Nissan GT-R Races Subaru Impreza STI, the Scoob Doesn't Turn Up

Lately, things have changed for the Japanese sedan and its popularity has gone down. Subaru made a few bad decisions along the way - such as turning the STI into a hatchback on some markets - and the downfall of the Mitsubishi EVO, its long-time nemesis, didn't help either.

All this has led to a few generations for whom the STI letters don't mean much, if anything. They are much more likely to resonate with another group of three letters: GT-R. It's not like Nissan's model wasn't around back in Subaru's prime as well, it's just that it had a slightly more discreet presence. It was more of a connaisseur's car, if you like.

These days, you're unlikely to find a kid who doesn't know what Godzilla refers to when talking about the automotive world. This GT-R R35 is arguably past its prime, but the Japanese sports car still demands respect whenever it shows up to a drag race, even when it's not tuned to deliver 2,000 hp.

Pitting the two together won't do anything to salvage what's left of the STI's ego, nor will it make new generations fall in love with it. The blue sedan with golden wheels doesn't stand a chance. Its 2.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder boxer engine is no match for the 3.8-liter V6 in the Nissan, and that's before you start talking about things such as weight, aerodynamic or transmission.

To be fair to the STI, though, the track isn't exactly its natural habitat. The sporty Subaru was never a circuit ace, feeling much more at home on a twisty road, even when the surface was less than ideal. It was - and still is - a car that's fun to drive. The fact that it's reasonably quick is only secondary, and that's shown in this clip by the bucket.