Ken Block has ended his exclusive Ford partnership, and is now again in a Subaru. After debuting a Subaru WRX STI rally car, Block determined to match the brand-new Subaru WRX STI VT20R race automotive to one among its ancestors, a 1997 Subaru Impreza GC8 STI rally automotive.

Subaru began rallying with the Legacy, however the first-generation Impreza constructed the corporate’s repute, reaching World Rally Championship (WRC) success within the palms of drivers resembling Colin McCrae, and laying the muse for the primary WRX street automobiles.

Whereas it wears the long-lasting blue-and-yellow 555 livery, the 1997 Impreza featured right here is not one of many unique WRC automobiles. It is a lower-class Group N automotive, however it was constructed by ProDrive, the United Kingdom-based firm that constructed all of Subaru’s manufacturing unit rally automobiles again within the day.

Group N automobiles had been additionally nearer to inventory than the top-level WRC automobiles, with modifications restricted to security gadgets and a few suspension bits. The turbocharged 2.0-liter boxer-4 engine produces about 200 hp, routed to all 4 wheels by means of a dog-box 5-speed guide transmission.

As compared, Block’s STI rally automotive is much from inventory. Builder Vermont SportsCar begins with a naked physique shell, including a full cage and altering a lot of the physique panels. This automotive nonetheless makes use of a 2.0-liter boxer-4 engine, which produces about 330 hp with the necessary air restrictor. A 6-speed sequential gearbox replaces the inventory 6-speed guide.

Block then drives each automobiles on the rally course at DirtFish Rally Faculty in Snoqualmie, Washington. If first, is the 2021 WRX STI, which posts a mean lap time of 1:45.7 over 4 laps. The 1997 Impreza GC8 is subsequent, and whereas its straight pipes make loads of noise, it is common lap time is 1:57.8 That is what trendy know-how and an additional 130 hp will do.

Watch the complete video to see Block hooning each rally automobiles within the filth.