Subaru Enthusiasts :: Subaru Performance

Rally Racing News

Tires squealing, Subaru made its racing debut in 1980, when private teams started competing with Subaru vehicles. Since then, Subaru has been proving the superior performance, durability and All-Wheel Drive technology of its vehicles in some of the most grueling motorsports in the world!

Class wins in Kenya’s Safari Rally in 1982 and 1983 pointed the way for many checkered flags to come. From the beginning, Subaru knew that its horizontally opposed engine layout and All-Wheel Drive would provide handling advantages over competitors, particularly on the unpaved courses.

By the mid-1980s, Subaru cars had become regulars on the Safari, winning the coveted Group A category in 1985, and then taking first and second in Group A the following year with the first factory-backed RX turbo models.

In 1989, Subaru introduced its first-generation Legacy model, which offered more power than previous models. After teaming up with Prodrive, a British motorsports builder and racer, Subaru added one of the world’s greatest rally drivers to its team, Finland’s Markku Alen. Other automakers took notice of the growing seriousness of the Subaru effort. A fourth place in Finland’s 1,000 Lakes Rally in 1990 proved the mettle – and metal – of the new Legacy.

The checkered flags started in 1991, when Britain’s Colin McRae swept the British Rally Championship in a Subaru Legacy. World Championship points came when Alen took third overall in that year’s Swedish Rally and fourth places in New Zealand and Australia.

More power for the Legacy brought Subaru closer to victory. McRae won the British title again in 1992 and gave the team its first win in a World Championship race in 1993, winning the Rally of New Zealand. Subaru also won the Asia-Pacific Rally Championship in 1993, ending that season with 10 international rally victories and a third British Championship, as well.

Subaru introduced the new Impreza model in 1993, and the Subaru/Prodrive team adopted this smaller, more maneuverable model. The Impreza quickly moved to the front of the pack, as double World Championship driver Carlos Sainz joined the team for the 1994 season. That year, the Subaru Impreza won the Acropolis, New Zealand and RAC rallies. New Zealander “Possum” Bourne, driving Subaru rally cars since 1982, won the 1994 Asia-Pacific Championship, including the Rally of Malaysia and the Hong Kong-Beijing Rally.

Subaru rose to the top in 1995, winning the World Rally Championship for the first time. In addition, McRae won the World Championship for drivers, and Subaru took the top three places in the season’s last two rallies, Catalunya and the RAC. Wins for the year included Monte Carlo, Portugal and New Zealand. Subaru had become the car and the team to beat.

Subaru won the World Rally Championship again in 1996 and 1997. The Impreza also brought Subaru its first win in the Safari Rally that year.

Today, the Subaru WRC Rally team is tearing up the rally circuit with drivers Richard Burns, Bruno Thiry and Juha Kankkunen. At press time, Subaru carried the top position in the WRC Manufacturers Championship as well as the number one spot for the WRC Drivers Championship! For up-to-the-minute news on the team’s progress, log on to www.swrt.com.

Impreza : Performance = Identity

When drivers say a car has "personality", they generally mean that they can tell what kind of cat it is just by driving it. Thus, the way the car feels to the driver forms the basis for its identity. In contrast, when someone describes a car as bland, they generally mean that they cannot tell what kind of car it is by driving it, and that it feels much like other cars in its class.

Like most car enthusiasts, Subaru engineers believe that you should be able to tell the brand of a vehicle just by driving down the street. To Subaru, therefore, performance encompasses a balance of acceleration, braking, cornering, safety and ride comfort that defines the car and brand identity.

Subaru illustrates its performance philosophy with this equation :
Body Size < engine strength < suspension and braking = Performance

Boxer Engine : Compact and Light

The Subaru performance equation starts with the engine. Subaru introduced its first horizontally opposed, four-cylinder (H-4) engine more than 30 years ago for the first mass-produced Japanese front-wheel drive car. Subaru engineers felt then as they do now that this engine layout provides the best combination of packaging and low vibration. The H-4 engine in a Subaru measures just a bit longer than two-cylinders’ width, and the engine sits much lower in a car than either an inline or a “V” engine. That helps keep the center of gravity lower, which enhances handling and safety. The engine’s low profile also allows designers to give the car a low hoodline for optimal visibility.

The “boxer” nickname for a horizontally opposed engine comes from the way the pistons look when the engine is running – like a boxer throwing punches. The horizontally opposed layout results in an inherently smooth engine – one side of the engine cancels out vibrations from the opposing side. Less vibration contributes to durability, a Subaru hallmark. The responsive Subaru boxer four-cylinder engine provides the equivalent performance of a similar-displacement six-cylinder engine, but it’s more compact and weighs less.

Suspensions : Lessons from Europe

The front and rear suspension also plays a vital role in the performance equation. Subaru follows a similar suspension tuning philosophy to Mercedes-Benz. Stated simply, Subaru suspension systems combine long travel with “soft” springs to absorb even large bumps easily while retaining tire contact with the road. Relatively “stiff” shocks, meanwhile, provide quicker damping of the springs for precise control and sharp handling response.

Braking Performance

Many Subaru models come equipped with standard four-channel Anti-Lock Brakes (ABS 5.3i) to prevent wheel lockup and to help preserve steering ability under hard braking. The secure braking and crisp handling that make a Subaru fun to drive also contribute to its safety. And we’re strong believers that if a car’s performance makes it enjoyable to drive, the driver becomes more focused and involved with driving.

The Subaru performance philosophy is built into every vehicle that rolls off the line. The result? Greater control and confidence – and a car with unmistakable personality!

Subaru Introduces "SPT" Performance Parts Line

Subaru of America, Inc. (SOA), a pioneer of crossover all-wheel drive vehicles designed for the active lifestyle, has developed an exciting line of Subaru Performance Tuning (SPT) parts and accessories for Subaru Impreza 2.5 RS owners and enthusiasts. The new additions to the line of Genuine Subaru Performance Parts are currently available from authorized Subaru dealers and are featured in an updated Impreza 2.5 RS Performance Parts brochure (MSA6M0013).

Engineered to enhance the performance and look of Subaru Impreza 2.5 RS models, the new SPT offerings enable owners to personalize their vehicles with quality parts developed specifically for Subaru vehicles. Subaru Performance Tuning parts are designed to enhance driving pleasure without sacrificing quality and reliability. The SPT menu includes an STi-developed short-throw shifter for crisper gear changes, an STi carbon fiber strut tower brace for additional stiffness and quicker steering response, a performance muffler and intermediate pipe for a throaty exhaust note, and more.

"Impreza 2.5 RS has a distinguished, rally-winning pedigree. Import enthusiasts recognize Impreza 2.5 RS as an agile performance car with the confidence-inspiring benefit of all-wheel drive," says Subaru Parts & Accessories Marketing Manager, Bruce Barker. "Now enthusiasts can enhance the performance, handling and looks of their Impreza 2.5 RS with quality parts engineered specifically for their vehicles."

Subaru Impreza 2.5 RS combines rival-beating power and versatility with a feature simply unavailable from any other car in its class -- All-Wheel Drive. Available in either coupe or sedan offerings, the 2.5 RS models deliver a powerful punch from a 2.5-liter, 165-horsepower engine to take on the Acura Integra GS-R and Honda Civic Si. Additionally, Impreza 2.5 RS was selected as one of Sport Compact Car magazine's "Eight Great Rides" for 1998, 1999 and 2000.

The comprehensive line of SPT performance parts includes:

• Carbon Fiber Strut Tower Brace
• Carbon Fiber Shift Knob/Brake Handle
• Steel Strut Tower Brace
• Carbon Fiber Center Panel Trim Kit
• Performance Gauge Package
• Front End Cover
• Performance Muffler and Intermediate Pipe
• Leather Seats
• Short-Throw Shifter
• SPT Decals
• Rear Differential Protector
• Impreza 2.5 RS Carpeted Floor Covers
• Machined Titanium Shift Knob

Subaru will expand the current line of SPT offerings in the very near future.

About Subaru of America, Inc.

Subaru of America, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. of Japan. Headquartered near Philadelphia, the company markets and distributes Subaru vehicles, parts and accessories through a network of 590 franchised dealers across the United States. All Legacy and Outback models sold in the U.S. are produced at the company's American manufacturing plant, Subaru-Isuzu Automotive, Inc., near Lafayette, Ind.

Over the past eight years, the company has nearly tripled its revenues and seen its sales increase by nearly 100 percent thanks to its popular line of car-based sport-utility vehicles. The company is among the fastest growing brands in the automobile industry and was recently named "Most Improved Car Company in the World" by the London-based Financial Times Automotive World magazine.