Subaru Crosstrek Desert Racer returns to Baja 500

The Class 5 Unlimited off-road buggy powered by a Subaru boxer engine will return to competition at this week's legendary Baja 500 off-road race, debuting a new livery in the blue and gold competition colours of Subaru Motorsports and looking to improve on 2018's second-place finish in class.

Since its debut in 2017 as the Subaru brand's first factory-supported desert racing effort, the Crosstrek Desert Racer has pushed the boundaries of its class and racked up podium finishes including a Class 5 Unlimited win at last year's 550-mile (885km) Vegas to Reno race, America's longest off-road event.

The Desert Racer is powered by a 2.5-litre non-turbocharged Subaru boxer engine built by Quirt Crawford of Crawford Performance, producing 300bhp in a lightweight and reliable package.

"Subaru is best known for its success in rally, but Subaru engines have been used in off-road buggies for years," said Crawford.

"My goal with the Crosstrek Desert Racer programme was to show what was possible with a non-turbocharged boxer engine in an unlimited class, and the results so far have been very strong. I'm looking forward to bringing the car back to Baja this year and showing what it can do!"