The North American division of Subaru acts as a sponsor of the Grabowski Brothers Racing team in the ongoing Baja 500 race. The team is currently leading their Subaru Crosstrek Desert Racer to victory in the Class 5 Unlimited category.
You may notice that the dune buggy borrows its name from Subaru’s mass-produced compact SUV model, but this is pretty much the only thing the two have in common.
The vehicle has been built with the assistance from Crawford Performance. It comes powered by a 2.5-liter, naturally aspirated, opposite-cylinder engine good for 304 hp (228 kW). It dons the trademark blue-and-gold rally car livery of the Japanese marque.
The Baja 500 is the longest rally in America, spanning the distance between Las-Vegas and Reno this year.
The production-issue Subaru Crosstrek ships with a choice between a two-liter gasoline engine and a hybrid powertrain rated at 150 hp (112 kW).
Photos: Subaru