Subaru Rally Team USA Dominates Rim of the World ProRally; New 2002 Impreza WRX Rally Cars Score Out-of-the-Box Victories in Open and Group N Classes

    PALMDALE, Calif., May 7 Subaru Rally Team USA took top
honors at this weekend's Rim of The World round of the SCCA ProRally.  Subaru
Rally Team USA driver Mark Lovell and co-driver Steve Turvey piloted their
2002 Subaru Impreza WRX STi to first place overall and first place in the Open
class.  In a dominating performance, Lovell and Turvey finished more than
7 minutes ahead of the second place Mitsubishi of Rhys Millen and Ken Cassidy.
The win was strengthened by another best-in-class victory by Subaru Rally Team
USA driver Karl Scheible and co-driver Brian Maxwell, as the duo scored first
place in the Group N category and fifth place overall.  This marks the second
consecutive back-to-back win for Subaru Rally Team USA and a remarkable debut
for the 2002 Impreza WRX in SCCA ProRally competition.
    "The new Impreza WRX performed flawlessly, I'm very pleased for the entire
team," said driver Mark Lovell.  "For a car to win its first race right
out-of-the box is truly remarkable.  We're confident we've assembled the best
team to challenge for the 2001 Championship."
    "Scoring consecutive wins is a tremendous accomplishment.  We've
definitely raised the bar for the other teams," said Karl Scheible.  "The
conditions at the `Rim' were incredibly tough, but the new Impreza WRX proved
to be the class of the field."
    Subaru Rally Team USA also swept the top spots in last month's Oregon
Trail ProRally in Tillamook, Ore., with Lovell scoring first place overall and
first in Open class, and Scheible finishing first in Group N and fourth
overall.  The Rim of The World victories catapult Subaru to the top of the
points and manufacturer standings in both the Open and Group N classes.
Subaru models finished 5 of the top 8 places overall in Palmdale.

    About the Team
    A truly world class effort, Subaru Rally Team USA is a collaboration
between Subaru of America, Inc., Subaru Tecnica International (STi) and Subaru
World Rally team representative, Prodrive.  Subaru Rally Team USA's drivers
include reigning SCCA Pro Rally Group N Champion Karl Scheible and British
National Rally Champion, Mark Lovell.  Scheible, along with co-driver Brian
Maxwell, will pilot a 2002 Impreza WRX in the Group N class, while Lovell and
co-driver Steve Turvey will compete for top honors in the Open class.
    For additional information on the team, visit Subaru Rally Team USA on the
Web at http://www.Rally.Subaru.com.

    About Subaru of America, Inc.
    Subaru of America, Inc. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Fuji Heavy
Industries Ltd. of Japan.  Subaru pioneered the concept of the passenger
car/sport-utility vehicle with the introduction of the Subaru Outback, the
"World's First Sport Utility Wagon."  The Subaru Legacy is the best selling
All-Wheel Drive car sold in America, based on the Polk Company retail
registration statistics as of 12/31/00.
    Headquartered near Philadelphia, the company markets and distributes
Subaru vehicles, parts and accessories through a network of 588 dealers across
the United States.  All Legacy and Outback models sold in the United States
are produced at the Subaru-Isuzu Automotive Inc. manufacturing plant near
Lafayette, Ind.  Over the past eight years, the company has seen its sales
increase by nearly 100 percent thanks to its popular line of car-based sport
utility vehicles, and is among the fastest growing brands in the automobile
industry.

    CONTACT:  Rob Moran of Subaru of America, 856-488-3326 or
rmoran@subaru.com.

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