WRX STI

Make
Subaru
Segment
Sedan

Internet sensation Ken Block is a man not known for subtlety, but he is someone who's pretty sharp behind the wheel of a rally car. After parting ways with Ford and selling three of his legendary Blue Oval-badged cars, many wondered what he might be getting up to lately. Last month, we learned that the man will not be idle this year and will be racing in a multitude of disciplines. Despite having a busy schedule, he still has time to mess around with his toys, and in today's video, we get to see Block compare his brand-new 2021 Subaru WRX STI rally car to something similar from the '90s - the iconic GC8.

The GC8 isn't the famed 22B model but is pretty impressive nonetheless. It's a Group N racer with some Group A upgrades and boasts a Reiger suspension. It's built by Prodrive, the Subaru experts, and its 2.0-liter turbo-four boxer engine produces around 200 horsepower and a similar number in torque. Inside, you get a full roll cage and an H-pattern dog 'box. Meanwhile, Block's WRX STI has similar suspension and a similar engine layout but has a six-speed sequential gearbox and generates around 330 hp. The inside is the place that makes this feel like a real racer and is properly stripped out. As a modern racer, loads of screens and switches characterize this cabin. So which is best: old and simple, or new and complex?

As you can guess, it's the newer car that is faster - by a whopping ten seconds, but we have to keep in mind that this particular GC8 is very lightly modified and was never a top-tier racer, while Block's WRX STI is a purpose-built race car with numerous performance enhancements. That being said, it does highlight how much technology has advanced in the space of 25 years or so and how much more capable cars are. Still, would you rather have the classic look of a GC8 with a little bit of performance or loads of power and brilliant handling in a car that would look at home in your cereal bowl? We'd have the GC8.