Outdoor automotive events are a risky endeavor. Especially when they are planned to take place during the spring in the northeastern corner of the U.S. – the threat of wet weather is a constant worry. The reserved space and vendor schedules cannot rotate around the unpredictable weather Mother Nature hurls at the event, so the predetermined date must often be upheld. For most car shows this doesn’t work because the attendees don’t want to drive their precious machines when there is inclement weather. For the flat-engine-infused Boxerfest event held recently in Landover, Maryland, Subaru cars and their fleet of enthusiasts embraced the downpour and adopted the Hollywood slogan – the show must go on.

Now in its third year, the celebration of the horizontally-opposed engines welcomed almost every Subaru chassis in creation to the home of the NFL’s Washington Redskins, FedEx Field. Predictions of rain couldn’t deter the showgoers, as the event bested last year’s impressive turnout.

JNA Performance brought their stout GC8 2.5RS sporting Advan GT wheels, a host of carbon fiber bits, and widened front and rear fenders.

This ’15 STI from Racecomp Engineering was very subtle on the exterior with a mostly stock body and WedsSport TC105N wheels rounding out the appearance.

The bright white roll cage hiding behind the rain-drenched windows, gave hints to the double duty expected of this car when it’s not stationary on the show field.

Appropriately named for the weather present at the show, staynmoist brought this blobeye STI equipped with Volk Racing TE37 wheels and APR carbon fiber spoilers.

Bilstein Suspension used this limited-production 10-Series Scion FR-S to show off their coilover applications. The contrast of the carbon fiber against the Silver Ignition paint worked perfectly. (You may remember Jim’s FR-S from our Stoptech Trophy big brake kit install feature last year.)

Stoptech themselves exhibited this Lightning Red ’15 STI with matching big brake kit, and Work M.C.O. Racing Type CS wheels. The carbon fiber trim found throughout the car brought even more style to the oozing red hue covering every panel.

Cobb Tuning is one of the bigger names in the Subaru aftermarket industry, and for this event they rolled out a pair of stealthy STIs branded DUM and DUMR to attract attendees to their booth. The hatchback, with its higher ride height, wore a combination of rally accessories to allude to the purpose-built offroad nature of the car.

The sedan looked more suited for road-going opportunities with its lower ride height, wide Volk Racing TE37 wheels, and large APR spoiler.

GrimmSpeed Engineering – another huge contender in the Subaru aftermarket – brought this blue sedan equipped with GrimmSpeed engine parts to showcase the company’s products. Similar to other vehicles in the field, wide Volk Racing TE37 wheels and an APR spoiler populated the other areas of the car.

IAG Performance has a ton of hours into the creation of their hawkeye racecar. Every piece of this car has been modified in some way; from its outlandish-yet-necessary aero bits and built turbocharged engine to its stripped and caged interior, this STI screams for seat time on a racetrack.

Despite the hopes of the majority of the attendees, this was not a vape sticking through the window, but the connection point for the air jacks. This pneumatic system, which plants metal rods under the car and lifts the car into the air, is often used on road race cars to decrease the time involved with pit stops by eliminating the need for a normal pump jack.

Subimods drove their STI sedan down from Connecticut enveloped in unmistakable livery. We saw the car driving southbound on the New Jersey Turnpike the day before the event, and almost lost control looking back as it traveled in the opposite direction.

RavSpec never disappoints with their vehicle lineup at events. On this occasion, they arrived with an STI hatchback equipped with airbag suspension and multilayered lips to extend the bodyline closer to the ground.

The Work Meister CR2P wheels with their deep lips doubled as a reservoir for the falling rainwater.

Also present at the RavSpec booth, this Vortech-supercharged Subaru BRZ from AndrewTech fills its Rocket Bunny-widened fenders with a new set of bronze Volk Racing TE37V Mark-II wheels and a Stoptech big brake kit.

A pair of white Impreza sedans stood out at the PSI Proformance booth. On this example, Work Equip wheels complete the mild exterior; the family hauler was further transformed with a 600-horsepower engine inside a completely shaved and tucked engine bay.

The white WRX used overfenders to squeeze wide black CCW Classic wheels under the otherwise stock body, while a number of fluorescent painted pieces floated around the remainder of the chassis.

The stock flat-four cylinder drivetrain of this Volkswagen Beetle from Maryland Subaru Club would have been chastised on a car with #MDSC across the rear window, but the swapped Subaru engine found in the rear caused a positive commotion. Somehow it fits, and was left running throughout the day to prove that it’s fully operational.

Smooth panels and an inch-perfect wheel fitment blend cleanliness and subtlety on this pearl grey painted bugeye at the KNS Brakes booth. The shaved rear door handle and gold Rotiform LVS wheels gave some class to the normally rugged Subaru’s exterior.

Gear One Performance brought a pair of Boxer-equipped vehicles from two different makes. Their endurance racer BRZ, complete with a night-vision-enhancing Rigid Industries LED light bar, roll cage, and arranged ducting looked ready for competition.

Gear One’s Porsche Cayman – the company’s second show vehicle – combined HRE FF-01 wheels and a Cup-style wing for a sophisticated street-driven performance car look.

Fresh from its tour of every American Auto Show, Subaru let the BRZ STI Concept see the light of day at Boxerfest – well, sort of. The prototype vehicle accumulated raindrops on its bespoke body all day long as a welcome piece to greet attendees at the entry of the event.

Clean white Subarus weren’t just found at vendor booths, as illustrated by this STI sedan from Xclusiv Alliance with airbag suspension and chrome Work VS-XX wheels in the parking lot.

Using airbag suspension is growing as an alternative method of lowering Subarus, although many enthusiasts cast these owners out for opposing the brand’s utility-based image. Still, an extremely low STI sedan with Work Meister S1R wheels, widened fenders, and carbon fiber aero bits is not a bad way to represent the brand either.

Tracing back to Subaru’s quirky cars of the past, the Subaru Brat is the quintessential 4WD fun vehicle. This example was in pristine condition including the plaid seats inside and the famous jump seats located behind the cabin area.

JSC Speed’s red WRX has been all over the place, showing its countenance at numerous driving events and shows over the past two years. Although it’s clocked some of the highest mileage known in the chassis, this car looked right at home in the show or out dodging cones in the event’s autocross course.

Not even the autocross competition could be hindered by the extreme weather. Competitors lined up and put down their best runs on the ultra-slick parking lot course.

Although some guests were more inclined to enjoy the rain than others, none had quite the enjoyment level as the canine population present at the dog-friendly event did – they were happy to be out and about with their owners.

Regardless of the terrible weather forecast, Subaru enthusiasts assembled in droves at FedEx Field and Boxerfest was still able to break their attendance record from last year. With this year’s event now in the books, we look forward to record-breaking attendance again next year – only this time with a bright and sunny forecast!

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