All-Subaru Drag Race Lines Up 2,000-HP Worth of Cars, Two of Them Need a Tow

I've heard Toyota owners saying that their cars are the most reliable. But some VW owners will tell you the same thing. Most of the time, these are purely emotional statements. You wouldn't want anyone to think you made the wrong choice, right? Making a decision based on biased opinions alone might not be helpful in the long run. It's an extensive topic, and I won't debate it here.

But it's connected to today's story. In the tuning scene, you'll often hear people bad-mouthing two types of engines: Mazda's rotary and Subaru's boxer. Poor performance and reliability don't always relate to a design flaw or a manufacturer error. It can be due to poor maintenance and comfortable owners. Upgrading your engine can shorten its lifespan. And that's especially true if you cheaped out on parts. And you'll see 2,000-hp worth of Subarus lining up for a drag race down the 1/4-mile (402 meters). It starts with four cars spread across the generations but ends with only half of the field in running order.

The GC8 is always a crowd favorite, representing one of the best JDM car eras. The model shown here has a 2.1-liter stroked engine with a maximum output of 560 horsepower and 660 Nm of torque. I dreamed about a second-gen Blobeye but ultimately decided against buying one. Built for Time Attack racing, this vehicle is slightly heavier than the older model. And it's running on less impressive Accelera tires.

While all four cars have similar horsepower levels, the newer ones have much more torque thanks to packing 2.5-liter engines. They also have to deal with increased weight figures. But all the upgrades Subaru has done over the year have to count for something, right? I often hear people say: don't launch your car, or you'll risk breaking your diff, axle, clutch, or something else.

I paid money for it, so I'm going to drive it! Remember the whole GT-R scandal back in the day? It makes sense that the rolling race is up first, preventing drivers from taking themselves out too early in the game. The modern WRX STI wins both runs, while the GC8 has to settle for last. This format is nice, but we all want to see how they perform during the standing 1/4-mile. Two out of four cars need a tow truck at the end of the day. And it's up to the Time Attack STI and the modern WRX STI to put on a show for the audience. I won't spoil the outcome of this battle, so enjoy the rest of the race.