68 Classic Car Mart Spring 2016
EJ16 flat-four, while the better-equipped GL and
Sports models were offered with a 1.8-litre EJ18
engine driving an all-wheel drive set-up via a five-
speed gearbox.
Shortly after the naturally aspirated models were
officially launched, Subaru unleashed the four-wheel
drive 2-litre turbocharged WRX, badged in the UK
as the Impreza Turbo 2000 AWD. This 208bhp
all-wheel drive model was identified by a distinctive
bodykit and a set of wider, low profile tyres. Under
the skin the enhanced Impreza enjoyed a firmer
suspension set up comprising of high quality
performance components and an uprated braking
system including larger discs gripped by four-pot
calipers on later versions.
The all-wheel drive turbocharged 2-litre
version of the standard Impreza was an
instant hit with enthusiastic drivers looking
for an affordable high performance saloon to
accommodate a growing family.
As well as coming under the radar of Prodrive,
the Banbury-based performance car constructor
as a possible contender to compete in the World
Rally Championship, the long-legged Impreza
also gained an unsavoury reputation as the
getaway car of choice for villains wanting to
rapidly escape the scene of the crime.
In October 1993 Subaru introduce a very
limited number of 2000 GT’s into the UK badged
as the WRX. Since virtually day one, this badge
had been a familiar sight on Imprezas sold in
Japan and stood for ‘World Rally eXperimental’;
although in some markets it was argued the
initials stood for ‘World Rally Cross’. Whichever
translation is correct, it’s vital to check the VIN
number on any prospective purchase to ensure
the example you’re looking at is a genuine WRX.
This is very important, as quite a few early
WRX-badged Imprezas have made their way to
these shores from Japan as grey imports and it’s
vital to check their pedigree carefully. Quite a few
home market four-wheel drive GLs and GTs have
been ‘modified’ to appear more like a genuine
WRX, or even one of the expensive limited
editions built to mark Subaru’s rally success.
To check for originality, factory built WRX-
badged Imprezas all have the code GC8 on the
chassis plate and hatchbacks GF8, followed by a
letter ranging from and included A to G.
An official two-door STi (Subaru Tecnica
International) version of the WRX arrived on these
shores in 1994 and power from this uprated
model’s 2-litre turbocharged flat-four was now up
to nearly 240bhp. Modifications featured a close
ratio gearbox, driver controlled centre differential
rather than the standard viscous coupling and
less sound deadening in the cabin. Banbury-
based Prodrive modified 25 turbo-charged
Imprezas the same year and badged these
as the Subaru Prodrive. These very desirable
high performance models featured an uprated
suspension set up as well as special Recaro
seats. By now Subaru was starting to become a
major player on the international rally scene and
the following year Prodrive produced 200 Series
McRae-badged Imprezas to mark the late Colin
McRae’s 1995 World Rally Championship win
in an Impreza; a victory that changed Subaru’s
fortunes almost overnight. There was no
number 13 in this series (the £23,000 limited
edition McRae Impreza was numbered from 1
to 201) and special McRae transfers on the
car’s flanks along with an engraved plaque on
the dashboard identified these very special
and expensive Imprezas from a standard
turbocharged WRX STi.
Continued success for Subaru on the world rally
circuit success resulted in the UK market becoming
overloaded with grey imported Imprezas, forcing
the company to increase the specification of its
officially imported cars to help stem the flow. A
two-door version of the Impreza was offered from
1995 and a year later Subaru replaced the 1.6- and
1.8-litre engines in entry-level Imprezas with the
more powerful 2-litre unit in all models destined
for the European market. To mark Subaru’s overall
victory in the 1996 World Rally Championship, 200
Impreza Catalunyas (again with no number 13)
were imported into the UK and genuine versions of
this powerful special edition came with gold alloy
wheels, colour coded mirrors and a carbon fibre-
look central console.
While Subaru sold a steady number of two-
and four-door Impreza’s in the UK on the back of
an impressive string of rally successes, Subaru
marked its third constructors’ championship in
1997 with another limited edition, the Terzo.
A total of 333 of these Rally Blue Mica-
coloured Imprezas were built and main identifiers
are 16-inch gold alloys, a numbered plaque on
the dashboard and unique alcantara-trimmed
STI-style seats.
Another high performance limited edition
Impreza was the Type 22B. Just 16 from a
total of 424 Type 22B Imprezas were officially
brought to the UK and these fully loaded two-
door performance versions were produced by
Subaru Tecnica International and rebadged in this
country as the 22B-Type UK.
Later Imprezas adopted the Forester’s
interior and in 1999 Subaru built 444 examples
of the Steel-Blue coloured RB5 to mark the
return of Richard Burns to the Subaru World Rally
Team. These versions featured 17-inch Speedline
alloy wheels, colour coded mirrors, side skirts,
door handles and fog light covers, a Prodrive
quickshift gearchange and RB5 graphics on the
flanks and rear bodywork. The Prodrive WR Sport
was released in 1999 and in March 2000 Subaru
launched the £31,500 P1 (Prodrive One) onto
the UK market. The heavily revised MkII Impreza
broke cover in August 2000 and the fourth
generation of this impressive rally-bred all-wheel-
drive car is still in production today.
Over the years, the MkI Impreza sold well
in the UK and all models, especially the high
performance ones, came with a reasonably
high level of standard equipment.
Sales in this country were no doubt
boosted by Subaru’s ongoing success on
the rally circuit, but the real facts that made
the Impreza popular were its tough build
quality, excellent handling characteristics and
impressive four-wheel drive system.
Although the limited edition high
performance models were expensive to buy,
they were popular with customers seeking a
tarmac-burning four-seat saloon with proven
rally winning credentials.
Today, you'll need to look hard to find an
original first-generation Impreza that hasn’t
been trashed by the boy racers but £4500
should bag an early, well-cared for Turbo
- However, later high performance limited
editions can be very expensive, especially ones
like the 22B. Excellent examples can exceed
£40,000, and cost even more for very low
mileage ones in show condition.
So next time you spot an Impreza drifting
round a traffic island on its gold wheels
remember the lad’s actually cruising around in
a car that will soon be regarded as a new age
classic, even if he doesn’t know that yet and still
drives it like the car’s just been stolen. CCM
Despite its performance credentials the Impreza was a very practical proposition, especially in the love-
it-or-hate-it estate version.