- Subaru has revealed its newest entrant into the American Rally Association (ARA), in the form of the Subaru Motorsports WRX Rally car.
- To abide by ARA regulations, the WRX Rally produces 320 horsepower and 380 pound-feet of torque from a turbo 2.0-liter four-cylinder.
- The car will make its competition debut at the Ojibwe Forests Rally on August 24 through 25.
The history speaks for itself. Hell, the name of the car stands for World Rally eXperimental, according to Subaru, and the company just revealed its newest rally entrant: the Subaru Motorsports WRX Rally car. Bred for competition in the Open 4WD class of the American Rally Association (ARA) Championship, and built by Subaru’s technical partner Vermont SportsCar.
Enter the WRX Rally Car
Due to limitations put on by the ARA, the turbocharged 2.0 four-cylinder engine is running a mandatory 33mm restrictor and a 22 psi boost limit. Power is capped at 320 horses and 380 pound-feet of torque. That power is sent to all four wheels through a SADEV six-speed close-ratio sequential transmission. Don’t be fooled by the relatively ordinary power figures, though, as the Rally car is sure to be quick.
The car features a fully seam-welded body, while a custom suspension setup was created jointly by R53 and Vermont SportsCar. Unlike a stock WRX, the rally version features a fully stripped interior with only essentials like a pair of Sparco ADV Prime competition bucket seats and an FIA-spec roll cage to keep the driver pairing safe.
Racing is all about function over form, but the WRX Rally manages both in stride. According to Subaru, the carbon-fiber widebody was designed from a blank sheet with the most recent ARA aerodynamic ruleset in mind. A rather prominent rear wing makes itself known at the back of the car and is sure to keep everything planted to the dirt at high speeds.
Debuting at Ojibwe Forest Rally
The Subaru rally car is set to debut at the Ojibwe Forests Rally on August 24 through 25, and it will be driven by Brandon Semenuk along with co-driver Keaton Williams. Subaru will launch a second car for the 2024 season that will be piloted by Travis Pastrana as he makes a return to the sport.
Unfortunately, all this time fawning over the new WRX competition car has only worsened our desire for a new STI version of the road car. There’s still no word from Subaru that it’ll happen, but we’ll be sure to let you know if it is.
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Associate News Editor
Jack Fitzgerald’s love for cars stems from his as yet unshakable addiction to Formula 1.
After a brief stint as a detailer for a local dealership group in college, he knew he needed a more permanent way to drive all the new cars he couldn’t afford and decided to pursue a career in auto writing. By hounding his college professors at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, he was able to travel Wisconsin seeking out stories in the auto world before landing his dream job at Car and Driver. His new goal is to delay the inevitable demise of his 2010 Volkswagen Golf.