Subaru WRX STI takes on extreme desert environment: Will it win?

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The new 2016 Subaru WRX STI is running in the 2016 FIA Middle East Rally Championship. How will it handle the extreme desert conditions?

Look for the 2016 Subaru WRX STI rally car built by JRM to take the Middle East desert by storm this season. We’ve written much about the new Subaru WRX STI NR4 spec rally car and it's getting more attention now from global race teams. It looks like its going to be a big deal in the 2016 FIA Middle East Rally Championship (MERC). JRM who builds the newest rally STI for race teams around the globe, says two of these rally-ready cars were purchased by the Qatar Rally Team.

The Middle Eastern team purchased two of the WRX STI’s in a bid to win the production title this season. They will be piloted by two top young drivers Khalifa Saleh Al-Attiyah and Rashid Al-Naimi. Ken Skidmore, team principal of the Qatar Rally Team, said, “The logical choice of car for our 2016 title assault in MERC was the 2016 Subaru WRX STI. We immediately spoke to JRM, an official STI Base Team that is giving its full support to the production category.”

STI at Wales Rally GB impresses the team principal

Skidmore was impressed with how well the 2016 WRX STI’s did in the Wales Rally GB driven by David Higgins and co-pilot Craig Drew. It’s a big reason why he made the investment to buy the two STIs. He went on to say, “We were very impressed. The car ran faultlessly throughout the rally and took an easy production class win, beating many supposedly superior cars.”

The new Subaru WRX STI proved its all-wheel-drive capabilities at Rally GB as the conditions were wet, muddy and treacherous in some places. Day 2 of the Wales Rally GB saw conditions deteriorate throughout the day ending in full monsoon conditions with 40-60 mile per hour wind gusts. The WRX STI piloted by Higgins and Drew ran perfectly all day only needing tires and fuel.

Another tough test for the STI

The Qatar Rally Team is looking for the same results as they run in extreme conditions in another tough environment: The desert. Their goal is to win the seven-round FIA Middle East Rally Championship and it’s why they chose the new 2016 Subaru WRX STI Nr4 spec rally car. The first race is coming up soon, February 4-6. Stay tuned to see how the WRX STI handles the sand and heat.

Source: JRM Group