Subiefest 2009
By Eric Hsu
Last Saturday I made it up to Subiefest to check out the Subaru world. These days I don't have much time to make it out to all the events so usually need to double up on reasons to justify going. Since Ben is in town from the UK and we are working on the ECPro ECU for the EVO X, I figured it would be a great opportunity to check out the Suby scene and do some data logging on the way. Ben has a genuine interest in Subies coming from his past job at Prodrive as a WRC head engine development engineer so he wanted to check out the US Suby scene as well.
JC Meynet brought out his Harman Motive/AQ GD out to flex some muscle.
JC flexes Cosworth muscle from his 2.6L Cosworth EJ257 Long Block.
Here's the engine bay of the ESX drag Impreza. That is a big ass compressor wheel. There was an exhibition drag race between the GST Impreza and this ESX car. ESX gave GST 3 cars and the move (GST gets 3 car lengths plus launches first). I wasn't there, but I think I heard the ESX car flew right by after the launch. The GST Impreza runs like a 10.9 in the quarter so the ESX car is pretty quick.
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The GST team painted thier “L” engine bay super ultra maximum triple throw down orange. Even the Cosworth plenum is orange. I thought it was a Halloween thing at first so I looked up at the dash expecting a pumpkin with an evil grin to be sitting there to match the car's demeanor. Damn, even the front engine cover is orange. Did you notice the engine is orange? A cherry on top would have been orange silicone hoses and an orange air filter. Did I mention the engine bay is orange? If you look real closely: IT IS ORANGE. GST was also giving rides on the big track for canned goods for charity.
This show car WRX wagon painted a creamy light dark green while the engine bay was like a metalic pearl purplish hot pink. Both colors were pretty original. Not for me, but original. I generally like car show owners because they buy all the best shit and never really use the parts to their potential. On the other hand, they aren't on the forums telling you how awesome an intercooler is just because they bought their fisher price “my first intercooler” off eGhey.
The Crawford time attack car is black and orange while the engine bay is fluorescent yellow/green. The picture doesn't really show how damn bright the tubes actually are in person. You need sunglasses to look at the engine bay. This is the car that Tarzan Yamada drives at the time attacks. It hauls ass.
The triple rear wing is pretty extreme, but if it works why the hell not? I don't know if that's a 3rd wing or if that is the world's largest Gurney flap. No matter what nothing is as crazy is Chris Rado's Scion TC sprint car front wing though.
The guys from COBB/Surgeline Tuning in Portland, Oregon drove down a customer's car. The car has a Cosworth EJ257 long block and a whole list of goodies. While this car isn't anything super crazy, it is an example of how a well built car with proper parts selection can be reliable with big power and good tuning. I thought the owner of the car said 520whp or so. Tuning was done by Tim at Surgeline using what else? Take a wild guess: a COBB Accessport.
Of course Ben and I went to Subiefest in an EVO X. I think it was the lone Mitusbishi in a 50 mile radius. Subies are cool, but I like EVOs better. You like Pepsi and I like Coke. Its nothing personal.
Here's Ben getting crazy with two laptops. There's a third laptop in the backseat for use with another tool. Data, data, and more data was what our day was about. The more, the merrier.
Anyhow, Subiefest was a great event if you are a Subaru nerd. Don't forget to bring the Monster and DC Gear, flat bill cap, shin height black socks, and Dickies shorts though. For me it was pretty interesteing, but I still cannot seem to get into the exhaust note of a Subaru with an open exhaust. It either sounds like it's off a cylinder and if it has an equal length header, then it sounds like a turbo B-series Honda. Neither of which sound like the music of a Nissan RB at 9000rpm. Like Ben says, “Its gotta have 6 in a row, mate.”
