Zoom McRae's legacy closely tied with that of Subaru

Just one week after competition in Germany, the Subaru World Rally Team heads for the gravel roads of Rally New Zealand, the eleventh round of the World Rally Championship, for an event marked by milestones both past and present.

The rally marks the 15th anniversary of Subaru's first World Rally win, on the 1993 New Zealand Rally, at the hands of Colin McRae in what was the last rally for the Subaru Legacy. The win was pivotal in the introduction of the iconic Impreza to the World Rallying scene, effectively heralding the new era for the team. It was also to be the first of three wins for Colin in New Zealand, putting him in the elite group of only three drivers to have ever claimed a hat-trick of victories on the event.

Now, 15 years on, the event also marks the 200th World Rally start for the Subaru Impreza. Although now in its latest iteration, the Impreza's heritage within the WRC is unquestionable and Subaru's road-going iterations carry more WRC lineage than any other marque.

The rally weekend also coincides with the McRae Gathering, a World Record-challenging convoy of more than 1000 Subaru road cars that starts from SWRT's headquarters in the UK. A fitting tribute as Rally New Zealand is an event very significant to Subaru's rally history and to the memory of the Great Scot.

E.A. © CAPSIS International