The legendary Subaru Impreza 22B, essentially a road version of the car that won the manufacturers ’title at the 1997 World Rally Championship, has returned as an updated, ultra-exclusive and heavily loaded remodel.
Called the P25, the new arrival is the work of the motor sports team based at Banbury Prodrive, which successfully led the Subaru construction rally team from 1990 to 2008.
It comes 25 years after the introduction of the Impreza 22B designed by Prodrive, of which only 424 units were built.
The British firm says it has “reimagined what this car would have been like today”. As such, while the style is left virtually intact, the construction and foundations of the two-door sedan have been almost completely redesigned.
Only 25 examples will be produced, each using an original two-door Mk1 Impreza WRX as a base, and while dramatically improved, it stays true to the ethos of the original fan favorite.
Each will be supplied with a UK registration and is priced at £ 460,000 before tax, therefore £ 552,000 including VAT. About a year ago, one of the original 16 22Bs officially imported into the UK in 1999 sold for £ 171,000 with 49,000 miles on the watch.
Thus, the new model maintains its charismatic and bubbly four-plane boxer engine, but with an increased capacity of 2.2 to 2.5 liters and increased power to more than 400 hp and 443 pound feet.
It drives both axles through a six-speed semi-automatic gearbox with helical-cutting gears, which Prodrive claims can shift gears in as little as 80 milliseconds.
The main engine is Subaru’s state-of-the-art boxer unit, as used by the naturally aspirated Subaru BRZ coupe and its brother Toyota GR86, but for this application it is combined with a monstrous Garrett engine turbocharger, a performance intercooler and a titanium and stainless motor. -Steer race exhaust supplied by Akrapovič.
The cylinder liners, pistons, connecting rods and engine valve train are also custom made.
Prodrive has kept the weight of the P25 at less than 1200 kg (the Alpine A110 weighs a little over 1100 kg, by context) and says the launch and anti-turbo-lag control systems “derived from the WRC” they help accelerate from 0 to 62 mph in just 3.5 seconds.
The low weight in braking is mainly attributed to the use of spare carbon composite panels for the trunk, hood, roof, thresholds, mirrors and quarter panels. Prodrive has also installed carbon door cards and a lighter lithium-ion battery. Less bulky race seats are an option.