Although we knew that the P25 was coming and would look like a two-door Impreza and would be very powerful and expensive, we will admit that we will be amazed by the end result. Of course, we haven’t seen it live yet – the covers are coming down to the Speed Festival this Thursday – but there can certainly be no argument that the P25 looks like business. After launching the original WRC Impreza 25 years ago, Prodrive says it has “rethought what this car would be like today”. Good job, guys.
And of course it’s getting better. These redesigned body panels? Carbon composite, batch. Trunk, hood, roof, sills, mirrors, front and rear, rear wing and bumpers in WRC style. Peter Stevens, who designed the WRC version at the time, is responsible for the new look (only these rear arches make us have fun), and Prodrive’s experience in assembling everything again means that the P25 weighs less than 1,200 kg, while retaining steel monocoque on WRX.
In this updated, lightweight blend, the company has inserted Subaru’s latest 2.5-liter flat four, albeit completely redesigned with custom internal components, including new cylinder liners, pistons, rods and a variable-torque valve mechanism. Oh, there’s also a turbo Garrett motorsport with an improved intercooler and air box, plus a racing titanium and Akrapovic stainless steel exhaust system. All said, it produces 400 hp. and 443lb ft of torque and we’ll go ahead and say that the P25 probably sounds as good as it looks.
This will also become serious. Prodrive estimates that it will reach 62 mph in less than 3.5 seconds, thanks in part to a six-speed sequential gearbox with spirally cut gears, but also because it gets a WRC-style launch control system that combines the choke and the clutch with the help of a choke and a clutch. in the floor-mounted pedal box for automatic transmission of the car through first, second and third gear. Just imagine this away from the lights.
Power goes to all-wheel drive via an adjustable active center differential and limited-slip differentials at the front and rear (which gives you some idea of how the P25 will handle). Prodrive has retained the McPherson struts, but says it has used machined aluminum stands that can be adjusted for optimal geometry on the car’s 1770mm wider track. The new Bilstein shock absorbers are adjustable for compression and rebound, while the springs and stabilizers are obviously optimized for asphalt handling. You also get AP Racing brakes and gorgeous 19-inch Prodrive wheels.
We haven’t seen it yet, although the dashboard is said to have a full-width, full-page display, including a data logger, and has the option of a “partial” safety cage and racing seats. It is clear that the company expects the owners to take the car on the track (yes, right?) And has taken care of the use of the track with “different gas reactions and engine performance maps, including anti-delay correction”. And if you’re thinking of the Lordy, there’s a WRC-style hydraulic hand-brake, which automatically deactivates the center differential to eliminate rear-wheel drive. Which means the P25 is custom made to hold all sorts of nonsense.
This is a good thing because, as expected, the P25 is not cheap. On the one hand, there will always be only 25 of them (obvs), and on the other – if the description above did not signal you about it – it is approximately as close to a rally car for the road as you will ever go get. Accordingly, Prodrive will charge £ 460,000 plus VAT for each example. Big money, of course – but if they don’t disappear from Banbury’s shelves like hot cakes, we’ll eat our PH hats. In fact, as Goodwood is about to move up the hill in the planned development car, we expect them all to disappear by the end of the week.
David Richards, President of Prodrive, said: “The iconic son of Subarus brings back memories of an extraordinary era of the WRC, and it was the Impreza 22B that brought the rally to the rally. By rethinking this car, using the latest technology and materials, the Prodrive P25 pays homage to its roots and there will be nothing else that can compare to its performance on the open road. That’s why I believe we’ve achieved our vision of creating our own modern interpretation of the most iconic Subaru Impreza to date. ” Deliveries for the lucky few are set to begin later this year.
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