When Fountains of Wayne sang about their ’92 Subaru, we’re pretty sure it was a satire of musicians bragging about their Maybachs and Rolls Royces. But now, 30 years after the Impreza debuted, some first-generation examples are worth just as much as those buzzy brands. From never-sold-in-America versions like the 22B to ex-WRC rally cars, top Imprezas have already sold for low six-figure prices.
So apparently the time is right for a $564,000 Impreza WRX restomod in the vein of a Singer Porsche or one of those 400-horsepower V12 E-Type Jags. But to reflexively exclaim, “Half a million bucks for a Subaru!?” would be missing the point. The Prodrive P25 comes from a firm known for their engineering and craftsmanship. After all, Prodrive helped build Imprezas into WRC championship cars in the first place, not to mention created other legends like the Paris-Dakar Rally Raid 959 for Porsche and the Bastos E30 M3 rally car for BMW.
Each Prodrive P25 starts life as a 2-door Impreza WRX. Under the iconic blue paint, however all the major body panels — hood, trunk, roof, sills, fenders, rear quarter panels, bumpers, wing, and mirrors — are formed from carbon composites, resulting in a curb weight of just 1,200 kg (2,645 lbs).
Under the hood lurks a 2.5-liter Subaru boxer generating 400-horsepower and 443 pound-feet of torque. Between a new airbox and Akrapovič titanium and stainless steel exhaust lie an upgraded intercooler, Garrett turbochargers, and built internals including new cylinder sleeves, pistons, connecting rods, and valvetrain with variable cam timing.
Instead of a classic 5-speed transmission, the P25 utilizes a 6-speed semi-automatic paddle-shift gearbox with helical-cut gears that can change gears in just 80 milliseconds, according to Prodrive. They also added a WRC-style launch control, floor mounted pedal box. and anti-lag, returning a 0-62 time of less than 3.5 seconds.
The AWD system now has an active center diff with limited-slip differentials between both sets of wheels. New aluminum struts with 2-way adjustable Bilstein dampers and camber adjustment plates make up the suspension. Bringing the 19-inch gray wheels and 235/35/19 Bridgestone Potenzas to a stop are 15-inch vented discs mated to 6-piston calipers. The rears get 14.8-inch vented discs with 4-pot grabbers.
Prodrive says the inside recreates the aura of a late 1990s Impreza, but upgraded with leather, alcantara and carbon throughout. Buyers have the option of rear seats or a partial safety cage to complement the front racing buckets.
“The iconic blue Subarus bring back memories of an extraordinary era of the WRC and it was the Impreza 22B that brought this rally car performance to the road. By reimagining this car using the latest technologies and materials the Prodrive P25 pays homage to its roots and there will be little else able to match its performance on the open road,” Prodrive chariman David Richards said in a release, “I therefore believe we have achieved our vision of creating our own modern interpretation of the most iconic Subaru Impreza ever.”
Prodrive will build only 25, though the P25 name comes from the number of years since Subaru won their three consecutive WRC titles from 1995-97. In any case, it’s not a lot. So if you want ripping performance from a bona fide race engineering shop with the covert looks of an unassuming 90s Subaru, this is your ticket. Just add, like the Wayne song says, a Greenpeace sticker on the back.
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