Subaru hasn’t been in the World Rally Championship for over a decade now. Of course, that doesn’t mean the folks from Gumna have abandoned rallying altogether. Subaru is still active in the sport, particularly in amateur rally leagues in Asia, Europe, and North America.
But this year, Subaru has finally turned the redesigned WRX into a proper rally car. Draped in its signature color of World Rally Blue and gold, the WRX rally car will compete in the Open 4WD class of the American Rally Association (ARA) Championship.
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The car will make its competition debut at the Ojibwe Forests Rally on August 24-25, with Brandon Semenuk and co-driver Keaton Williams at the helm. Travis Pastrana will drive a second car for the 2024 season.
The WRX rally car is based on the road-going version, so it’s not some tube-frame chassis with a fiberglass body. It does get extra reinforcement care of a rollcage, and the chassis has been seam-welded for added rigidity. The standard fuel tank has also been replaced with an 82-liter kevlar tank to give the car greater range on longer routes.
It wouldn’t be a Subaru rally car if it didn’t have a massive rear wing, so that’s exactly what Subaru of North America added to the WRX rally car. There are also other aerodynamic and body modifications to the car’s body. It has wider fenders compared to the stock car, and the flares also integrate aero winglets for downforce. At the back, it has a diffuser to help keep the car planted on high-speed stages.
Powering the WRX rally car is custom-built turbocharged and intercooled 2.0-liter 4-cylinder boxer engine that meets the requirements of its class, including a mandated 33mm restrictor and 22psi boost limit. Due to class restriction, power is limited to 320hp and 515Nm of torque. It then shifts with a SADEV six-speed close-ratio transmission sends the power to all four wheels. Springs and dampers are from R53 Suspension, working with VSC-designed crossmembers, links, and hubs to manage wheel movement on any surface.
