Subaru and Rally
Subaru and motorsport is a great story. The Japanese brand has for many years experienced the circuits to develop its technology and confront it with the most difficult conditions. But it’s especially in rallies that Subaru made a name for itself.
The Beginning of Subaru in Rally
Engaged in some rally-raid events with a Subaru Leone turbo, Subaru finally made it to the top in 1990. The brand is involved in the premier class WRC (World Rally Championship) category.
The Legacy as a Working Basis
For its first years in the WRC, Subaru engaged its Legacy RS. The engine is developed internally within the STI division, the rest is developed by the English manufacturer Prodrive.
The results were not long in coming. Subaru finished fourth in the world championship in 1990 and 1992. Several victories in different events are to be noted but the best is yet to come with the Subaru Impreza.
Subaru Impreza Takes All
Shorter, brighter and more agile, the Subaru Impreza marked the history of the World Rally Championship. Subaru made a fast progress and demonstrated the quality of its performance. In 1994, La Subaru Impreza 555 finished second in the constructor championship category and Carlos Sainz finished second in the pilot championship.
But it’s in 1995,1996 and 1997 that the Impreza experienced its best years with 3 titles of the best manufacturer. In 1995, the British pilot Colin McRae also won the World Pilots Championship. He also finished twice 2nd and 1996 and 1997.
The following years were punctuated by two pilot titles won by Richard Burns (2001) and Petter Solberg (2003) after a frantic battle against Sebastien Loeb.
Difficult for Subaru drivers pilots to make a place alongside the French pilot who won everything in his path during the following 9 years.
The Withdrawal of the WRC in 2008
Being difficult to make a place in the middle of Sebastien Loeb supremacy, Subaru decides to retire from the World Rally Championship after 19 years at the highest level in the world.
Subaru and the Rally in Canada
Subaru Canada has been competing in the Canadian Rally Championship (CRC) since 1992. All in all, it’s more than a dozen automaker titles won by Subaru and numerous titles for the team’s drivers.
In 2018, Subaru Canada announces increased participation in the championship by offering financial support up to $10,000 for the purchase of a Subaru*.
Why the Rally?
The rally is a category where vehicles are put to the test. Performance is an important element but reliability is the best ally of a rally driver.
With its history in the world championship or here in Canada, Subaru can perfect all the technologies of its vehicles including the constant grip all-wheel drive.
All these researches are then used on the series models and in particular the WRX and WRX STI that are directly born of the competition.
Videos of Subaru in Rally
To conclude this article, we propose you three videos of Subaru in rally.
The first one represents images of the Subaru Impreza 555 driven in 1995 by Colin McRae and Carlos Sainz. A treat for the eyes and ears.
The second one shows the most beautiful actions of the Subaru Impreza WRC from 1997 to 2000.
The last video is submitted by Subaru Canada to highlight its involvement in the Canadian Rally Championship.
* This Subaru must then be converted into a rally car that complies with CRC regulations.
