As much as it might seem like overkill, one-thousand horsepower isn’t excessive when a well-sorted Subaru is applying that power to the pavement. Four wheel-drive and a tractable motor make the power quite usable, and despite what may first spring to mind, the SJ1000 Impreza is not made for drag racing. That being said, S&J Automotive shod the car in a set of drag slicks and easily ran a 10.1-second pass at 144 miles an hour. With a little more boost, they’re confident a nine-second run is attainable.

This beast uses a uses a billet block from Willall Racing, named the WREJBB, which they’ve doused in gold paint for a nod to rally heritage. Upgrades include a Precision 68/70 Gen 2 turbocharger; a stunning Process West intake manifold; Knight Engines head; Manley crank, I-beam rods & Platinum Series pistons; ACL race bearings and ARP fasteners. Kelford cams, Supertech +1mm valves, an Invidia exhaust, and a major port job help get the 2.7-liter motor to spin that massive snail quickly, and a Johnny Tig intercooler, PWR/MRT radiator, and Process West oil cooler keep the motor cool. To keep the whole assembly running smoothly, they employed an Ecutek ECU for control in a variety of conditions.

To help control those levels of grunt, which are obscene, S&J Automotive opted for a Pfitzer Performance sequential gearbox, an OS Giken triple-plate clutch, the stock R180 differential, and DSS billet axles rated for upwards of nine-hundred horses. Underneath the Rota Vector Pro wheels are a set of WP Pro Pitbull 8- and 6-piston calipers—front and rear—mounted over WP Pro Sawtooth rotors. Supatech coilovers and Whiteline swaybars keep the platform stable and responsive, but allow for enough squat and roll to give it just a hint of a rally car’s body language.

Though the car looks quite simple from the outside, S&J cut the front bumper to improve airflow and trim weight. To further reduce the Subaru’s heft, they’ve gone with carbon replacements for the hood, front fenders, doors, and trunk; and plexiglass windows line each flank of the car. As per typical race car standards, they’ve stripped the interior and added a cage, but except for the addition of a Racetech seat and a Sparco wheel, the cabin looks surprisingly stock for something spitting out so much power.

The car is quite a handful at thirty pounds of boost, where it develops some 850 horsepower: the preferred output for the technical courses it frequents. At forty pounds of boost, the motor will make north of four figures, but as it stands, it’s already bordering on excessive for the hillclimbs and most road courses.

Just to prove its flexibility, it’s taken a respectable stab at World Time Attack Challenge:

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Here, it can be seen recording the fastest-ever lap for a Subaru around Mallala Raceway:

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Though driver Dan Day is quite the hotshoe and the car is relatively friendly, the car is still demanding. Considering the strict confines of these hillclimbs, the savage power available, and the ludicrous straightline speeds attainable with that motor, it’s understandable that even a talented driver gets it wrong occasionally.

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Undaunted, the team took the opportunity to update the machine with new livery, and a new front splitter with canards. There are no limits for this multifaceted monster, and S&J Automotive plan on making it perhaps the best all-around Subaru in Australia—if not the world.