Prodrive revives the Subaru Impreza myth with the P25

A quarter of a century after its thunderous appearance in the WRC, the Subaru Impreza 22B is entitled to an astonishing update under the leadership of the Prodrive team.

Published on 02/08/2023 à 14:58

Medhi Casaurang

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Prodrive revives the Subaru Impreza myth with the P25

Well, all that's missing is the golden rims... © Prodrive

It looks like a Subaru Impreza, it has the blue color of a Subaru, it is built by the team that entered Subarus in the World Rally Championship… but it is not a Subaru. Indeed, the car you see is a Prodrive P25, and it does not date from the 1990s, but from 2023!

The Prodrive P25 is what the English call a "recreation", that is to say a reinterpretation of an old model, in this case the Impreza 22B from 1997. 26 years ago, this coupe with transmission integral equipped with a turbo began in WRC in the hands of the star of rally, Colin McRae, and recorded five victories before losing by one point to Tommi Mäkinen in the fight for the world title.

A quarter of a century later, Prodrive brings the heartstrings back to life. The P25 is based on an original Impreza WRX chassis. The use of carbon allows the weight to be reduced to just 1 kg. The engine comes from the very latest 200 liter to come out of the Subaru workshop, but has been extensively reworked by Prodrive engineers.

The turbo is manufactured by specialist Garrett and mates with an intercooler, high-performance airbox, new cylinder liners, pistons, connecting rods and a valve train with variable cam timing. The block provides 450 horsepower for 600 Nm of torque.

The gearbox is semi-automatic with six speeds, but the most fun in this car may be the launch control derived from the WRC. With the help of anti-lag, the Prodrive P25 can reach 0 to 100 km/h in less than 3,5 seconds! And for those who want to immerse themselves even more in the atmosphere of yesteryear's rallies, a hydraulic handbrake will allow the rear axle to be easily locked. It's going to get out of hand!

Marketing of the beauty has begun but we will have to act quickly because there will only be 25 examples produced. On the other hand, the entry fee is exorbitant: 460 pounds sterling excluding taxes, or around 000 euros! For this price, however, you can choose between right-hand or left-hand drive.

David Richards, Chairman of Prodrive, said: “The iconic blue Subarus bring back memories of an extraordinary era of WRC and it was the Impreza 22B that brought this rally car performance to the road. By reinventing this car using the latest technology and materials, the Prodrive P25 pays homage to its roots and there will be nothing else capable of matching its performance on the road. So I think we've achieved our vision of creating our own modern interpretation of the most iconic Subaru Impreza of all time. »

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Medhi Casaurang

Passionate about the history of motorsport across all disciplines, I learned to read thanks to AUTOhebdo. At least that's what my parents tell everyone when they see my name inside!

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Paul Ricard – C2 PCCF 2024