Subaru has a long and storied history when it comes to small, affordable, and fun cars. The boy racers inside all of us have a soft spot for the iconic Impreza RS, WRX, and STI. It just so happens that, at least back in the day, a lot of development for those Imprezas was done through motorsport, specifically off-road rallying.
Subaru saw so much success that in 1998 they built themselves a present to celebrate their 40th anniversary as a company and for their third World Rally Championship. That present was in the form of the Impreza 22B.
One of the companies that helped Subaru achieve such success in the WRC was Prodrive. Now, Prodrive is getting back with Subaru one more time to complete an amazingly cool resto-mod called the P25.
Prodrive's Subaru Imprezza 22B - A Unique Icon
The P25 will have a two-door steel WRX backbone as the base for the build, but not much else about it is 90's Subaru. The 2.5-liter turbo flat-four is derived from Subaru's latest and greatest that lives in the current WRX and GR86, however, now it makes about 400 horsepower (they won't tell us exactly how much) and 442 pound-feet of torque.
That engine is mated to a six-speed semi-automatic gearbox with helical cut gears that can change gear in as little as 80 milliseconds. That means the transmission will constantly be whining away, just like in a proper WRC car. What's more, is that much of the P25 is made of carbon fiber, so it weighs less than 2,645 pounds (1,200 Kg).
Other features include WRC-based launch control and an anti-lag system for the turbo. All of those performance goodies, loads of power, and low weight result in a 0-60 mph time of 3.5 seconds.
The AWD drivetrain also features a locking center differential with a limited-slip differential at the rear, plus aluminum struts that can be adjusted for camber and geometry to allow for a wider track. The Garret turbocharger, Akrapovic exhaust, Bilstein adjustable dampers, AP Racing brakes, and Bridgestone Potenza tires mean the folks at Prodrive wanted to make the P25 a tuner's dream.
A Basic Interior
While Prodrive did not release images of the interior they did allude to essentially a standard 90's Impreza interior but made of carbon fiber, Alcantara, and leather. So, expect outdated styling, but with such good materials, it won't make a huge difference.
However, Prodrive took the liberty of installing a "full-width high-definition multi-page display including a data logger." Included in that infotainment will be the option to choose drive modes, levels of throttle response, and adjust the anti-lag.
Possibly the most exciting feature is a WRC-style hydraulic handbrake that not only locks the rear wheels but also cuts power to the rear altogether.
Very Limited Availability and Pricing
424 examples of the Impreza 22B were made, and they have fetched over $250,000 at auction. The P25 will blow the 22B out of the water on the exclusivity front too. Only 25 models will be built, each costing 460,000 British pounds ($563,618 based on current exchange rates).
Prodrive chairman David Richards said, "By reimagining this car using the latest technologies and materials the Prodrive P25 pays homage to its roots and there will be little else able to match its performance on the open road."
The P25 will make its debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in 2022 and all 25 models will be built at Prodrive's headquarters in Banbury, England.