Put the words "Subaru" and "rally" together, and you'll inevitably be flooded with visions of the Impreza WRX STI campaigning in the WRC. This isn't one of those times.
Details are a bit on the scarce side, but what we do know is that Barattero Motorsport and YPF Elaion have teamed up (with a little help from Subaru, we're sure) to compete in the January running of the 2010 Dakar Rally. Their chosen chariot for the epic journey? None other than the recently redesigned Subaru Forester. But it's a Forester in name alone.
Packing a tuned 2.0-liter (JDM-spec) STI boxer four putting out 300 hp and 420 lb-ft of torque, the Elaion is a tube-framed, carbon fiber and kevlar-bodied beast that's been outfitted with dual shocks featuring nine inches of suspension travel, vented, cross-drilled brakes sized 295mm and all the assorted kit to run in the world's most arduous off-road race. Yoshiu Ikemachi and Gabriel Pozzo will kick off their journey in the Dakar Forester on January 1st, but before the festivities get underway they've released a teaser video which you can scoop out below
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TeVp9tmsvMk&feature=player_embedded
