Block and co-driver Alex Gelsomino campaigned the car during their 2006 X Games run.
Rally fans have a rare opportunity to acquire a competition-prepped Subaru Impreza 2.5 RS campaigned by Ken Block and co-driver Alex Gelsomino during their X Games battles against drivers like Colin McRae and Travis Pastrana. The car, which still wears a Monster Energy No. 43 livery, is currently listed for sale over at Bring a Trailer.
According to the listing, this 2004 Impreza RS was first sent to the rally experts at Vermont SportsCar back in 2006, when Block had the car converted to Open Class specifications. Engine upgrades include improved cooling components, a Prodrive 34mm turbo restrictor, a MoTeC ECU, and a higher-flow fuel pump among other tweaks for competition. Öhlins shocks work alongside Cusco suspension hardware to soak up the brutal road conditions, while an underbody armor kit protects the vital bits. Cusco also supplied the upgraded front and rear limited-slip differentials, while the driver controls the center unit from the cabin. A five-speed dog-box manual transmission sourced from KAPS replaces the factory unit, complemented by a cool exposed linkage.
The cabin itself is as you’d expect a race car to look, complete with Recaro buckets, Sabelt six-point harnesses, and a full cage. It is worth noting that those seats and harnesses have passed their expiration date, according to the seller. A Coralba Giant rally computer largely dominates the rest of the custom carbon fiber dash.
Block provenance aside, there are a few little issues with the car. Extensive water damage in 2005 saw the car titled as a total loss, though that didn’t stop driver Mark Fox and co-driver Jake Blattner from acquiring it for more racing in 2009. It has also been involved in a number of on-track incidents, with evidence of repairs taking place over the years. There are some remaining scuffs on the bodywork, but nothing abnormal for a competition car. Not that we expect to see this particular machine find its way back to the rally circuit any time soon.
