600HP Subaru Crosstrek Rally Car Can’t Catch Prodrive's VW Golf

It was Chris Atkinson in the new 600hp Subaru Crosstrek rally machine pitted against Mark Higgins, who’s usually behind the wheel of a Subaru setting world records. This time it was Higgins in the Prodrive Volkswagen Golf. In an ironic twist, it was Chris Atkinson driving a VW Golf last year at the Chinese rally for Prodrive.

Atkinson won the final round of the Chinese Rally Championship last year in Changchun to clinch the manufacturers' title for FAW-VW for the second consecutive year. This year it was the Union flag flying again but it was Mark Higgins’ winning in the Liupanshui rally in China. This was his second victory and Prodrive’s 301st. His margin of victory was 50 seconds over Chris Atkinson driving the new Subaru Crosstrek.

The 600hp Subaru Crosstrek rally car was developed by Vermont SportsCar who builds the rallycars and Global Rallycross WRX STI machines for Subaru here in the US. Subaru Rally Team China has been a partner with Subaru going into its second season.

After finishing 36 seconds behind Higgins in the VW Golf at the end of day two, Atkinson tweeted after the race, “Finished 2nd! Found some more speed today. Stoked on the teams efforts. Bring on the next one!” Now it’s back to the states and on to California for Chris Atkinson. SRTUSA heads to Red Bull Global Rallycross in LA, October 13-14.

Photo credit: Twitter @ChrisAtko / @prodrive