Now, if only we could get a roadgoing Subie as cool as these…
Subaru still has a strong connection to the world of motorsport, and this year's announcement of two new race cars for the Super GT Series and the Nurburgring 24 Hours Endurance Race will have fans on the edge of their seats. Subaru and Subaru Tecnica International, the company's motorsports management company, recently made the announcement that they will be unleashing a BRZ and a WRX on the international racing scene. Both these cars have enjoyed massive sporting success over the years and are set to continue Subaru's great legacy on the track. The fact that they look amazing is a bonus, but it does highlight how rare an aggressively styled, performance-focused Subie has become.
The first car to show its face is the Subaru BRZ GT300. The BRZ has been racing in Japan's Super GT Series since 2012 and is no stranger to the race track. The new car will run on carbon-neutral fuel for the 2023 season, and the car's powertrain is still in development. Thus far, teams have reported almost no drawbacks when testing synthetic fuels.
Masahiro Ozawa will head the Super GT Series team, and R&D Sport will take care of team management, with Minoru Sawada serving as manager. The drivers for the 2023 season will be Takuto Iguchi and Hideki Yamauchi.
The next car is the Subaru WRX NBR Challenge, which will be competing in the SP4T class at the 51st edition of the Nurburgring 24 Hours Endurance Race from 20-21 May. General manager Hideharu Tatsumi and team manager Takuya Sawada will be looking to fill the podium at this year's race, as will the drivers, Carlo Van Damme (Netherlands), Tim Schlick (Germany), Hideki Yamauchi (Japan), and Takuto Iguchi (Japan). Naoki Shibuya, the project leader, will be responsible for developing the new vehicle, which is set to use an FA24 2.4-liter direct-injection turbocharged engine.
Subaru will also provide a service team to this year's BRZ Cup Car Basic championship and plans to continue participating in the Super Taikyu Series.
Finally, Subaru will compete in the 2023 season of the All Japan Rally Championship with a newly formed Subaru Rally Challenge team. Thanks to the revision of regulations for this series, Subaru is developing a new vehicle based on the JDM-only WRX S4. Subaru aims to reduce weight and will only introduce the vehicle in the middle of the season, once again utilizing the FA24 2.4-liter turbo motor.
It's great to see a brand with so much rich racing pedigree once again taking on the crucible of motorsport, but if you're anything like us, you're pining for a red-blooded Subaru of some sort. A BRX STI, anyone?
Keyword: Subaru Reveals Its Insane Race Cars For The 2023 Season