Glory to Prodrive! The reinterpretation of the Subaru Impreza 22B with 400 hp is coming and it's a taste

The  British company Prodrive  - a subsidiary of the Subaru, Aston Martin and Ford brands - is revving up its engines for one of the most anticipated launches of the year for the most nostalgic racing fans: the  reinterpretation of an icon of stature of the Subaru Impreza  , one of the best known and most famous rally heroes of all time.

To whet your appetite, there is currently only a first sketch of the so-  called "P25"  , which appears to be  almost identical to the 1997 Subaru Impreza 22B.  However, from Prodrive they assure that it will be "lighter, more powerful and have more comfortable equipment than the original thanks to modern technology.  Only 25 units will be made.

The return of a legend

A quarter of a century after the first  Subaru Impreza World Rally Car  (WRC) made its World Rally Championship debut, the Prodrive P25 arrives to recapture its essence.

At the same time, it draws inspiration from the spectacular 1997 rally-derived 22B, considered by many to be the most iconic Impreza of them all. That year, the Subaru won the WRC constructors' championship and its driver,  Colin McRae, finished second in the drivers' standings.

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Experts at Prodrive, based in Banbury, UK, were initially looking to "improve the performance of the 22B", and in light of the little technical information they have shared so far, it appears they have succeeded.

The P25 has a 2.5-liter four-cylinder boxer engine  under the hood  that promises to deliver  over 400bhp  and is mated to a six-speed semi-automatic gearbox. Additionally, it will feature paddle shifters and a lightweight chassis thanks to the  extensive use of carbon fiber  .

This "redefined icon", as Prodrive calls it, will be open-road legal and was  designed by Peter Stevens himself  , who designed the 16 UK-bound Impreza 22B variants for Prodrive a while ago. over 25 years.

With full circle, the car's mechanics and engineering were overseen by Prodrive technical director  David Lapworth, who was responsible for the original Impreza WRC.

The P25 project was conceived by Prodrive chairman David Richards and while it's unclear whether the company will have original Imprezas and modify them or build them from scratch, everything seems to indicate that it is. the first option.

If confirmed, the P25 could end up positioning itself at the level of other very particular restomods such as the reinterpretation of the  Porsche 911 by Singer Vehicle Design  , the  RML Short Wheelbase  inspired by the Ferrari 250 GTO  or the  Kimera Evo37 .

One of the Subaru Impreza WRC driven by Colin McRae

According to Richards, "The original Impreza 22B is considered Subarus' most iconic and highly coveted. With this reinterpretation, we wanted to improve on everything that made this car so special, but apply the most advanced technology to create  our own version of a car that has carved out a place in  motorsport history on its own merits".

For the moment, nothing is known about its interior or the equipment that the Prodrive P25 will include. Much less than the price, but the countdown to know more details is already underway.

The car will make its official debut at  the Goodwood Festival of Speed  ​​(Fos) next June and, according to the manufacturer, the first of 25 cars produced will be delivered to its lucky owner before the end of the year.