Ford 5.0L V8 in a Subaru? Check Out this ‘Subar-Brute’

This Subaru drift car is built to get sideways on pavement with help from an all-American Ford V8. 

If you follow drifting, you’ll be no stranger to the sound of a thumping American V8 pitching a car sideways. Whether it’s an LS-swapped Nissan 240SX or Vaughn Gittin Jr.’s RTR Mustang, it’s a normal sight. However, this Bring A Trailer auction for a Subaru Impreza with a 5.0-liter swap stands out both for vehicle and engine choice.

The fuel-injected 5.0-liter engine choice is certainly interesting, and it looks to have only been modified with bolt-ons. As the builder told Super Street Online, it’s only there because he blew up the original swapped engine, a Nissan SR20DET. A simple 5.0-liter swap made more sense than a full rebuild.

Even so, the list of modifications carries on for too long to bother listing here. Aside from the glass and maybe a few body panels, the builder seems to have changed just about everything. And why wouldn’t you? While smoke and tire-killing are the main goals of drifting, building a completely unique vehicle comes in a close second place.
 

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This mismatch of parts is perfect for the drifting world. The dash comes from a 2002 Subaru WRX, the welded differential from an STi, the steering rack from a front-wheel-drive Impreza. Even the front bodywork came from a later Impreza. The builder even threw in a lime-green steering wheel, for proper Drift-Cred™.

It all adds up to a fun project and one that should look great sliding sideways. We’re not sure how much tire smoke the mostly-stock 5.0 would produce. However, you could always install a bit more motor or add onto the existing one. Or you could just build another SR20DET if you wanted to be boring.

Unfortunately, the auction closed with a $6,300 bid. That fell short of the reserve, which means that (A) you could still own this one and (B) you’ll need a thicker wallet than bidders had. For more information on the car, check it out in this 2014 profile on Speedhunters.