speed and friends are sent to the year 2555, where a blue-skinned alien named Handler rules using a device called the Ezekiel Wheel.
An English dub, *Speed Racer Y2K*, was planned in 1998 with a cover of "Go Speed Racer Go" by the band Sponge, but only the third episode, "Silver Phantom," was dubbed. Another adaptation, *Speed Racer X*, was produced by DIC Entertainment and aired on Nickelodeon's "SLAM!" block in 2002. It was pulled after 13 episodes due to a lawsuit between DIC and Speed Racer Enterprises.
A two-volume manga adaptation ran in *CoroCoro Comic* in 1997, aimed at younger readers. A video game for the Game Boy, developed by TOSE and published by Tomy Corporation, was released only in Japan and supports Super Game Boy.
Quick Facts
- Native Name
- マッハGoGoGo
- Genre
- Action, Racing
- Creator
- Tatsunoko Production
- Director
- Hiroshi Sasagawa (chief) / Hiroyuki Fukushima (1–21) / Tsuneo Tominaga (22–34)
- Executive Producer
- Kenji Yoshida
- Producer
- Yumi Murase (TV Tokyo) / Makiko Iwata / (TV Tokyo) · Minoru Ohno / (Yomiko Advertising) · Masatoshi Yui / (Tatsunoko Pro)
- Developer
- Masaaki Sakurai
- Music
- Michiru Ōshima
- Company
- TV Tokyo / Yomiko Advertising / Tatsunoko Production
- Network
- TXN (TV Tokyo)
- Country
- Japan
- Language
- Japanese
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The series reimagines the original story with key differences. In this version, Rex Racer does not run away but is presumed dead after an accident while testing the Mach 5. His father, Pops, later rebuilds the Mach 5 with a new safety system called 'Safety Seven,' seven functions marked by letters A through G on the steering wheel. Speed, Rex's younger brother, decides to follow in his brother's footsteps. Trixie appears as a reporter who befriends Speed, with Spritle being her younger brother (as opposed to Speed's brother in the original).
In the original Japanese version, character names differ: Gō's surname is Hibiki, and Mai Kazami replaces Trixie (Michi Shimura), with her younger brother Wataru replacing Spritle (Kurio Mifune). Pops is still Daisuke, but Mom Racer is now Misuzu. A baby gorilla named Rocky joins in Episode 20, taking the role of Chim-Chim. Sabu is replaced by Takumi. The first 21 episodes form a story arc focusing on the Earth Grand Prix; the next 13 involve time travel: when the Mach 5 hits 555 km/h, it sends Speed and friends to the year 2555, where a blue-skinned alien named Handler rules and plans to use a device called the Ezekiel Wheel to control time.
Two English adaptations were attempted. In 1998, Speed Racer Enterprises planned Speed Racer Y2K, which featured a cover of the original theme by the rock band Sponge, but only the third episode, 'Silver Phantom,' was dubbed. In 2002, DIC Entertainment produced Speed Racer X, which aired on Nickelodeon's 'SLAM!' block; it was quickly taken off the air after 13 episodes due to a lawsuit between DiC and Speed Racer Enterprises.
Reader's Guide
Mach GoGoGo (1997) represents a notable attempt to revive the Speed Racer franchise for a new generation, produced by the original studio Tatsunoko. Though it ran only 34 of a planned 52 episodes, it introduced significant narrative changes, including a reworked family backstory and a time-travel arc. The series' troubled English localization history—with two separate dubbing projects, one abandoned after a single episode and the other cut short by legal disputes—illustrates the challenges of bringing anime to Western markets in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The show's eventual Blu-ray release in Japan and Funimation's subtitled release as Mach GoGoGo: Restart have allowed it to reach a new audience. Its manga adaptation and a Japan-exclusive Game Boy video game further expanded its reach. While not as iconic as the original 1967 series, the 1997 remake remains a distinctive entry in the Speed Racer legacy, notable for its darker tone and structural differences.
Did You Know?
- The series was originally planned for 52 episodes but only 34 were produced.
- Only one episode of the English dub Speed Racer Y2K was completed: 'Silver Phantom'.
- The English adaptation Speed Racer X was pulled from Nickelodeon after 13 episodes due to a lawsuit between DiC Entertainment and Speed Racer Enterprises.
- A baby gorilla named Rocky joins the cast in Episode 20, taking the role of Chim-Chim from the original series.
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