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This is a faithful recreation of the iconic blue Subaru Impreza from the world rally era, re-imagining what the car could be like in 2022.
Prodrive is one of the most famous names in the automotive world. And they are marking a significant milestone in 2022. It is 25 years since Prodrive debuted the two-door Subaru Impreza World Rally Car in the World Rally Championship. Since then, the Subaru Impreza has become one of the most iconic rally cars of all time, achieving cult status among many car enthusiasts, and often seen as the ultimate turbocharged four-wheel-drive car of its time.
And it was of course driven by famous drivers such as the late, great, Colin McRae. Given it is such an important milestone for the company, Prodrive naturally wanted to mark the occasion with something quite special. So to mark the occasion, Prodrive has come up with the incredible Prodrive P25.
This is a faithful recreation of the iconic blue Subaru Impreza from that world rally era, re-imagining what the car could be like where it was produced in 2022. This is an extraordinary machine that is now built with the latest technology and materials, in the news that will certainly excite many a car enthusiast. As you might expect, we will only see a few of these cars, but they look stunning.
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The Prodrive P25 will is coming in a limited run of just 25 units, tying in with the name and the 25th anniversary of the car entering the WRC. And while this car is a modern interpretation of the original, at its heart is an original Impreza. At the core of this car will be an original two-door Impreza WRX chassis at its core.
This is the same chassis used in the first Impreza WRC, but it has reduced weight and a more powerful engine, as well as improved vehicle dynamics. The fact that an original chassis is being used will certainly satisfy enthusiasts. However, the new Impreza weighs less than 2,600 pounds (1,200 kg). That is thanks to the use of carbon composite materials, to help bring the weight down over the original Impreza WRC.
Under the hood of the car is a 2.5-liter flat-four ‘boxer’ engine that produces 400 hp, and 442 lb-ft (600 Nm) of torque. That is plenty of power for most people. The Prodrive P25 will also come with a six-speed semi-automatic transmission, plus WRC-derived launch control and turbo anti-lag. This should mean the P25 can go from 0-62 mph in just 3.5 seconds.
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So how exactly has Prodrive achieved the weight loss? Well, Prodrive has constructed the hood, trunk, roof, sills, door mirrors, front and rear quarters, WRC style rear wing, and the bumpers from carbon composite. That is a lot of weight-saving, and it all adds up. On the inside of the car, there are optional lightweight race seats, with carbon door cards and a lithium-ion battery.
Those optional seats should help to bring the weight down just that little more. Speaking of the engine, it is based upon the latest Subaru 2.5-liter cylinder block but re-engineered by the Prodrive team. There are bespoke internal components such as new cylinder liners, pistons, con rods, and a valve train as well with variable cam timing.
For more power, a Garrett motorsport turbo is now added with a high-performance intercooler and airbox. Akrapovic titanium and stainless steel racing exhaust system round out the major performance upgrades. And those are some pretty impressive performance upgrades, but there is even more to this Prodrive P25 as well, to help make this extra special.
Of course, the Impreza is all-wheel drive and the drivetrain features an adjustable active center differential plus limited-slip differentials at the front and rear. When it comes to stopping power, the braking is now provided by AP Racing brakes with 380 mm vented discs and six-piston calipers at the front, and 350 mm vented discs and four-piston calipers at the rear of the Impreza.
Launching the car sounds like a blast with the WRC-style launch control system. This combines the fly-by-wire throttle and clutch, in the floor to take the car automatically through first, second, and third gear to achieve the optimal acceleration for the driver.
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Prodrive has also worked a bit of magic on the interior of their new Impreza. The interior sees some upgrades to replicate the authentic late 1990s Impreza interior. This is all achieved with a combination of leather, Alcantara, and carbon trim.
Four people can sit in the car, but there is the option to remove the rear seats and fit a partial safety cage. And Prodrive has had the honor of Peter Stevens, the man who styled the original Impreza WRC, to restyle several features of this new P25. Prodrive says the first examples of the car will be delivered to customers later in the year, and it is set to debut at the 2022 Goodwood Festival of Speed.
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