The Subaru Impreza Challenge starts anew

MANILA, Philippines - What would you do for a brand new Subaru Impreza WRX? Would you bike Baguio’s Yellow Trail in freezing rain and strong winds at zero visibility? Would you kayak Chico River solo in torrential rain? Would you be a Will Ferrell and voluntarily be stranded with Bear Grylls in a wasteland?

These feats do merit a dream car but only one stunt can get you a P1.718 million Subaru Impreza WRX and all you’ve got to do is place your right hand on a handprint decal of the very same car you dream of driving home. Sounds easy? That’s because it is easy – at least on the first couple of minutes.

The curve ball is this. You have to outlast all the other participants. You can’t eat or drink except during the five-minute breaks allowed every six hours. You have to bear the elements whether it be rain or shine, day in and day out. There will be no sunglasses, hats, sweatbands, change of clothes or footwear – and definitely no iPods! There will be people milling around, noisy people, kids who are just itching to poke you, people who would cheer you on then take your picture as if you’re a Ripley’s exhibit. Last but not the least, you have to do it all over again in a different mall, in a different country. It’s the Subaru Impreza Challenge.

The Manila leg for this gritty, grimy endurance competition is slated on September 12 and 13 at Bonifacio High Street in Taguig City where the top 10 survivors go on an all-expense paid trip to Singapore to compete with winners of other Asian countries for the ultimate prize of a Subaru Impreza WRX 2.5 Turbo. The top three winners of the Manila Leg qualifying round get cash prizes of P15,000, P10,000 and P5,000 respectively. The last survivor among the Philippine team in the Singapore Finals will also win a P100,000 prize regardless whether he wins the car or not.

The Subaru Impreza Challenge has become a popular survivor competition in the country. It has all the elements of an exciting urban competition. It’s set at Manila’s busiest shopping destination and combines a test of physical and mental strength but with no weighty requirement for specific skills or specialized training. All one really has to do is place your palm on a certain part of the car for as long as you can and outlast everyone else. Adding to the urban mystique of this challenge, at the centerstage of this spectacle is the Subaru Impreza WRX. With some dreams you do want it badly enough that you can close your eyes and you feel like you could almost touch it. Well, in this contest, the prize is something you can’t touch long enough.

Finalists in the Manila leg not only have to show up in Singapore for the finals and do the gruelling task all over again, they also have to stand beside an Impreza for days with some big responsibilities on their shoulders. According to Nicky Mariano, General Manager of Motor Image Pilipinas, “I am thrilled that the Manila leg of the Subaru Impreza Challenge is back for the second year. The response we have had from last year has been extremely encouraging. We are always looking for new ways to make the Challenge more exciting for contestants and with the adoption of the same rules and regulations used in the Singapore Regional Finals, we believe it’ll add a whole new dimension to this year’s Challenge and could possibly produce the first-ever Filipino winner.”

It is not only the stricter rules and more elaborate contest mechanics that aspiring contestants must deal with, there is some tough competition awaiting them, too. “We are very happy with the strong showing of the Philippine team last year with our very own Roberto Tomas lasting for almost 62 hours, an incredible feat for a first-time participant! This year, he’s signed up once again to make another run on winning the grand prize of the Impreza WRX,” adds Mariano.

Now in case you are wondering what the challenge is like, let’s look at the numbers. Last year’s Manila Leg winner, Gerald Gonzaga lasted 47 hours and 58 minutes. After that he then joined the nine other Filipino qualifiers in the regional finals in Singapore. George Lee from Singapore outlasted every one of the 399 Asian finalists with a time of 81 hours and 32 minutes. And lastly of course, there’s the standing Philippine record of 62 hours set by Tomas in the finals.

Though not a spectator sport, as how exciting can it be for someone to watch a bunch of sweaty people huddled around a car even though the car is an eye-catching Impreza, the challenge does draw in the crowd. Ariel de Jesus, Marketing Manager, Motor Image Pilipinas promises the event to be a crowd-pleaser. “The Subaru Impreza Challenge here in Manila promises to be bigger and more exciting with new challenges being introduced to the event. What’s more, our partnership with The Philippine STAR, Top Gear and 99.5RT has further increased interest in the event and has generated more challengers. This event will surely attract not only the participants but their friends and supporters as well. Aside from the challenge, there will also be a showcase of all Subaru models plus a grand eyeball meet of the Subaru Club of the Philippines. Thus, we invite everyone to come and visit the Subaru Impreza Challenge at the Bonifacio High Street.”

“The Impreza Challenge reflects the dynamic and offbeat character the Subaru brand represents. We look forward to giving our customers, owners and supporters more similar exciting event and surprises this year,” adds de Jesus. For the meantime, eyes on the prize for Subaru fans and those people who are as equally dynamic and offbeat as a Subaru Impreza WRX. Take on the challenge, set records and drive home a dream car. Interested participants must be at least 21 years old as of January 1, 2009, a Filipino passport holder and in good health condition. The registration for the Subaru Impreza Challenge is ongoing at the Subaru Greenhills Showroom in EDSA.  For more details on the event, interested participants can visit the official website at www.imprezachallengemanila.com or call the Motor Image office at 727-8333 at 727-3687.

No need to eat animal entrails, sleep inside the carcass of a dead camel in the middle of a freezing desert night, nor drink your own pee from the skin of a snake you just ate for lunch. To get the prize, all you have to do is place your hand on the handprint decal of a car and go to your happy place for the next several days. It wouldn’t hurt if your happy place is driving a brand new Subaru Impreza WRX 2.5 Turbo over sun-dappled roads on a fine, fine day...