Video: Semenuk, Slalom & Subarus

Sep 19, 2018
by Pinkbike Staff  
Brandon Semenuk and Martin Rowe go head-to-head in a dual slalom in 2019 Subaru WRX STIs. Fastest two runs combined wins.











Posted In:
Videos


Author Info:
pinkbikeaudience avatar

Member since Jul 22, 2013
3,460 articles

91 Comments
  • 141 1
 E-bikes got really weird really quickly!
  • 6 0
 Probably the funniest thing I’ve heard today haha
  • 4 0
 Wait til Cam McCaul shows up in his VW.
  • 50 4
 well...i'm glad he's having fun doing what he loves but it's about 1000% less fun to watch than him throwing it down on a slopestyle/rampage/DJ run
  • 47 0
 No bottle cage?
  • 1 0
 several actually
  • 35 8
 WRX STi. Same car since 2004 with a weak motor from the 90s. Use as depicted likely voids warranty.
  • 9 2
 Can confirm. Got rid of my 2016 STI a couple months back. Fun owning a childhood dream car but the reality of it is is that it's too outdated.
  • 17 1
 All the more reason to buy an old one. Same as buying a new one but at a lower cost.
  • 6 3
 I had an 09 that suffered from the known 08-11 paint chipping issue. Subaru of Canada screwed all customers who had the issue... damned doors and rockers looked like they had been sandblasted by 3000km.

Finally dumped the piece of crap when I missed a shift, redlined and caused a knock in the engine (so much for a rev limiter).

Never buy a Subie again.
  • 4 1
 Never flog a stock STI, your ringlands will thank you :-)
  • 6 3
 @XxbrennanxX: I just dumped my '16 STi as well... bought an '18 Camaro SS 1LE. Chevy has not been sitting on their a$$, the 1LE is amazing. 150 more hp, better fuel economy.
  • 4 1
 How would this compare to the Focus RS?, that looks like a fun car
  • 11 0
 The FA20 in the regular WRX is far superior and is the future. Not to mention 30mpg and can easily be built to blow the doors of a factory STi. Rumour is that the STi will get a higher tuned 2.4DIT motor from the new Ascent. I love Subies but what really killed the STi was the end of the Mitsubishi Evo. No competition equals lazy development.
  • 3 0
 @coyotecycleworks: I agree, and would recommend the WRX for a street car, but you gotta go STi for the beefier transmission and differentials. They make a BIG difference on track or around an AutoX. I'll also agree with everyone else about it being outdated. If I could buy any STi brand new today, I'd pick the '05. Sad that it hasn't really improved in 13 years, but I still want one. Almost bought a black '18 this spring. Damn rear-facing kid seats were too big. I'll try again next year when the kids are in regular car seats.
  • 2 0
 @Davidsym: Wish buying bikes was that easy, bet you could buy an old one and put a new engine in it?
  • 3 0
 @coyotecycleworks: Weak conrods. Bring back the closed deck and forged internals from the 90s legacy with the ability to stroke to 2.8.
  • 5 2
 @brownstone: Focus blows head gaskets at stock boost levels.
  • 2 3
 Regular WRX is better bang for your buck. Way cheaper, updated engine which can easily be tuned to STI-level hp, and it honestly looks better without the wing.
  • 2 0
 @davec113 not quite man, the body shape GJ/VA has been around since 2011 and the engine (EJ257), since 2004.
  • 2 0
 @bikerkidandre: Bought a 2015 WRX when it came out... The 2.0 is a fantastic modern motor. Boost comes on much faster than the STI and I’m averaging 32mpg overall. The Japanese version of the STI uses a tuned version of the same motor, 304hp from the same 2.0 displacement.
  • 2 0
 @streetkvnt-kvlt: Yes, I had a '16, the new chassis is decent. However, a friend of mine has an '04 and driving them back to back they are very close. If I were to race one and cage/seam weld the car I'd take the old chassis. The middle years ('08-'14 in the US) WRX/STI on the Legacy platform was not good. I loved driving my Subies in the snow and on dirt roads but it's not great for anything else. It also doesn't have adequate cooling for track use or oil temp/pressure gauges, and such use may be deemed abuse by Subaru and will void warranty so it's really not a good car for track use. Fuel economy is unbelievably bad for a smaller car w/ only 300 hp. I could go on, lol... it is a great car if you live in the mountains and drive on dirt/snow a lot though!

Subaru just settled a class action suit about the 2.5L turbo motor's reliability issues here in the US. They have to reimburse some people and extend warranty to 8yr/100k miles.
  • 2 0
 @nuttypoolog: Wait for 2020, hopefully they will have a new car out, maybe with a 2.4L DIT motor. As nice as the tranny is on the car it's a reason it gets such bad fuel economy. They need to use a real 4-wheel torque vectoring system w/o the drag of 3 mechanical LSDs. That and longer gearing would help a lot, it should average closer to 30 mpg rather than the current car's ~20ish mpg. I had a couple WRXs w/the 2.5L that got 5 mpg better vs the STi even with a tune. Some full size pickups use the same or less gas and are as fast 0-60.

After driving the STi on dirt I'd never want to go back to the WRX with it's open diffs! STi just does what I want consistently, WRX was much less consistent.
  • 1 1
 @choppertank3e: Agree. They have an open-deck block which just seems like a really stupid idea. The recall replaced gaskets, but the fix is a new bottom-end.
  • 1 3
 STI's sound like fucking garbage. My outback's managed to go 50k without anything beyond basic wear items.
  • 2 0
 @davec113: Everything about your experience is spot-on, minus the torque-vectoring (driver aids suck). I do not want something applying brakes when I'm full throttle. I battle heat in brakes, so I'd MUCH rather use driver input and LSD diffs to keep my car out of the trees. The gold paint on my last STi's brakes turned black from heat. Boiled my hub bearing grease too. Used about 4-5 sets of tires a year. My point is; if you're going to actually ROAST your STi, it's an awesome car. It's WAY more of a car than 99% of owners realize. If you're going to drive around town and floor it from an intersection, buy a RWD Camero.
  • 3 0
 @davec113: I had a lot of success in AutoX and on track in a time-attack style event, but anything over an hour was heat-soak city. We probably both know that if you want to own something in the $20K range that'll crush it on the track, the older Z06 Corvettes are the way to go. Unfortunately 6 months out of the year a slick tire Z06 wouldn't make it out of my garage. Last year we got 360" of snow... Like I said, if I could buy any STi brand new tomorrow, I'd buy an '05. I could flat-foot that thing in the rain and just steer it wherever i wanted to go.
  • 2 0
 @nuttypoolog: I mean the new STi needs real torque vectoring in place of LSDs, like the rear end of the Ford RS but for all 4 wheels. I was not a fan of the brake based "torque vectoring".

Also, newer Camaro SS 1LEs are probably very close to a C5 Z06, they are for sure a more composed chassis, better traction, and easier to drive fast. They beat the new STi RA on C&D's lightening lap by around 10 seconds. They also don't overheat and have a warranty that covers track use. Not even in the same universe as the STi anymore. It's kinda sad for Subaru, I hope they come up with a quantum leap for 2020 rather than an evolution of the same old.
  • 1 0
 @davec113: true that man. It's like they added a shed load of pointless weight and strangled the engine so it gave the worst mileage possible whilst making it less powerful than it deserved to be. I'd take an early/mid 00's chassis engine combo as well.
  • 1 0
 @streetkvnt-kvlt: My 2.5 Forester XT (Same basic engine as the STI) failed at 120,00 miles. Head gasket failure. The car has been maintained meticulously. Subarus really have some very serious reliability issues.

If I was going for a Subaru again it would have to be a Japanese import STI with the 2.0 litre engine. The 2.5 is a ticking time bomb. Pity because I still love the look and sound of them.
  • 2 0
 Ah yes, I'll come to a bike website for car advice. Sounds bulletproof.
  • 1 0
 @Davidsym: for sure, but.... YOLO (you only launch once)
  • 2 0
 @humoroususername: I totally hear you man. There's a reasonable amount of good used Japanese import STI's for sale here in New Zealand, all with the 2.0 engine. Pity if I want to buy a new one here it's the 2.5 even with the extra 30kw or so and the STI trickery, it's not so appealing. Pity cos they've got some good deals on them at the moment.
  • 2 0
 @BigLips93: only if they're Subaru's and or VW's lol
  • 2 0
 @davec113: By far the best car I’ve ever owned was a 98 Impreza obs I swapped the 2.5 heads onto the 2.2 block, bored and stroked to match and for forged internals, and ran it at 12:1 compression ratio n/a. Welded diff and hydraulic ebrake. On dirt it was absolutely stellar. I will forever miss that car especially when I think back to it while driving my 04 wrx. I have two kids these days and had to make the decision between bikes and race cars. Bikes won lmao. That being said the wrx hatch sure is a great dad mobile. I can drop the kids off at the sitter, fold down the seats put a bike or two in (been slacking on getting a roof rack) and go shred.
  • 1 0
 @bikerkidandre: Definitely disagree with the wing argument.. I think they look terrible without one. Guess it's a preference thing, but with the STI, you get DCCD, and true front and rear LSD's, bigger brakes, etc, so you definitely get more with STI. Biggest downfall to them is the outdated engine, but maybe they will hear us, and redesign in 2019?
  • 1 0
 @boadway: 1st and 2nd generations definitely look better with the wing. The newer ones, i just think it's a bit cleaner and less gimmicky without the wing. And you're right about the upgraded tech but that engine is TIRED, so I'd rather go with a WRX and upgrade it myself rather than start with a loaded STI.

All of this is pretty useless to me now though, because I am now an off-road guy at heart.
  • 22 2
 This isn’t pinksubaru.com
  • 12 0
 Followed the link, now I'm learning Japanese. See you at the other end of the rabbit hole!
  • 3 0
 @TomCastellani: hahha awesome
  • 19 1
 I kept waiting for the cork 720...
  • 6 1
 Would like to see Brendan Semenuk, Gee Atherton and Nicolas Vouilloz do a challenge:

Rally (car)
DH race (bike)
4x (or 3x) race (bike).

Obviously Gee and Nicolas are more at the bicycle race end of the spectrum though I think Brendan is probably quick too and I'd be a bit afraid seeing good ol' Nicolas compete in something like a speed and style contest.
  • 4 1
 Yes but Gee and Nico are both excellent rally drivers ,Just put all 3 in cars and let the boys have some fun
  • 5 1
 Nico was a rally driver for years. From Wikipedia:
"In 2000, Vouilloz started rallying in local and then national rally series. He debuted in the World Rally Championship at the 2001 Monte Carlo Rally. His best result in the WRC is ninth place at the 2004 Wales Rally GB, driving a Peugeot 206 WRC for the Bozian Racing team. Being a Peugeot protégé and development driver, Peugeot Sport paired Vouilloz with experienced codriver Denis Giraudet (winner of the 1994 WRC title with countryman Didier Auriol).

Following Peugeot's decision to pull out of the WRC, Vouilloz competed on a full-time basis in the Intercontinental Rally Challenge from 2007 to 2009. He was runner-up in 2007 with three wins. In 2008, he won the championship in a Peugeot 207 S2000, ahead of Belgian teammate Freddy Loix, with one win, six second-place finishes and top 5 finishes in each race.[1] In 2009 he finished fourth with the same car, collecting three podiums but no wins."
  • 2 1
 You sir are onto something!

Throw Travis Pastrana in there too with a moto race Big Grin
  • 2 0
 @marko369: Actually I chose these riders because they've all proven to be proficient on both the mountainbike as well as rally car. Not sure about Pastrana and MX riding. That is, I don't know how these mtb/rally riders fare on a motocross bike and how Pastrana does on a mountainbike. If it were for an MX race, we should probably get Jeffrey Herlings in there too.
  • 7 0
 Tech talk aside... Can we just take a moment to appreciate Semenuks results in Rally? Dude slays anything he gets into. He really is next level humanoid.
  • 2 0
 Dude is good, and I watch a lot of rally. Props Brando! Hope they never quit making Subies. Evo's need to come back although the old one is still so sick....and no more Focus for the US, glad I got my 2016...still waiting to up the hp...can't wait.
  • 2 1
 he would have no chance against walter röhrl in an old audi sport quattro
  • 2 0
 @funkzander: I’d take a group b Quattro or rs200 over just about anything new. Those thing truly were monstrous
  • 1 0
 @funkzander: or Toivonen in Lancia Delta S4 ;-)
  • 1 0
 @AspidMan: mh delta integrale ... group b had so awesome cars
  • 1 0
 @funkzander: It’s crazy that more people don’t even have a clue what group b was. Maybe it’s just because rally isn’t very popular where I live (Ohio, U.S.) or my age group could be the problem, but when I bring these cars up to people I just get blank looks back lol
  • 1 0
 @Hardtailhooligan: crazy how most Americans don't know the first thing about MotoGP, F1 and WRC...ask them who the best drivers are and they're all Nascar names...lol. Love watching old rally events, and hill climbs.
  • 1 0
 @rcrdrvr: Man you got me on Moto lol. I barely even know who’s riding mx either. It’s weird I love cars, I love mtb/bmx but I’ve never been interested in motorcycles. It just never clicked for me lol
  • 1 0
 @Hardtailhooligan: those tires gripping that track in ultra slow mo HD is insane to see...plus, you know, they hit 200+ mph on those things. Love the mechanics behind all the most advanced racing machines. Like rallycross too...600 hp outa those little things and 0 to 60 in 2 sec! And of course Loeb and Solberg are still driving and battling there.
  • 8 1
 wish they had the old blue impreza turbo with the golden rims...colin mcrae rip
  • 3 0
 22b!
  • 4 0
 love my 2018 STi. insanely fun car! it's been a dream car since I first laid eyes on the first gen WRX on a rally car magazine. It's even better with the bikes on the roof Wink
  • 1 0
 yes dude
  • 5 1
 Proof that 16" aren't dead.
  • 2 0
 those are 19's
  • 2 0
 Haha, nice to see something different for a change...... Racing is racing. My son has the same car and loves it.... so do I, but he won't lend it to me. Smart kid. LOL
  • 2 0
 Pretty cool watching Semenuk race for Yamaha this last weekend at the Idaho rally. Didn't get the chance to meet him but that dude can drive just as well as he can ride
  • 4 0
 I would rather watch beets, bears, Battlestar Galactica
  • 5 1
 that was lame.... Even for an advertisement
  • 2 0
 The sincerity in Semenuk’s voice was truly unReal.
  • 1 0
 Hoping for a 2.4 DIT motor in the new STI. The new motors are headed the right direction, the equal length headers bum out the Subaru enthusiast. Gotta love the sti for a drive line and platform though.
  • 5 1
 #ad
  • 7 1
 #semenukgetspaaaaaaaaaaaaiiiidd!
  • 1 0
 "this little light of mine, im going to let it shine" ( reference to check engine lights after hard corners)
  • 2 0
 looking forward to the next generation STI,but I love my outback!
  • 1 0
 What tyres did they use cause you can't get rally tyres bigger than 15s which means a brake change in Sti and WRX?
  • 2 0
 Those bikes have no pedals!!
  • 1 0
 Yes they do
  • 2 0
 Thanks for that Pinkcar!
  • 1 0
 stoked to see Semenuk with some proper facial hair
  • 1 0
 A car that gets worse gas mileage than my truck, and cost way more.
  • 1 0
 Hey look it’s a Subaru corolla!
  • 1 0
 classic semenuk barspin routine
  • 1 0
 Thank Great Spirit that these are not electric!
  • 2 0
 18aintdead
  • 1 0
 Ok den...
  • 1 0
 Sweet commercial
  • 1 2
 Or there is still the option to buy an Evo instead...
  • 2 0
 Not new there isn't.
  • 1 0
 old ones still look sick, but yeah...no more focus either
  • 1 0
 @rcrdrvr: Granted there isn't a new Evo on the horizon, however the 10 would give this WRX a good go!! The Focus RS being cut is probably a good idea as it was getting a bit pointless when there are so many ST's out now that are hard to pick apart as there aren't many cool elements to the RS this time.
The new Civic Type R on the other hand is an absolute weapon - 300+Bhp turbo with all of those louvres and wing it's got a definite nod to the old skool cool turbo'd hot hatches!
  • 1 0
 @McArdle: can totally respect and bow down to what they did with that fwd...but the back is horrid! Reminds me of star wars...as if that could be a bad thing. Saw a white one and thought - stormtrooper...the dude even had litesbr for a license plate.
  • 1 0
 @rcrdrvr: Indeed, I don't understand why they didn't go AWD with the new CTR though, power transfer would have been more effective!
Yes I agree, the engine and interior are the major plus points.
Vtec engines are unreal though, my crx was epic, power-weight ratio was flawless!!
  • 1 4
 Oh how he seeks attention!







Copyright © 2000 - 2024. Pinkbike.com. All rights reserved.
dv42 0.044781
Mobile Version of Website