Subaru Drive Performance Magazine

Images in my Mind

Many times during this year's races and rallies I would put down my camera only to miss chronicling something of importance -- not just action, but a turn of events important to the Subaru team.

One opportunity stands out in particular. On the morning of the Grand-Am KONI Challenge Series race at Watkins Glen, New York, the teams were on track for a scheduled practice. I was trying to photograph the Subaru Road Racing Team Legacy 2.5GT spec.B race cars cresting the hill out of the section of track called the Boot. They passed by a couple of times, and I kept shifting position for a better shot.

I had a decent one of Kristian Skavnes in #111 and was lowering the camera when I heard tires squealing to my right. I turned to see a Cobalt hit the tire barrier on the outside of the track, then bounce back onto the track and tag #111 hard enough to make it airborne. If only the camera had been ready ....

That's the way the events go. Sometimes you're in the right spot, but sometimes you're not. Even when you're in the right spot, sometimes you're not ready at the right time.

That picture of #111 is in my head. It's a little frightening, if I care to think about it that way. But mostly I rue the fact that I don't have the visual documentation for the team that I could have had.

So I'll go back next year and try again -- to get the images out of my head and online or in the magazine to share with everyone.

 

2008 SEMA Show -- Day 4, November 7

Three of the cars in the Subaru exhibit have been prepared for racing. The #111 Legacy 2.5GT spec.B competes in the Grand-Am KONI Challenge Series; the #199 Red Bull(R) STI competes in the Rally America National Championship; and the Crawford Performance STI competes in time attack.

#111 Legacy 2.5GT spec.B

 

       

 

The #111 was prepared for road racing by the team that fields the car in the KONI Challenge Series Street Tuner class –- ICY Racing/Phoenix Performance, which is co-owned by seasoned veterans Dave Rosenblum and Joe Aquilante. Upon delivery to their race shops, the spec.B was stripped to bare metal and prepared for competition. Provisions include roll cage, safety harnesses, fire-extinguisher system, and racing fuel cell. Many underhood components are foil-wrapped to ward off heat.

 

Engines for the car are essentially stock, but with turbocharger boost limited by the Grand-Am sanctioning body to help equalize the competition in the series. At the track, the #111 stands out for its lack of exhaust sound when it passes because it runs with a stock muffler and tailpipe. This is due to the same attempts at parity. (In addition, weight has been added to the car.) Other modifications were made as well, and you'll find a complete list in the next issue of Drive Performance.

 

The body is stock, with headlight assemblies that have to function because the cars must be able to race at night. #111 is equipped with racing dampers, wheels, and tires (dry and rain).

 

Most of the season, this Subaru Road Racing Team KONI Challenge Series entry was driven by Chuck Hemmingson and Kristian Skavnes. Two drivers are required in each car in KONI Challenge races. Andrew Aquilante teamed with Skavnes for a couple races when Hemmingson had scheduling conflicts.

 

Competition is keen within the series, and a number of car-and-driver combinations were in position to take the championship entering the last race of the season at VIRginia International Raceway. The #111 car was one of them, as was Kristian Skavnes for the drivers’ championship. Unfortunate contact with only 90 minutes remaining of the six-hour race relegated both the car and Skavnes to 5th for the season.

 

Throughout the year, this car has been banged, bounced, and punted into the air. Its success speaks to the durability, reliability, and capabilities of the Legacy platform.

 

#199 Red Bull STI

 

        

Prepared and fielded by Lance Smith’s Vermont SportsCar rally team, #199 is co-driven by Travis Pastrana and Derek Ringer as part of Subaru Rally Team USA. This car, too, was stripped down to metal and rebuilt as a rally car. Safety equipment and rally instrumentation were added, and the engine was built for Open Class competition.

The Rally America sanctioning body restricts intake airflow in Open Class cars. They also must maintain street-legal noise levels because rally cars operate on public roads. Engine management was changed to a MoTeC unit.

 

The drivetrain has been prepared for the rigors of rally. Modifications include heavy-duty rally dampers, which are fully adjustable. The clutch, transmission, and front and rear differentials have been changed out to racing components.

 

The #199 Pastrana/Ringer car has distinctive graphics, introduced on the 2008 car for the Susquehannock Trail Rally in June.

 

Crawford Performance Time Attack STI

 

     

 

Painted to stand out in a crowd, the Crawford STI was built in partnership with Subaru to demonstrate the potential of the 2008 WRX STI. When Crawford Performance began work on the car early in the year, there were no available aftermarket components, so the team at Crawford put together their own.

 

While you'll be able to find a detailed list of modifications in the next issue of Drive Performance, here's a brief list:

• A Crawford Performance race engine with Time Attack Heads and tumbler deletes
• Exedy race clutch
• Crawford Performance CP35R Turbo Kit
• Oversize front-mount intercooler
• And more

In a few days, check out your issue of Drive Performance or return to the www.driveperformance.subaru.com Web site for a story about the preparation of the SEMA Show vehicles, complete with detailed spec sheets on most of them.

This year's SEMA Show is now over. Looking back, it's apparent that the effort by Subaru to prepare the show's vehicles was without precedent. Diverse and unique, they showed the potential that Subaru builds into each of its models.   

2008 SEMA Show -- Day 3, November 6

Today's Subaru concept vehicles demonstrate the diversity of the Subaru model line -- not just in what is offered by dealers, but by the directions their capabilities allow you to take them. The concepts include two Forester turbo models and one Legacy 3.0R.

2009 Forester Mountain Rescue Vehicle

      

Starting with a Forester XT and consulting with the National Ski Patrol, Subaru commissioned Specialized Vehicles of Troy, Michigan, to fashion this first-responder vehicle for high-altitude rescues. The Mountain Rescue Vehicle has features and equipment to carry out a rescue mission in the mountains, including safety-green paint that can be seen easily at night.

The Forester XT 2.5-liter turbocharged and intercooled engine was left stock, along with the Subaru Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive. Final drive ratio of 4.11:1 also was left alone. But from there the vehicle becomes unique.

Specialized Vehicles gave the Forester a custom air suspension by Air Lift. It allows ride-height adjustment to better handle deep snow. Custom reversed 15-inch "near zero" offset Subaru steel wheels carry 30" x 9.5" Yokohama Geolandar tires, increasing ground clearance.

Bodywork includes external quick-access utility compartments. In addition, Custom TrailArmor includes fender flares, lower door cladding, and rear gate guard by Bushwacker. Other custom bodywork: front grille guard, front and rear skid plates, rock rail, and side steps by Dee Zee; taillight guards by Bushwacker; roof-mounted Visi-Light LED spotlights by Hamsar Diversco; Ultimate Performance 9.5ti thermometric 9,500-lb winch by WARN; emergency light package; and remote rear door openers. Genuine Subaru Accessories added a Sport Mesh Grille and Baja Sport Activity Lights. The Forester Mountain Rescue Vehicle also has extra-wide round cross bars by Yakima as well as Subaru Yakima Equipped ski carriers.

All that enables the vehicle to carry equipment to an emergency. On board are a rescue toboggan by Cascade and snow skis by Nordica.

Inside, the rear seat was deleted to make room for a custom diamond plate load floor. Dee Zee provided the steel compartment separator.

2009 Forester XTI

    

From an immensely practical emergency vehicle to a wild performance one -- the Forester XTI concept is a vision of what would happen if you could fuse together a Forester XT and WRX STI. The paint scheme's concept is that of the vehicle having entered the earth's atmosphere from space. The burnt effect in the front fades into the root beer body color. Notice the subtle SPT lettering along the side.

Adding to the XTI's aggressive appearance are Genuine Subaru Accessory Front Under Spoiler and Sport Mesh Grille as well as a Japanese Domestic Market (JDM) body kit, including side skirts, rear skirt, and gate spoiler. The XTI also has STI S204 18" x 8" forged aluminum-alloy wheels with Yokohama ADVAN Neova 255/40 R18 tires.

Not only does this Forester look strong, but it has the Subaru performance parts to back up that appearance. Its STI turbocharged/intercooled engine cranks out 315 horsepower (@ 6,000 rpm) and 300 lb-ft of torque (@ 4,000 rpm). The powertrain was given a custom stainless-steel cat-back exhaust by SPT. 

The SUBARU BOXER engine is hooked up to a 6-speed manual transmission and the STI's Driver Controlled Center Differential. Braking is by BREMBO four-wheel discs, with four-piston front and dual-piston rear calipers and four-sensor Super Sport ABS with Electronic Brake-force Distribution. Other modifications include an adjustable coil-over suspension by STI.

The XTI's cabin features leather and Alcantara sport seats by STI. STI also contributed the instrument cluster, center console, and leather-wrapped steering wheel.

This Forester reminds me of the one featured at the SEMA Show a couple years ago -- see it here.

2009 Legacy 3.0R Limited by Harman Kardon

    

To me, the name Harman Kardon means audio, but this Legacy has a lot more than that. A sound system to make audiophiles drool is certainly part of the vehicle, but take a look! The car has JDM parts that give it the appearance of the Japanese-only limited-edition Legacy STI S402.

Well, we can dream!

Exterior modifications include JDM front fascia, front fenders, hood, and HID projector-beam headlights. Eighteen-inch STI wheels carry Yokohama Neova 235/40 R18 tires.

The stock Legacy 3.0R engine and drivetrain are supplemented by an SPT Performance Exhaust System and STI adjustable coil-over suspension, stainless-steel brake hoses, and performance brake pads.

Around the interior, custom brushed aluminum bezels trim the JBL center channel, door, and rear-deck speakers. Harman Kardon amplifiers boost speakers and subwoofers throughout.

Not enough Subaru stuff? Come back tomorrow!

2008 SEMA Show -- Day 2, November 5

Today I thought I'd focus on the three WRX and WRX STI models. (Tomorrow I'll cover the two Forester concepts and the Harman Kardon Legacy, and Friday I'll finish with the three racers!)

For all the vehicles at the show, we’ll have complete lists of features on this Web site when the next issue of Subaru Drive Performance (Version 5.3) is released in mid-November.

2009 Impreza WRX 5-door by Subaru Performance Tuning

       

As I pointed out yesterday, the pixilated-patch graphics on this car are intriguing. I like the way the SPT logo is worked into the graphics design.

Just about every modification to this WRX came from SPT, STI (Subaru Tecnica International), or Genuine Subaru Accessories. Exceptions include the graphics (too bad!), the 19-inch OZ Racing wheels, and the 225/35 R19 Yokohama tires. Everything else is available from Subaru for your own WRX (www.spt.subaru.com)!

Besides the tough-looking wheels and tires on the car's exterior, this WRX has a Front Lip Spoiler by STI and Genuine Subaru Accessory Fog Light Protectors.

Inside, a number of practical Genuine Subaru Accessories have been added -- Auto-Dimming Rearview Mirror with Compass & HomeLink(R), Rear Cargo Tray, and Security System Shock Sensor. So have accessories for the audio system -- iPod Interface Kit and Subwoofer. Besides that, the shifter knob has been replaced with a Duracon Shift Knob 5MT by STI, and a Short Throw Shifter by STI has been installed.

More to the heart of things are the performance upgrades. SPT parts include Turbo Heat Shield, Performance Exhaust System, Lower Chassis Brace, and Front Strut Tower Brace. Performance Springs by STI also have been installed. Horsepower for the WRX is estimated at 275 (@ 6,000 rpm) and torque at 250 lb-ft (@ 4,000 rpm).

Engine dress-up parts by SPT include Battery Hold Down and Oil Cap.

These are all very doable modifications for a WRX.

2009 Impreza WRX 4-door by AEM

       

Advanced Engine Management (AEM) notches up the performance levels of this WRX to 449 horsepower/411 lb-ft of torque at the wheels. A lot of work went into this car!

Under the hood, the stock turbocharger has been replaced by a Garrett GT3582R turbo. Modifications also include a V44 wastegate and 50 mm blow-off valve by TiAL Sport. Among the other added parts are Harman Motive front-mount intercooler kit, up- and down-pipe, and air/oil separator. AEM contributed air intake temperature and manifold absolute pressure sensors, programmable engine management system, dryflow air filter, and water injection kit. The 850 cc fuel injectors are by Deatschwerks. A three-puck racing clutch by STI was installed. Engine work was finished off by a Performance Exhaust System by SPT.

Other engine-bay parts include a 1.3-bar Radiator Cap by STI and Battery Hold Down and Oil Cap by SPT.

AEM also installed a fully synchronized, close-ratio, 6-speed manual transmission, and Walbro in-tank fuel pump.

Suspension work includes the addition of an SPT Strut Tower Brace and Lower Chassis Brace. Volk Racing 18-inch GTV wheels carry Toyo Proxes R1R extreme-performance tires. Front brakes are 330 mm by Prodrive.

On the exterior are an STI Front Lip Spoiler, SPT Sport Mesh Grille, and Genuine Subaru Accessory Roof Carrier Base with Subaru Yakima Equipped Snowboard Carrier and Surfboard Carrier. These are hauling custom equipment -- a skateboard and snowboard by Revolution and a surfboard by HoriBoards. Artwork for the boards and decals is by KTC Media Group, and Sticky Fingers did the decals. This WRX has plenty of graphics on the custom flat white pearl paint (Mobworks) to tell you that it's something different.

Inside, the driver sits in a Milano 2 seat by Sparco, which also contributed harness bar, four-point safety harnesses, and Carbon 385 steering wheel. At the driver's feet is a Pedal Pad set by STI. Added gauges include Turbo Boost Gauge (SPT) and oil pressure gauge (AEM).

Creative Car Audio & Motorsports installed Clarion components, including front and rear Multifit Speaker System, two subwoofers, 850W mono power amplifier, 680W 4/3/2 channel power amplifier, and a 2-DIN multimedia station with 6.5-inch touch panel control. That's power in the cabin to match the power under the hood.

Fast and Furious 4 Subaru WRX STI

     

The STI on exhibit is one of several used by the film crew in the making of Fast and Furious 4 -- all made to look like the same car. You can see it (or another one) in the movie's trailer at the Web site www.fastandfuriousmovie.net. It's the same one being shown on a monitor next to the car.

More tomorrow!

2008 SEMA Show -- Day 1, November 4

Getting into the convention center was tough enough today. All the vehicles outside can get distracting. If there's something you love on four wheels, you're going to find it here. And the great thing is, there are no apologies or excuses -- everybody here has the same "fever." They're all "car people" -- male and female.

When I finally got through the door, my first destination was the Subaru booth. Take a look!

 

My list of Subaru display vehicles yesterday was good. Here's a quick look at all of them. (I'll cover three of the vehicles in greater depth each of the next three days.)

2009 Impreza WRX 5-door by Subaru Performance Tuning: This WRX is outfitted with most of the bolt-on parts that SPT offers (go to www.spt.subaru.com). Subaru calls it "... a rolling performance parts catalog for the 2009 WRX." It has exhaust, suspension, engine dress-up, and interior parts, along with a lot of others. One of the most appealing aspects of the WRX is its graphics treatment -- gray and blue pixilated patches. Take a look!

2009 Forester XTI: The idea behind this concept Forester is that it's made to appear as if it has entered the atmosphere, burning the nose on the way. Hence, the vehicle's color fades from burnt black to root beer. Given the nomenclature XTI, it is intended to be the best of two worlds -- a rugged 2009 Forester fused with a performance-prepared 2008 Impreza WRX STI, complete with an STI 305-horsepower engine, 6-speed manual transmission, race-ready suspension, and so on.

2009 Forester Mountain Rescue Vehicle: Painted safety green, is this Forester visible enough? It's a concept for a first-responder vehicle for the National Ski Patrol. Built by Specialized Vehicles in Troy, Michigan, its body features fender flairs and cladding, plus it has 30-inch tires. The National Ski Patrol consulted on features and equipment needed for high-altitude rescues.

2009 Impreza WRX 4-door by AEM: Subaru supplier partner Advanced Engine Management (AEM) created this WRX, which features a 449-horsepower engine and other performance modifications, along with a custom skateboard and snowboard. This customized concept is intended for the outdoor adventurist.

2009 Legacy 3.0R Limited by Harman Kardon: Japanese domestic market (JDM) cues make this Legacy look similar to the limited-production S402 Legacy built for the Japanese market. Modifications include STI performance parts. But at the heart of this concept car are the Harman Kardon components that have been installed.

Crawford Performance Time Attack 2008 WRX STI: Having seen this car on the track, I have to say it looks somewhat out of place on the floor of an exhibit booth. There's no way to crank up the engine! Too bad! It sounds great! The orange Crawford car will be on the cover of the next issue of Drive Performance -- Version 5.3. Powerful, lightweight, and brightly painted, the STI is a terrific crowd-pleaser.

Travis Pastrana's Subaru Rally Team USA #199 Red Bull STI: Here's another car that looks a little out of place -- and much too clean! Pastrana drove #199 to his third Rally America National Championship for Subaru Rally Team USA during the 2008 season. He won three of the nine rallies and finished on the podium seven times. The 2008 WRX STI replaced the team's 2007 car halfway through the season at Susquehannock Trail Rally in June.

Subaru Road Racing Team #111 Legacy 2.5GT spec.B: SRRT #111 survived a normal season of road racing in the Grand-Am KONI Challenge Series, having been banged, beaten, and launched airborne into a wall. Still, primary drivers Chuck Hemmingson and Kristian Skavnes placed well enough with three podium finishes (one win) throughout the season for Skavnes to still be in contention for the drivers' championship going into the last race. 

Fast and Furious 4 Subaru WRX STI: One of the stars of the upcoming movie to be released in mid-2009, we'll have to find out more about this car. Nice wheels; they'd look good on my Impreza! 

2008 SEMA Show -- Waiting for Tomorrow

This is the fifth year that I've been able to attend the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show in Las Vegas, and I can't wait to get inside. Today, you can get as far as the registration booths and peek into the halls to see exhibitors setting up.

       

The Subaru display is right next to one of the entrances, so I was able to get a glimpse of the nine vehicles that I was told would be there. They're distributed around a display that has a wall full of performance parts behind it.

The nine Subaru vehicles are these:

• 2009 Impreza WRX 5-door by Subaru Performance Tuning
• 2009 Forester XTI (saw this one as a work in progress -- XTI not a misspelling!)
• 2009 Forester Mountain Rescue Vehicle
• 2009 Impreza WRX 4-door by AEM
• 2009 Legacy 3.0R Limited by Harman Kardon (wish we had audio for you!)
• Crawford Performance Time Attack 2008 WRX STI (this one I saw run at VIRginia International Raceway last month -- another source of great sound)
• Travis Pastrana's Subaru Rally Team USA #199 Red Bull STI
• Subaru Road Racing Team Legacy 2.5GT spec.B
• Fast and Furious 4 Subaru WRX STI (you just get glimpses of this one in the movie trailer)

We'll take a closer look at each of these vehicles during the next four days.

 

In Praise of Motorcycle Roads

When I was in college, I spent a lot of time on motorcycles. Living in an area of great flatness with roads generally following a grid system, we put a great premium on ones that curved and climbed. Those few that we found were deemed "motorcycle roads" for their potential to thrill.

Growing older and moving into performance and sports cars, we sought the same roads -- but their designation remained the same.

On the trip to VIRginia International Raceway in October, I inadvertently stumbled onto one in southern Ohio. (Let's not say I was lost -- just temporarily misplaced.) It was Route 73, and I was lucky enough to follow a tanker truck driver who must know the road intimately. The tanker didn't slow me down, and I was thankful for someone leading through the multiple series of blind corners and rises in the road.

That trip gave me other roads that make driving worthwhile -- I-77 between Beckley, West Virginia, and Route 58 in Virginia, then Route 58 itself (The Crooked Road -- Virginia's Heritage Music Trail) to Danville.

Give them a try. These motorcycle roads are well worth any detour you have to take to drive them!

Plus, the scenery isn't bad either!

 

Speed

Speed has an allure. It's captivating -- a siren song that draws us onto the rocks of a passion that never dies.

Overstated? I don't think so.

Its influence is pervasive. A couple of examples: It's the name of a cable channel (Speed channel, which used to be Speedvision), a series of movies, a fast cartoon mouse (Speedy Gonzales), and even a drug!

How you measure it -- in what regard it's important -- depends on the bent of your passion. Is it 0-60 mph (0-100 kph)? Quarter mile? Top end? Fast lap?

Where do you measure it? Indy? Nurburgring? Bonneville? Pomona? Autocross event?

Parking-lot speeds on autocross "tracks" marked by orange roadwork cones may seem like they have nothing to do with speed.

Try it.

You might not get into third gear, but you'll feel like it's more than fast enough when tires fight for traction and your car balances on the edge of spinning.

Speed can be a matter of perception. Cars can seem not very fast if you're at the top of a grandstand at an oval track. But move closer, down the steps, and stand next to the fence. Then you're amazed that the cars can stick to the pavement at all.

Or stand next to the makeshift barriers in The Home Depot Center's parking lot as the rally cars blast between corners at X Games. Their top ends may not be that high, but when they toss up rubber and dust or slam into the barrier beside you, that's speed. Viscious, snarling speed.

See these cars slide, drifting, spinning all four wheels, or see them thrust off the ramp leading up from the stadium floor -- like the shark in "Jaws." All this is speed.

But with control.

To paraphrase one of the masters of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Rick Mears, that control is like following a line. For some drivers, the line of control is drawn with a drafting pencil; for others, it's drawn with a crayon.

Speed and control -- that sounds like a lead-in for Subaru. But the lead-in is for you!

Here's your opportunity to experience both speed and control ... from the driver's seat of the all-new 2009 Impreza WRX. That opportunity will be at VIRginia International Raceway the weekend of October 4-5. Drive the car on a wicked autocross course and race the clock with a professional race driver in the passenger seat.

You have to sign up for this, and there are only so many "seats." Check it out at www.wrxtrackattack.com. (You'll have to purchase a ticket to get into VIR. For more information, go to www.gtlivetour.com.)

Tell your friends.

And look for us at VIR!

A Weekend of Firsts

Guest blogger -- Melissa Winter, Drive Performance editorial team

An exciting race weekend (August 27-31, 2008) at the newly opened New Jersey Motorsports Park near Millville was filled with lifetime firsts for me.

This was my first time witnessing in person a race featuring Subaru vehicles. It was also my first attendance of a Grand-Am KONI Challenge Series race and a race held on a road course.

I have a passion for racing and enjoy watching all forms of it. If it goes fast and there's excitement, I'm there. All my life I have been a spectator at various types of tracks, but I've never experienced a road course.

The great thing about a road race is that there are plenty of angles and spots to catch the excitement. One never knows what or whom to expect at each turn. And sometimes you have to take a walk to find the best view. The race track is a great place to spend the day -- watching the teams hard at work preparing and strategizing for the race, enjoying the race itself, and joining the speed-junky club of spectators.

I attended this race as part of the Drive Performance editorial team and received my first-ever media credentials, allowing me to photograph the race and interact with the Subaru Road Racing Team. I was able to watch strategies unfold in the pits, which placed the #111 Subaru car in position to contend for the race win.

Perched atop the media tower, I had a bird's-eye view of a large portion of the 2.25-mile track. It also gave me a prime position to capture a spectacular slide into the front straightaway guard rail, producing a wave of dirt that engulfed the helpless driver and vehicle.

To be so close to the action is an adrenaline rush that can only be experienced in person. I was officially initiated into the track and this form of racing by the amount of dirt I inhaled and wore! The rough part of going to the track was that the slightest tire off course kicked up a ton of dirt.

Altogether, it was an amazing adventure as I watched the #111 team place 3rd and the #141 team place 21st.

Smoke and Jumping -- X Games 14 Rally

Usually driven on dirt, rocks, gravel, mud, snow, and ice, the rally cars at X Games 14 rarely compete on pavement in the Rally America National Championship. But here the cars are tested on blacktop, where their tires smoke in four-wheel drifts with all wheels spinning and brakes heat up slowing the cars into the turns. The aromas of all this join bits of tire rubber thrown over the barriers, washing spectators in the excitement of the moment.

These smells add a dimension to spectating not available on television or in magazines or online. Smell expands the experience; it's like perfume.

Here the cars have to maneuver in tight quarters, although you wouldn't think they were so tight when you see 180-degree hand-brake turns as drivers change directions.

And they also jump. The big one on the floor of The Home Depot Center hasn't been built for this year's competition yet. But there's a small one built into the tarmac on the back part of the course. As the cars fly past and drift with four wheels spinning into the next corner, they provoke involuntary exclamations, even among those of us who have been around racing for decades!

For more on X Games 14 Rally:

• www.rally.subaru.com
• www.rally-america.com