(KEN MACHARIA) – Subaru owners and fans were treated to a weekend of eye-candy and pure display of power and beauty at the inaugural Subaru Fest held at the Auto Cross Jamhuri grounds on Saturday the 29th of October.
The crowd turned up – in spite of the wet conditions-, and were not disappointed as there was plenty of action on and off the track. From pimped out Subaru’s, time races, free diagnostics for Subaru owners to body and interior competitions.
The adrenaline pumped by the sights and sounds of drivers revving up their turbo engines, drowned the rain, and in fact, made it more exciting.
The speed race was probably the main attraction as experienced and amateur drivers competed against each other on the 400-meter muddy stretch. The race was both a test of the driver’s ability to handle their Subaru’s and the strength of the cars.
The challenge for the drivers was navigating the turning point on the return stretch. Most lost valuable time negotiating the corner, but a few attracted wild cheers from fans by maneuvering their car around the bend without having to stop or reverse.
Subaru Kenya drivers showed their handling skills on the new 2011 Subaru Tribeca and 2011 Forester, making it around the muddy course with the simplest of ease. The new vehicles did not look like they were struggling; going to show the prowess of the new range of Subaru’s now available from Subaru Kenya.
But it was only when Subaru owners took the challenge that things started heating up.
Impreza vs. Forester
A silent rivalry between Impereza’s and Forester’s started shaping up as more drivers took the muddy plunge.
However, it was Ian, driving a 1997 2000cc- 4wheel-STI Subaru Impreza, who set the best time of 46 seconds to take home a cash prize of Sh20,000 and Kshs 15,000 of parts and service from Subaru Kenya.
The fact that no Subaru driver got stuck in the thick, black cotton mud, was a great showcase of how powerful, reliable and stable Subaru’s are. Even the legendary Subaru 1984 Leone pick-ups were represented in the race and they held up compared to newer versions of the Subaru.
From the speed race, the attention moved to the ‘Subaru beauty pageant’. Owners submitted their cars for judges to decide which Subaru was the best ‘good looking’. Judges looked at interior design, engine performance and body work.
From a spectator point, the souped’ up Subaru’s were just too amazing to even choose one over the other, but Unity Auto Garage had an edge over the other competitors with their bright pink and black Subaru Impreza WRX STI Turbo with a phenomenal engine that cost nearly Kshs. 2,000,000 to soup up.
Meanwhile, Subaru owners who turned up at the event lined up their cars to have them checked out by the experienced Subaru Kenya staff. The owners get a 40 percent discount on spare parts and special discount on servicing.
All in all, the inaugural Fest lived up to Subaru’s image: “Confidence in motion.” There is talk of another Subaru fest in the works, keep your engines warm and Keep tuned to Capital FM for details.
Were you at the Subaru Fest? Share what took your breadth away below!
PHOTOBLOG: Photo Credits Susan Wong © All rights reserved.
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