Wednesday 4th April 2012

You Know You Want To: Impreza WRX with cat tracks

When the going gets snowy, just slap on your Dominator track system...

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"WOW!" proclaims the over-excitable American advert "You are looking at what may be only the SECOND tracked WRX in the history of the world. In all of our research we have not been able to find any other tracked WRX. Just this one, and Ken Block's. Ken Block's car is rumoured (sic) to be worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. This one can be yours for only $17,500!"

Now, while that does sound like your typical US hyperbole, we've got to admit that this 2002 Subaru Impreza WRX complete with caterpillar tracks is a pretty cool vehicle and, as the vendor rightly points out, undoubtedly a darn sight cheaper than Ken Block's version.

It's also surely an ideal car for those of us suffering the unseasonably late April snow. Best of all, when the white stuff melts you can whip the tracks off and bung regular wheels and tyres back on, though that does admittedly leave with nothing more than an ever-so-slightly chavvy US-spec bug-eyed Impreza.

There is another small downside to this vehicle, however: the car's located 550 miles to the north of Detroit, and the eBay auction has only a day and a half to go as we type ... so you'd better get those bids in sharpish.

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Impreza WRX with Dominator tracks
Price: $16,900 USD (according to the ad)
Why you should: If it's snowing it's better than skis
Why you shouldn't: Snow here likely to have melted by the time it ships

[ellisd82]

Would rather have super big monster truck wheels than tracks - But still really cool!

[Evil.soup]

I love that but is it really as simple as it sounds?????

[Fleckers]

do they come painted in Scooby Gold ??

[angusc43]

That's an 11 for me.

[MCBrowncoat]

Cool, but wouldn't it rip into the mudguards on sudden steep inclines?

[johnpeat]

MCBrowncoat said:

Cool, but wouldn't it rip into the mudguards on sudden steep inclines?

I believe the idea is that the metal beam you see dropping from the hub keeps the belt/track at a constant tension (and thus variable distance) to the ground - so that as you go up an incline, the tracks make an ever 'steeper' pyramid and don't catch the arches.

No idea if it works - but you can buy an almost 'off the shelf' track system for some 4WD cars whereby you just replace the wheels with tracks and I imagine that's all we're looking at here (abeit fitted to something they probably weren't designed for in terms of ground clearance and wheelarch space)

The fact is still HAS mudguards/bumpers/arch liners suggests it either works of they're scared to try?

[Gixer_fan]

Come on, really? I thought April 1st was last Sunday... Would like to see an action video first.

[Dave Hedgehog]

i want

F.A.B. Virgil !

[iva cosworth]

Looks to me like Clarkson/Hammond/May have had their angle grinders and tools out again;)

[jains15]

The Advert passage at the beginning of this article sounds to me like the Family Guy 'Jewish Eye Surgery' spoof

[muppet42]

Or turn one into a quad... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mHaiLfpOdo ...safe

[V12 Migaloo]

iva cosworth said:

Looks to me like Clarkson/Hammond/May have had their angle grinders and tools out again;)

Looks too well done to have been touched by clarkson...

[Flood]

Gixer_fan said:

Come on, really? I thought April 1st was last Sunday... Would like to see an action video first.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHM9bh-qlec

From the ad, it all looks rather sensible really. I think I'd rather have one with round wheels and go everywhere sideways.

[WeirdNeville]

I can't see how the steering would work at all, in particular. It's not like you can make a track 'scrub' like a tyre does. I predict imminent and expensive front suspension collapse and death.

[LotusOmega375D]

Nah, you'd only end up wishing you'd bought the STi version.

[Riggers]

Gixer_fan said:

Come on, really? I thought April 1st was last Sunday... Would like to see an action video first.

Follow the link to the eBay ad, or the Ken block story - both have Youtube vids

[99t]

From the youtube video



Really? So what has happened to the rear of the sill then?

[chuntington101]

Wasn't this done to an impreza for Ken Block?.......

[Garlick]

I'll take this

[SWoll]

chuntington101 said:

Wasn't this done to an impreza for Ken Block?.......