In the worlds of Subaru and stage rally, few cars generate excitement among enthusiasts as the Impreza 22B from the late 1990s. Just 424 were built, but Prodrive rekindled a passion for the rare road-going rally car with its P25 announcement in May. Now we have images and more information to share on this 22B reboot, including a not-insignificant price tag of £460,000 in the UK.
Each P25 starts with an original two-door Subaru Impreza chassis. From there, Prodrive basically creates the mother of all 22B restomods starting with a hefty infusion of carbon. Pretty much every exterior body panel is a carbon composite, including the big WRC rear wing. Inside you'll find more carbon with the door cards, and optional lightweight seats further reduce weight. Prodrive doesn't offer a specific figure, but the P25 checks in at less than 1,200 kilograms (2,646 pounds) thanks to its carbon diet.
Gallery: Prodrive P25
Aside from the weight reduction, the P25 gains a thoroughly modern Subaru powertrain that starts with a new 2.5-liter boxer four-pot. Prodrive upgrades the engine with beefier internals, then adds an upgraded turbocharger to generate over 400 horsepower (298 kilowatts). It's connected to a six-speed sequential gearbox with paddle shifters, and of course it drives all four wheels. Prodrive actually adds a WRC-style launch control system, and when everything comes together, the P25 can reach 100 km/h (62 mph) in 3.5 seconds.
The 22B's 1,770-mm (69.7-inch) widebody stance is maintained with the P25, but you'll find an upgraded McPherson strut suspension with adjustable dampers. Springs and sway bars are optimized for carving corners on tarmac, and bigger brakes keep the speed in check. Six-piston calipers at the front grab 15-inch rotors, mounted behind 19-inch Prodrive wheels.
We're only treated to three exterior images of the P25, but Prodrive describes the interior as having an authentic late 1990s Impreza feel, albeit infused with leather, Alcantara, and carbon. The dash features a full-width, high-definition display that includes a data logger and various driving modes for street or track use. Prodrive offers the P25 in a four-seat configuration, though the company will yank out the back seats in lieu of a partial roll cage for buyers interested in such activity.
Speaking of buyers, only 25 will be offered for purchase and as we mentioned, pricing isn't cheap. It starts at £460,000, and that doesn't include Value-Added Tax (VAT) which is presently 20 percent for the UK. That translates to over $560,000, though it's unclear if Prodrive will sell any P25s to buyers in the States. We will all get to see it soon, however, as the first development car will debut at the 2022 Goodwood Festival of Speed. First customer deliveries are expected to begin late this year.
