The Badass Boosted Baja

Remember the Subaru Baja?  I always referred to it as the Bahaha.  As in "Bahaha, who would buy a Legacy wagon with a 4' pickup bed and two tone body cladding?"  The answer was "almost no one," and as a result you hardly ever see them any more.  They're unique in that retina-searing ugly sort of way, but if you're building a performance Subaru why wouldn't you just start with a WRX?  Sure, there was a factory turbo version (the Baja Turbo, with a 215bhp 2.5L and a mandatory 4-speed automatic) but it was no great shakes either.

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S75TxIe0oS8

If watching this big-turbo slammed Baja auto-cross doesn't put a smile on your face, you might need a hug.  It doesn't look like it handles too bad either, but the sound it makes when it opens up on that back straight is just a riot.

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2Pb1lnCZR4

This dyno video was taken on the old turbocharger; it still put down 340 horsepower to all four wheels, and 365 lb-ft!  Notice the presence of a manual transmission: something you couldn't get on Baja Turbos from the factory.

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ztkWZADb5U

This is after an upgrade to an even larger turbo (a custom-built TD06-18gxt) and a switch to E85 ethanol fuel.  No dyno numbers, but it should be north of 400awhp with this setup: especially considering the very high effective octane rating of E85.

Goes to show that with a bit of ingenuity, a stack of money, and a lot of determination you can build a badass street machine out of anything.  Even if it's a Subaru Baja.  Unconventional, sure: but imagine the smile he gets when he whoops Mustangs on the track!

Intro image from Z.Emerick at brokenspeed who did a more in-depth feature on Rob's Baja.