It’s been 25 years since Subaru, with the help of Prodrive, entered the first Impreza WRC rally car at the World Rally Championships, and Prodrive has some special plans for the anniversary.
The motorsports and engineering company is working on a modernized version of the iconic Impreza 22B STI, launched by Subaru in 1998 to celebrate the Subaru World Rally Team’s hat-trick World Rally Championship title between 1995 and 1997.
The Prodrive car will be called the P25, and only 25 examples will be made, the first of which will be presented at the 2022 Goodwood Festival running on June 23-26. Prodrive is currently receiving expressions of interest, so there are probably still some build slots available. Customer delivery will begin later this year.
1998 Subaru Impreza 22B STI
The P25 will be based on the 1990 GC8-generation Impressor coupe version and will closely match the design of the 22B. Peter Stevens, who designed the original Impreza WRC, is responsible for the design of modern cars. A teaser sketch suggests styling wheels larger than 22B and side mirrors used in rally cars.
According to Prodrive, performance will be a big step forward in 22B. The P25 will be more powerful, lighter and better handling, the company said. Some of the performance features designed for the car include a modern 2.5-liter turbocharged Flat-4 that delivers more than 400 hp, a 6-speed sequential transmission and carbon-fiber body parts. The 22B has a 2.2-liter turbocharged Flat-4 and 6-speed manual. Although it was officially rated at 276 hp, the actual output was close to 300 hp.
David Richards, chairman of Prodrive, said in a statement: “The original 22B Impreza is considered to be the most iconic of the Subaras and is extremely popular.” We wanted to improve everything that made that car special. “