Subaru’s RSTi four-wheel-drive machines make crazy power when the super-strong engine is hopped up with lots of boost, as Samuel at ProMotors in Iceland has done with his RSTi.
The “Subaru burble” put forth by the flat-four turbocharged engine is present and accounted for throughout the video, which shows Sam tearing up the track from a number of angles. The in-car cam shows him holding the car back on the starting line with the handbrake (!) before popping the brake down as his clutch foot comes up. And you don’t typically see powershifting at this horsepower level as most racers have converted to the more consistent/easier to drive automatic transmissions by this point.
Sam doesn’t take any prisoners on his way though the traps, lighting the board with a stout 9.27 at 147 MPH. As we get to watch the multiple angles of the run, it’s wild to see just how out of shape the car gets on the starting line and how hard he works to keep it under control.
All-wheel-drive launches at this power level are no joke. With well over 700 horsepower on tap trying to power all four wheels, it’s a wonder he can even get the car out of the hole in something resembling a straight line. Keep your eye on the passenger-side footwell during the launch sequence — the floor mat simply rolls up and runs for cover as he drops the hammer, then comes back to life as he passes through the traps and lets off the pedal. It’s the result of a 1.37 60-foot clocking, achieved through the stock six-speed transmission.
The engine uses a set of Darton sleeves in the EJ257 block, which houses a set of custom 134mm Pauter X Beam connecting rods, 10.0:1 Manley custom pistons, and a stock cross-drilled EJ207 crankshaft. The EJ255 cylinder heads still rely on OEM ports, but have been upgraded with GSC s3 cams and dual valve springs. The car runs at 2,800 pounds and rolls with E85 fuel, and the whole works is pumped up by a Borg-Warner S366 turbocharger. This is sweet stuff from overseas — check it out!