Subaru has registered for next season's Intercontinental Rally Challenge.
However, the move is not quite a return to top-flight rallying for Subaru, as it will not enter a factory team in the championship.
Instead, its move means that privateer drivers who compete in Subarus will be eligible for scoring manufacturer points in the championship.
Subaru becomes the eighth registered manufacturer in the Intercontinental Rally Challenge next year, alongside Fiat, Honda, Mitsubishi, Peugeot, Proton, Skoda and Volkswagen.
Subaru's motorsport director Shigeo Sugaya commented, "We are very happy to join the IRC, a series that we have been watching closely since its creation three years ago.
"The IRC provides an ideal arena to develop our customer competition activities. With approximately 1000 Subaru cars rallying around the world, this is a great opportunity for our customers."
A Subaru Impreza won the very first round of the IRC, the 2007 Safari Rally, with WRC driver Conrad Rautenbach at the wheel.
Although Super 2000 machinery dominated this year's IRC, with Peugeot's Kris Meeke taking the title, turbocharged Group N machines will be allowed a larger turbo restrictor next season in a bid to improve their chances of success.
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Re: Subaru returns to rallying
Really pleased to see Subaru getting back into rallying, even if it only 'back-door' support at this stage.
Also pleased to see the IRC doing well, hopefully the WRC is taking notice and working on ways to improve its show.
Re: Subaru returns to rallying
I'd agree. I've seen a couple of IRC events on Eurosport over the past year and it's so much more interesting than the WRC at the moment.
Oh and a British champion as well!
Re: Subaru returns to rallying
The IRC is the place to be it seems, with much lower costs. Even the World Touring Car Champioships is suffering withdrawal symptoms. Is motorsport just to expensive, even for the manufacturers, or is it all quite irrelevant. It costs millions just in shipping and transportation to all the circuits and rallies. Perhaps national championships are the way forward.