The Subaru Impreza needs to be one of the crucial generally tuned automobiles of the previous couple of many years. If you’re studying this, I’d wager you personally know somebody who has an Impreza 2.5RS, WRX or WRX STI making 400 to 800HP. You’ve most likely pushed one, or been in a single, or not less than seen one on the freeway belching black exhaust.
I simply obtained again from England the place I drove a GC8 Impreza (which Subaru constructed between 1992 and 1999) with slightly below 450 HP. Prodrive constructed it, they name it the P25 and getting one would value you round $600k, to begin—offered that they weren’t already bought out, which they’re. So what’s the distinction between a $600k GC8 Impreza and the one which’s sitting in my barn proper now?
Well, to start with, the P25 was constructed by Prodrive, the corporate that’s most likely most answerable for your curiosity in Subaru, after Subaru. And earlier than Polyphony Digital. In the Nineties and early 2000s Prodrive was the English Racing store that helped Subaru go from a maker of semi-goofy, lovable little automobiles to a maker of semi-goofy, lovable little automobiles and world-beating rally automobiles.
Together, the 2 companies gained six WRC championships—three driver’s and three producer’s. Subaru’s success in rally helped construct the model and threw off road-going, turbocharged, all-wheel drive efficiency variations of the Legacy after which Impreza. Today, essentially the most sought-after of these is the 1998 Subaru Impreza 22B STI, constructed to have a good time 40 years of Subaru and three WRC producer’s titles. There have been solely 424 of these constructed, partly to homologate the rally automobile, they usually’re now buying and selling fingers within the low six-figure vary. This probably prompted Prodrive, lengthy since out of the Subaru stage rally enterprise to assume, “Huh. We could make something like that.”
So, now you might have 25 Prodrive P25s, which Prodrive designed to exceed the efficiency of not simply the 22B, however the precise WRC automobile that impressed the 22B — the automobile that you simply purchase a 22B to faux you’re driving.
Paying Prodrive to take time away from its most important enterprise of constructing racecars and working race groups to get a GC8 shell to that stage of efficiency with daily-driver/weekend automobile reliability is dear, however I’m right here to let you know, it’s value it.
There are loads of actually good restomod Porsche 911s on the market, with Singer being considered the head so far as value, refinement, high quality and desirability go. If you place an early Singer on a raise and search for, you’ll see loads of aftermarket Porsche elements that almost any air-cooled Porsche nerd would acknowledge. They had unimaginable interiors, great engines, excruciating consideration to element, a model/look, and so on. But what you have been really paying for was numerous hours of improvement to make the entire thing work.
I can bear in mind early-Jalopnik contributor Davey G. Johnson telling me that the primary Singer he drove felt like a $90,000 automobile in one of the simplest ways doable. Because Singers value much more than that, it may very well be learn as an insult, however what he really meant was that it didn’t really feel like a tuned model of an outdated automobile. It felt like a automobile that an actual OEM had spent OEM-levels of improvement money and time on, dialing within the a whole lot of part elements, finishes and methods in order that the whole lot felt not simply good or enjoyable, however coherent and regarded — like a automobile that Audi would possibly cost round 100 grand for. That’s basically what you’re getting right here, however with much more edge.
The edges are intentional, and the entire package deal is fairly refined for what it’s. But, as a result of it’s a Subaru and never a 911, a few of the customized particulars—LED headlights, taillights, don’t land as satisfyingly as they might. The Prodrive items are superbly made and appear to work nicely, however there are too many unhealthy aftermarket kits on the market to enterprise too far afield from the extra “OEM” look we noticed on the P25 idea that debuted at Goodwood final yr. (I consider that automobile grew to become the automobile pictured right here.) It’s a matter of context, not execution, and sure, a matter of non-public choice.
The paintwork on the largely carbon bodywork is superb, and sturdy sufficient to resist me placing a wheel within the gravel on my observe drive (which the Prodrive people have been thrilled about). The shade, which isn’t World Rally Blue, was blended particularly for this automobile and is ideal, although Prodrive lets clients identify their most well-liked code for each the physique and the Prodrive wheels. The roof pores and skin, trunk lid, mirrors, hood, rear wing and fenders are all carbon.
The inside isn’t precisely luxurious—that is nonetheless an outdated Impreza— however it’s very good, all carbon fiber and pretend suede with a reimagined heart console and digital gauge cluster. Owners picked from 25 inside colours and had the choice of a typical seat, reclining carbon seat or a set racing sort seat. You might possibility a digital readout for the passenger and a foot relaxation with a little bit horn button to your good friend who desires to play co-driver. The toggle swap on the correct within the picture under prompts full-power mode, which is humorous since you already thought you have been in full-power mode.
The motor is an EJ25, such as you’d discover in a last-generation STi, however closely modified by Prodrive. The result’s 444 HP, which doesn’t appear massively spectacular till you think about that this motor is able to reliably delivering sprints to 60 in below three seconds. That’s doable as a result of the entire automobile solely weighs round 2600 lbs or about the identical as a ND Miata RF.
When it involves the P25’s driving expertise, the load is the quantity that issues. The automobile is simply so desirous to speed up, flip, rotate and cease. The steering is fast and lightweight, the massive AP Racing brakes are extremely robust and can pin you all the way in which to the harness.
In my fingers, it delivered the weight-transfer sensation you get from an outdated automobile due to the compliant suspension, with the acceleration, grip and braking of a contemporary hypercar. It’s unimaginable to think about a contemporary, AWD automobile behaving this manner and albeit, I don’t know the way you’d get the load down anyway. It’s pure magic.
We drove on a tough, slender little observe on the UK’s Millbrook testing facility. The P25’s specifically tuned and totally adjustable Bilstein suspension delivered large management and excellent damping. This is the place the event cash has gone, and it’s actually what you’re paying for. You can throw one of the best, most unique or costly aftermarket elements on the earth at your private Subaru, however there actually is not any substitute for spending numerous hours at a observe with actual engineers and improvement drivers.
The efficiency highway automobile transmission hierarchy is as follows: 1. Conventional Manual. 2. Sequential 3. Multi-clutch 4. Conventional Automatic 5. CVT. While the 22B got here with a traditional guide, the 25B comes with a single-paddle, clutched, 6-speed automated guide sequential gearbox constructed by Prodrive.
Personally, I would like a traditional guide, however I’d be mendacity if I stated the sequential wasn’t enjoyable to function, particularly when you choose 1st in a crowd, and everybody seems as a result of it sounds just like the transmission internals have been simply forcibly ejected from their case. It additionally has an digital energetic heart diff that’ll disconnect the rear finish while you hit the hydraulic handbrake.
I’ve little question that some readers can be unmoved by the above, and it’s completely advantageous to consider that you could possibly construct a quicker Subaru for much less. However, I’d want some actual convincing to consider you could possibly construct one which’s higher.
Ultimately although, it doesn’t matter. Twenty-five P25s have been made, and 25 have been bought, all to individuals who very probably didn’t must assume twice about spending greater than half 1,000,000 {dollars} on a Subaru. In the long run, the real-deal 22B will most likely be a greater funding, even when it’s not nearly as good to drive. Hopefully, the P25s see loads of observe time within the interim.
Source: jalopnik.com