Masaru Ōhinata is a skilled race car driver who serves as one of the primary rivals to the protagonist Takaya Todoroki in the Super Grand Prix series. He comes from a wealthy background, the son of a prominent banker who is a close friend of Goichiro Katori, the owner of the Katori Motors racing team. Masaru is the boyfriend of Rie Katori, the daughter of the team owner, and initially enjoys a privileged position within the team. He is introduced as an extremely confident and somewhat arrogant driver who has been nearly unbeatable in previous races. When Takaya first appears, Masaru looks down on him and his homemade car, but after Takaya nearly beats him in a race before crashing, Masaru becomes intensely interested in the new challenger. His central motivation throughout much of the story is to defeat Takaya and prove that he is the superior driver. He is obsessed with winning and sees Takaya as a threat to his status. Over time, however, Masaru begins to respect Takaya's talent and determination, and the two develop a rivalry that eventually evolves into a grudging mutual respect. Together, they form a team for the 24 Hours of Le Mans race and manage to win through cooperation, setting aside their personal competition for the sake of the team. Following this success, Masaru is recruited by the prestigious Lotus team to race internationally. In a crucial Formula One race at the Japanese Grand Prix, Masaru is leading but pushes too hard trying to stay ahead of Takaya and Niki Lauda; his car catches fire after a crash, and he later dies in the hospital from severe burns. His death serves as a turning point for Takaya, who honors his memory by continuing to race. Masaru is characterized by his fierce pride, discipline, and a relentless drive to be the best, but he also proves capable of setting aside rivalry for a common goal. His abilities include exceptional car control and racecraft, making him a formidable competitor on the track.