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A pair of SUBARU Forester entries will take part in the Rally Raid Adventure, 'Dakar 2010' which will kick off on the 1st of January 2010 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and run across the Andes, through Chile's demanding and rough stages, finally arrive back in Buenos Aires on the 17th of January. The total distance is approximately 9,000 kms.
The Dakar Rally, longtime held in Africa, moved to South America starting in 2009, and 2010 will mark the second annual event there. Hitting rough spots in the Patagonian plains in Argentina and the Andes Cordillera mountain range, then traversing the Atacama desert in Chile along the way, the first half will finish in Antofagasta. During the return leg to Buenos Aires, a large crowd of South American uniquely passionate motorsport fans are expected to line the roadside of the route, who are lured by the mid-summer heat.
Taking part in this rally are two entries of the SUBARU Forester, specially prepared by Barattero (STI Group N Base Team) who also provide support for the teams and drivers of the Impreza WRX STI in a variety of South American championships and national rallies throughout South America various countries.
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Barattero, based in Cordoba in central Argentina, is a famous team with vast experience in international rallies including the P-WRC, and is also heavily engaged in the development of their own in-house competition parts such as suspension components. Within its own home turf in the Andes, the Dakar rally route will be as familiar as Barettero's own backyard. The Forester uses a 2-litre turbo boxer engine which is more advanced than that found in the Impreza. The chassis, which has been developed specifically for this rally, reached a level of delivering possible higher performance in terms of both its durability and endurance.
The drivers of the SUBARU Forester entries will be Yoshino Ikemachi, winner of the Production class in the 2004 Dakar Rally, and former P-WRC driver Gabriel Pozzo. Ikemachi: "The cars we've entered, which use the same turbo engine as the Impreza, have shown high levels of reliability and a significantly high output, even at low rpms. The bodywork is compact, framed with roll cage tubes, giving a lighter impact than the Raid cars. In my opinion, it responds rapidly, much like the Impreza in actual driving conditions and is totally different from the off-road model. I'm expecting a formidable performance from the car."
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