FAQs

Why is the WRX a good rally car?

The Subaru WRX is bred for rally racing due to its famous Symmetrical All-Wheel drive system and famed boxer engine. The all-wheel-drive system on all Subaru cars has been tested and developed through rally racing over the past decade, so the cars are very reliable and very capable. Additionally, a vast amount of parts through SPT (Subaru Performance Tuning) and STI (Subaru Tecnica International) are available.

How much horsepower does a rally car have?

This really depends on what class the rally car runs in. For example, the rally cars of Subaru Rally Team USA run in the Open Class, where they are required to fit a 34 mm intake restrictor on the turbocharger. This limits horsepower to around 350 hp. Other rally cars in the PGT class of Rally America are fitted with 32 mm restrictors which limit power to between 220 to 275 hp.

What is a ride in a rally car like?

When the driver uncorks the rally car and your body is pressed into the seat with heavy g forces, you know you're in for a wild ride. Being on a roller coaster without a set metal track, it's up to these skilled professionals to guide the car through a never-ending set of twists and turns. Using time-honored rally skills like left-foot braking, Scandinavian flicks and hand brake maneuvers, the car does things you never thought possible. Big air, churning dirt and huge puddles await you deep in the woods.

How can my friends and I see a Rally America National Championship event?

First, check this website to see which event is next on the schedule. The event's website will most likely have spectator information available or will list local locations where you may pick up spectator information. However, the best way to see a rally is to volunteer to help with the event. Please visit http://www.rally-america.com/volunteer.php to learn more. Being a volunteer is the ultimate experience for a rally fan. You'll be a part of the rally and meet all of the drivers and crews. Best of all, the volunteers get as close to the action as the drivers do!

Holding the handbrake on for too long - this will make the car rotate further than you wanted

What isDCCD ? – Driver Controlled Center Differential)

dccd

The Planetary Center Differential in the WRX STI splits engine torque in variable ratios between the front and rear wheels. It also gives the driver a choice – leave ratio choice to computers or set it yourself.

All-wheel drive performance cars are rare enough. But the WRX STi is even more unique because the driver can choose the value of the torque split between the front and rear wheels! Whether the driver makes adjustments to torque distribution in the manual mode via the console-mounted control wheel or entrusts distribution decisions to the DCCD control module through the automatic mode, the ratio of front/rear torque distribution can vary from 35 percent front/65 percent rear to 50 percent front/50 percent rear.

In automatic mode, DCCD varies torque according to input indicating acceleration, deceleration, cornering force and wheel slippage. In manual mode, the driver selects from six stages of center-differential lock-up. The more lock-up, the greater the torque directed to the front wheels – up to the 50 percent front/50 percent rear ratio. Mechanical limited-slip front and rear differentials enhance the system’s effectiveness.

The intent of the adjustable torque split is to improve handling and give the driver an increased sense of performance driving. DCCD accomplishes this through the integrated functions of numerous components.