Mondays have always been fairly busy days in Subaru dealerships – it’s something to do with all the winning they’ve done on Sundays.
The link between rally cars and selling metal on the road is as strong as it’s ever been and these two pictures – split by almost three decades – demonstrate the ongoing importance of Subaru’s motorsport activity.
Then defending world champion Colin McRae poses with a roadgoing Impreza alongside the glorious Group A Impreza 555 he used to capture the 1995 world title. Recreating that shot in Michigan last month, Travis Pastrana stands between Subaru’s new and very cool WRX with the ARA-dominating rally version behind him.
Pastrana was all-in for a modern take on the McRae shot.
He told DirtFish: “Colin was a hero to me. An icon, a legend and an inspiration to so many of us. I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to race against him as a Subaru team-mate at X Games and he really went above and beyond to take me under his wing and show me the ropes.
“It’s really cool to have our new WRX recce cars being used for the first time. Our WRX race car is something pretty awesome – and the road car is a blast for recce.”
Talking about the picture, Subaru USA’s motorsports marketing manager James Tate added: “One is a race car that’s been engineered to meet the many specific regulations of a highly competitive class; the other balances that thrill factor with everyday comfort and dependability.
“It stands to reason that many of the components on the rally car are highly specialized. But the two cars share more than most realize, from headlights to taillights and down to the chassis itself.
“And there’s no disputing the family gene when the two cars are sat beside one another. Outside of the obvious aesthetic traits, mission statements are more than a bit similar: a powerful turbocharged boxer engine, sophisticated all-wheel drive, and an eager character that asks the driver for more.
“The WRX is an uncommon car for a certain kind of enthusiast – one who ‘gets it’ right down to the origin of the name ‘WRX’. So it’s important we affirm the family connection is real.”
And it’s as real today as it was back in 1996.
