Prodrive announces the ultra-limited P25, a reimaging of the legendary Subaru 22B

Remember the Subaru 22B, the car that helped make Subaru a WRC legend? Well, Prodrive’s P25 is meant to be a lot like that, except made of carbon fiber, good for 400 horsepower, and fitted with a semi-automatic transmission.

Interested? You better act quickly, as only 25 examples are set to be produced–each one built entirely at Prodrive’s headquarters in the U.K. …

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Prodrive making this P25 is kinda like how RUF made a new version of the CTR:

[Driving the Modern Interpretation of the Famed Yellowbird]

And another recreation worth talking about, the Stratos:

[The new Stratos has some big shoes to fill]

At least they are trying to do what Subaru doesn't even attempt to do anymore. Make cool Subarus. 

So are they putting new guts inside of an old body, or putting a retro skin on a new body?

The 22B didn't make Subaru a WRC legend. It was more of a street car commemoration of the fact that Subaru had become a WRC legend with several world championships. And Prodrive has tried to cover it a few times with cars like the P1. Really, this is a revisitation of the P1.

What set the 22B apart was that factory widebody, as seen on the rally cars.

Driven5 said:

So are they putting new guts inside of an old body, or putting a retro skin on a new body?

Neither. They'll bump the power by raising the boost (and maybe building the engine, because cost will be no object), install the transmission and put some interior tweaks into a current Impreza and paint it blue.

In reply to Keith Tanner :

So really they're basically just building the new STI that Subaru won't... Then I guess they're putting a picture of the 22B next to the P25 logo simply because marketeering. That's disappointing. Maybe they'll at least replace the atrocious factory 'flares' on the new WRX with something more befitting.

I won't be able to afford it, so there is that.  

Driven5 said:

In reply to Keith Tanner :

So really they're basically just building the STI that Subaru won't... Then I guess they're putting a picture of the 22B next to the P25 logo simply because marketeering. That's disappointing. Maybe they'll at least replace the atrocious factory 'flares' with something more befitting.

The 22B is much more valuable and easily distinguished than the arguably better (according to Evo magazine back in the day) P1, which is why it's in the press releases :) At the time the 22B came out, there was a new Impreza Turbo WRX  STi RA whatever model coming out about every 20 minutes in Japan. But those fender flares...

A friend of mine had a Type RA. Come to think of it, I think he had a legit Subaru WRC car, too, at one point. 

I can only hope that it's not powered by an EJ at that power level. Knock knock... Who's there? It's some guy selling dry sump systems, should I let him in? YES!!!!

Keith Tanner said:

Driven5 said:

So are they putting new guts inside of an old body, or putting a retro skin on a new body?

Neither. They'll bump the power by raising the boost (and maybe building the engine, because cost will be no object), install the transmission and put some interior tweaks into a current Impreza and paint it blue.

I read that it was going to be based on a 2-door Impreza coupe. Does Subaru offer a current coupe version of the Impreza? Everything I see around here is 4-door, but I'm no Subie expert...

Keith Tanner said:

Neither. They'll bump the power by raising the boost (and maybe building the engine, because cost will be no object), install the transmission and put some interior tweaks into a current Impreza and paint it blue.

Actually it really is just a bunch of new stuff crammed into the old GC8 chassis.

https://www.evo.co.uk/subaru/204839/prodrive-p25-to-be-a-carbon-bodied-subaru-impreza-22b-sti-revival

The new P25 will be built by Prodrive itself and capped at 25 units. Initially based on an original two-door Subaru Impreza chassis, it will feature a range of contemporary upgrades to make it lighter, sharper and more powerful than the 1998 original. 

Ah, so it's a restomod. The elevator pitch is "Like a Singer, but for..." :)

The current value of the original 22B cars probably has little to do with it, I'm sure. I wonder how many will get driven in anger versus parked as investments? Will BaT have P25s with three-digit mileage for sale in 20 years?

In reply to Keith Tanner :

Not that I can afford one, but guaranteed if I had one I'd join the tires off it. I live close enough to the firm to live out my Colin McRae fantasies. 

Are we really at the point that people are willing to pay bespoke car prices for something with a Subaru badge?

I thought the cryptobros lost all their money a couple weeks ago.

In reply to ShawnG :

yeah, we are. This thing is evoking a legend from nearly 25 years ago. 25 years is lots of time to go from "impressionable" to "stupid rich". The market for these cars isn't going to be 25 year old cryptobros, it'll be people in their 40s. I mean, the 22B pushes my buttons and I'm the same age as Elon Musk. He could buy them all and have a spec race series for SpaceX employees without even noticing.

In reply to ShawnG :

If I had the means, I probably would. (Though an Evo IV restomod is really more to my taste.)

:shrug:

In reply to ShawnG :

Yes if I had stupid money, I'd rallycross the heck out of one of these.