Subaru ponders one-make rally series

Subaru is contemplating a one-make rally series centred on its small SUV, the Impreza-based XV. It's all in line with the importer's strategy of attracting new – younger – buyers to the brand.

The information came to light during the media presentation earlier this week for the new Levorg wagon, when Subaru Australia MD Nick Senior openly expressed his view that an association with motor sport would help bring more buyers to the brand.

"We need to attract some younger people into that [motor sport], and one of the things we did a few years ago was the one-make Subaru RS challenge, which attracted younger people at a reasonably lower cost," he explained.

"And some of those have gone on to do really good stuff in rallying, here and overseas.

"It's one of the reasons why we've chosen to go down the path of NR4, Group N showroom stock standard car in the ARC... to make it more affordable. The days of spending millions in motorsport are well and truly over; we've gotta make it more appealing, more enticing…

"We've gotta have an entry level for people to come into motor sport. We're demonstrating that; we wouldn't dismiss the idea of doing another one-make series, if the opportunity arose in the future."

The next day, Senior told motoring.com.au that the idea was embryonic, but a basic premise had been worked out, should the concept gain traction.

"At this stage it's only really an idea that we've tossed around internally. Since we've been back in rallying the thing that has sort of become apparent is… [there is] a lot of familiar faces at rallies, but we need to bring in younger people that haven't been exposed to the sport.

"To do that, they need a reliable, cost-effective car. The old RS series was the blueprint for how it should be done. If you could replicate that, a car for around $30,000... somewhere under $40,000, then make it really cheap to run...

"That's where the thinking is, so we'll progress it. If we get any feedback or interest will just do a little bit more on it."

The Subaru boss suggested the XV would be the logical car for the series. An SUV rally series had been proposed several years back, running in parallel with the Australian Rally Championship. There was little interest at the time, but Senior hints that the market has changed so much since then that an SUV series could catch on this time around.

"The reason I say that is [because] SUV sales are probably going to pass passenger sales next year, yet there is no real outlet for SUVs in motor sport. It's just I think it's a good avenue to get out there... some exposure for that category.

Being based on the Impreza, the XV won't appear in Australia as an all-new model until the donor car arrives first, in January 2017. According to Senior, the XV will follow several months after that: "To be safe, I'd say early quarter three."

That would push back a start for a one-make series to 2018 at the earliest, Senior acknowledged.

"That would be where the timing would be."

While the XV is surprisingly chuckable on dirt, it's not the fastest machine in a straight line, but Senior says Subaru wouldn't consider selling any sort of performance parts to XV rallyists.

"I think the more and more I look at it, motor sport and rallying in particular, the more you can do standard. To try and keep costs down is the way to go," he said.

And that's another reason Subaru is considering the XV for the one-make series, rather than the BRZ sports car.

"There's a couple of things there..." Senior said. "Toyota are off doing their 86 series on the race tracks. To me an 86 or BRZ is more a racetrack-type car, and I think to me, you're going to be able to do an XV cheaper as well, than a BRZ, I reckon.

"I think the other thing is at the end of the day we've got 99 per cent all-wheel drive [in the local product portfolio], so it fits with that strategy."

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