26 MODERNCLASSICS
Thisall-weatheractionherois a goodrainy dayfund
1994-2000
Standard
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CLEVER
BUYS
MONEY
Why you want one
The utterance of the name aloneis
probably enough to cause that
familiar burble to echo throughout
your mind. There’s far more to
Subaru’s first iteration of
turbocharged Impreza than its
distinctive noise, though – suchas its
agile chassis, a powertrain imbued
with a sense of engineering quality,
and the car’s world-renowned
motorsport pedigree.
More to the point, UK-market
Impreza Turbo 2000s are still
affordable and accessible; trawlthe
internet and you’ll often find turn-key
examples on offer for upwards of
£3500. You’ve also plenty of choice,
given that there are still plenty
around, so finding one won’t be
painstaking. There are collectable
special editions out there as well,such
as the Catalunya, for those lusting
after something more notable.
In any instance, standard examples
of these early Imprezas are
increasingly uncommon. Corrosion
and neglect is further chewing
through the remaining cars;
consequently, if you find yourselfa
smart stock Subaru, it’ll likely doyou
well in the long run.
What the experts say
‘The engine was just spectacular,’
says Lamport, ‘It sounded amazing.
You could drive the Impreza really fast
all the time and that's the great thing
about it – the worse the weather, the
better it got. It offers just laugh-out-
loud performance and is intoxicating.
‘When you've had one and you get
rid of it, you always think “Well, I've
just got to get another one at some
point.” But it's the early ones, before
they got bug-eyed, that's the type that
you want – all of the special editions
as well, as I can see those going the
way of the E30 M3.
‘We're going to think “Why didn't
we buy those? Why didn't we get those
Series McRae ones and the Terzos –
whenwe couldbuythem,whydidn't
webuythem?"Findonethatis rust-
free–thatis theoneyouneedto covet,
becausethey'refewandfarbetween.’
Don’tbe temptedto relysolelyon
classifiedadvertsandforumsto find
anImpreza,though.‘Wehadan
Imprezainourlastsaleandthe
servicehistorywasexceptional,’says
Dunne.‘Itwasbeautiful,andhadbeen
welllookedafterallitslife–butit just
didn’tgetanyinterest.Thepeoplethat
wantthesearen’tnecessarilygoingto
beina classiccarauctiononthatday.’
Evenwell-presentedcarsbeargoing
over witha fine-toothcomb,mind.
Besidestheusualchecks,youwantto
lookoutforanysignsof corrosionand
evidenceof regularservicingusing
high-qualityf luidsandparts.
‘Theyrotandpeopletendto abuse
them,’saysDaniels.‘It'sdefinitelyall
aboutconditionandservicing.’If a
Subaru’sbeenmodified,youalsoneed
totreadcarefully;whilesome
upgradesareworthwhile,suchas
upgradedbrakesandanti-rollbars,
youneedto ensurethequalityof the
partsthemselvesandthefitments–
and, if anImpreza’stuned,makesure
the paperwork’sthereto backit up.
‘Lotsof peoplemakeclaimsof the
powerof thesethings,’saysDaniels,
‘butdon’thaveanythingto backit up.’
Pickupa goodone,though,and
you’llhaveanentertainingandeasily
enjoyedcarto tuckawayinyour
garage.‘IfI foundonefortheright
money,’saysLamport,‘I'dbuyit inan
instantandjustput a numberonit
thatI neededto getoutof it.I’dthen
just waitfortherightbuyerto come
along–andhe definitelywould.’
SUBARU IMPREZA TURBO 2000
Engine 1994cc, 4-cyl, DOHC, turbo
Transmission AWD, 5-speed manual
Power 208bhp@6000rpm
Torque 214lb-ft@4800rpm
Weight 1118kg
PERFORMANCE
0-60mph 5.8sec
Top speed 137mph
Economy 28mpg
WAYNE LAMPORT STONE COLD CLASSICS
'YOU COULD DRIVE IT
FAST ALL THE TIME –
THE WORSE THE WEATHER,
THE BETTER IT GOT'
