Subaru Forester will be run in 2010 Dakar Rally *pics and videos*

[EJ25RUN]

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 after the jump.

Videos

Official video by Equipo Subaru-Elaion
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCKunAUzYFQ

Idle
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJr6FtjFaOg

Test Run
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYeqX3U9bFw

Onboard
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMP8AKA7mGs






Early testing (With old front end)

[SampaGuy]

Cool. Those 2 last pictures with the old front end are from the 2009 Sertoes (which I think they DNF), are you sure its the same car?

Have they released the route for the 2010 Dakar yet?

[EJ25RUN]

Cool. Those 2 last pictures with the old front end are from the 2009 Sertoes, are you sure its the same car?

Have they released the route for the 2010 Dakar yet?

It is the same. I think the onboard vid is from the Sertoes.

I guess they wanted to run that front untill they revealed the production looking front end of the Forester which makes it look much better imo.