SUBARU stuck with Vatanen and McRae in the 1993 season, when it would finally achieve its long-awaited first rally victory. Painted the vivid blue of SUBARU's new sponsor (BAT, a UK tobacco company), the Legacy turned in noteworthy performances right from the start of the season. After a close battle for first in the Swedish Rally, McRae ended up with a respectable third place finish. In the Acropolis Rally, the two SUBARU vehicles occupied the top two positions in the first leg. Although they were later forced to retire, SUBARU's first WRC rally win was clearly close at hand.
The long-awaited win finally came in Round 8, the Rally New Zealand. McRae moved into the lead in the third leg, and managed to turn in an outstanding first place finish, foiling the attempts of Ford's Francois Delecour to catch up. SUBARU had won its first WRC event in just four years as a full-time WRC contender. But the 1993 Rally New Zealand was the Legacy's last WRC event. It was now time for the Impreza, a model SUBARU had developed to win the Manufacturers' and Drivers' Titles.
The Impreza's WRC career started with the next round, the 1,000 Lakes Rally. With a lighter body and 15 to 20 horsepower more than the Legacy, the Impreza displayed amazing speed right from this first rally, where Vatanen drove it to a close second-place finish. Vatanen's near-win was echoed by McRae in the season's final round (the RAC Rally), when McRae held onto first place throughout the event until being forced to retire. The Impreza was clearly demonstrating its high potential, and SUBARU's ability to challenge top teams such as Toyota and Ford was no longer in question.
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Markku Alen
