Six Star Magazine Six Star Magazine Spring 2018 | Page 6

SUBARU 360°
SUBARU CELEBRATES
40 YEARS IN CANADA
It was 40 years ago today, Subaru taught drivers how to play. Well, not exactly today—
but it was 40 years ago that Subaru vehicles were first sold in Canada. From our humble
beginnings back in 1978, where we sold just 2,721 vehicles under the auspices of Subaru Auto
Canada Limited, to sales in 2017 which topped 54,570 vehicles, Subaru has prospered with a
nationwide network encompassing 93 authorized dealers across Canada.
At the 2018 Canadian International AutoShow, held in Toronto from February 16 to 23,
Subaru Canada celebrated this anniversary year with a display showcasing the past, present
and future. For the faithful, it was tough to pick just one favourite vehicle on the Subaru stand.
Those with growing families were intrigued by the brand-new 2019 Subaru Ascent.
Performance car aficionados thrilled at the sight of two new limited-edition models: the 2018
Subaru BRZ tS and the 2018 Subaru WRX STI Type RA. And those immersed in nostalgia
swarmed around the 1969 Subaru 360, the first Subaru vehicle sold in North America and the
inspiration behind the name of this section of Six Star.
“For 40 years, Subaru has been delivering safe, reliable, versatile and fun-to-drive vehicles to
countless Canadians,” said Yasushi Enami, Chairman, President and CEO of Subaru Canada,
Inc. “This isn’t just a celebration of 40 years for Subaru in Canada, but a celebration of all the
customers who have helped to get us here, and the bright future that lies ahead of us.”
THE FIRST WRX STI TYPE RA IN CANADA
In early March, a pair of genuine Subaru enthusiasts from
Richmond Hill, Ontario, took delivery of the very first Subaru
WRX STI Type RA in Canada. The chance to own this limited-
edition performance car was an opportunity not to be missed
for Elgin and Connie Dewar.
Already active in Time-Speed-Distance (TSD) rallies, they
were searching for the perfect car to take to Targa Newfoundland,
the legendary tarmac rally that’s staged each September. “We’ve
been looking for quite a while at the WRX, then we kind of
looked at the STI,” Elgin said as the couple took delivery of the
car. “And then this came out—[the] RA—and [it] was a shoe-in
4 six star magazine
at that point.”
The Subaru WRX STI Type RA is inspired by the car that
broke the outright lap record for sedans at the Nürburgring
Nordschleife last year. The same engineers who worked on that
car applied their skills to the road-going RA (code for “Record
Attempt”), creating a more powerful, more exclusive version of
the popular WRX STI.
“We’ve had three Subarus and this is our fourth,” Connie
added. “And we’re so excited—we can hardly wait to drive it.”
The couple plan to stretch the legs of their new car in local TSD
rallies before taking on Targa Newfoundland in 2020.