Prodrive P25 to recreate the Subaru Impreza 22B rally magic

Prodrive has confirmed that it is working on a new restomod of the Subaru Impreza to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the World Rally Car version of the Japanese model.

The Banbury-based motorsport and engineering consultancy says that the Prodrive P25 will be more powerful and lighter than its inspiration, the Impreza 22B – a limited-edition car created by Subaru in 1998 to commemorate its motorsport successes. It will have a 2.5-litre version of the iconic ‘boxer’ flat-four engine, producing more than 400bhp, as well as a six-speed semi-automatic gearbox with paddle-shift controllers – a feature that didn’t actually appear on the Impreza WRC until its third season in competition.

The firm plans to build 25 examples of the new creation at its Oxfordshire headquarters. The bodyshell, which will make extensive use of carbon fibre, has been styled by legendary designer Peter Stevens, the man behind the look of the first Impreza WRC. And the car’s development is being led by David Lapworth, who had control of the original rally project.

Prodrive chairman David Richards said, “We wanted to enhance everything that made the 22B Impreza so special by applying the very latest technology to create our own modern interpretation of a car that’s established a place in motoring history.”

The Prodrive P25 will make its debut at next month’s Goodwood Festival of Speed. Prodrive has not detailed a price figure but it is already accepting expressions of interest and says the first of the 25 cars will be delivered to customers before the end of this year.

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