Subaru Make a Welcome Return to the Australian Rallying Championship

Just over a decade after leaving the Australian Rallying Championship (ARC), Subaru are back in the competition. At the moment, there has been no announcement about whether this will also mean that there will be a return to the World Rallying Championship (WRC). It may be that this is only a one time racing opportunity, but it will be exciting to watch. When checking out new car dealers, Perth drivers will see the WRX STI is very close to the car being used. Here are some of the details that we know so far.

A Fresh Driver

Subaru has chosen a female driver that made history by becoming the first woman to win a round of the 2015 ARC. If that wasn’t enough, she then went on to finish 2nd in the competition overall. Subaru have recruited Australian rally driver Molly Taylor. Molly is 27 years old, and she is already the 2nd highest ranked female rallying driver in the world. She has raced primarily in front wheel drive cars for the majority of her career and is reported to be excited by the prospect of securing an AWD factory ride. Molly has a lot of rallying pedigree as her mum Coral was a co-driver in four ARC campaigns and her father also ran a rallying school for many years.

The New Car

The car that will be used is a turbocharged Subaru WRX STI NR4 that will essentially be a Group N production car. When searching for Subaru cars for sale, Perth residents could buy a car very close to this model. Subaru is keen to promote their philosophy that their cars can be used during throughout the week and then raced at the weekend. This will put Subaru at a disadvantage as their competition are all using cars that have been heavily modified for the ARC. One advantage that Subaru has is that the car is going to be set up for Molly Taylor by world renowned rallying guru Les Walkden in Tasmania.

The Expectations

Subaru Australia Managing Director Nick Senior has said that the company is going to be "very realistic with our expectations”. This could be Subaru downplaying their chances to throw off the competition, or perhaps by missing out on over a decade of competitive rallying they really don’t have a clue how things will develop. The car itself is a fantastic example of a weekend racer, and Molly Taylor is an excellent driver. One question that may need to be asked is where is this all leading? If the Subaru team enjoy success at the ARC, will it mean a return to the WRC as well. Only time will tell, but many racing fans around the world will be thrilled with this news, and one would expect any success to mirrored in Subaru sales figures. The ARC start in Perth on the 22nd of April.

If they are searching for Subaru new car dealers, Perth residents should contact us. Here at City Subaru, we have a wide variety of both new and used cars for sale. We look forward to scheduling a test drive for you at your earliest convenience. Get in touch with us today and our sales staff will be happy to answer any questions you may have.