RE: PH Heroes: Subaru Impreza P1

RE: PH Heroes: Subaru Impreza P1

Tuesday 27th March 2012

PH Heroes: Subaru Impreza P1

We'll be driving a new Subaru this week, but before we do let's celebrate a blast from the brand's past...



Before we go any further let's make it clear: we're not about to initiate a 'what's the greatest Impreza?' slanging match. Crumbs, the debate about what's the best classic Scooby alone is more than toxic enough to be getting into here. 22B? Exotic and super hardcore. RB5? That Burns connection and arguably the closest to the Impreza as all-round, usable four-door B-road weapon.


But we're focusing here on the P1. Not because it's necessarily the best Impreza ever built. But perhaps because it neatly embodies all that's wonderful about the classic Impreza in one single package.

Definitely not SOTW
With regular Impreza Turbos entering Shed Of The Week territory, now is the time the more exotic and celebrated versions like the P1 should start appreciating a little. As well they ought, because it's a truly wonderful car.

It's also a celebration of the British love affair with the Impreza, symbolising an era where not one but two British drivers won world rally championships in Prodrive-preparedSubarus. The cachet of Prodrive's involvement in the P1 only adds to the provenance, the P1 name a reflection of the fact this was the firm's first road car project.


It's more than 12 years now since the P1 first appeared and it's a measure of how far things have come since that you can get an all-wheel-drive Golf with nearly as much power as the P1's official 280hp. And that, as much as any reason, is why the market for hot Imprezas is a shadow of what it once was.

Back in the days of 18-month waiting lists for new Impreza Turbos, there was nothing else offering comparable bang-for-buck. But with hot hatches getting hotter and the arrival of cars like the 370Z and Cayman, the niche inhabited by Imprezas and Evos has got smaller and smaller.

And though the P1 is little over a decade old, the classic Impreza dates back almost twice that - getting into one today it feels truly like a car from another era. A recent one, admittedly, but definitely from a slightly different age.


There's nothing quite like that bonnet scoop
It's evocative as ever though, that brilliant view of the road framed by slim pillars and, of course, the back of that trademark bonnet scoop, resplendent in WR Blue. You could only be aboard a Scooby, the wing-backed blue buckets and flashes of pink STI badging livening up the otherwise workmanlike Impreza cabin. Yup, there are cheap plastics about, as per any Japanese car of the era. But the bits you hold or touch are solid and tactile, the mechanical interface thing very, well, mechanical.

Creating the P1 meant losing some of the JDM Type R STI's fancier bits, the adjustable centre diff among them. But, strictly limited 22B UK aside, this was the first two-door Impreza you could buy officially in the UK, instantly elevating the P1 above regular saloons and wagons. True purists may prefer to stick with the Japanese market rarities, but the P1 leaves few questions unanswered, the Peter Stevens designed bodykit and anthracite OZ wheels giving it a unique look. It's also telling that the tyres covering them are only 205 in section, this relatively modest rubber the same as that employed by the forthcoming stripped-out version of the new BRZ. In both cases it's a welcome riposte to the idea that grip is the be-all end-all.


Fast, but also involving
An Impreza is about grip, of course, but the P1 doesn't forget tactility and an ability to entertain. And it sounds brilliantly raw, the Scorpion exhaust on this example giving just the perfect amount of trademark flat-four warble.

It spools up with real urgency too, the throttle response noticeably more aggressive than a standard Turbo or even WRX of the era. The noises are brilliant, a hard-edged exhaust note overlayed with a whistle of turbo - a perfect accompaniment to performance that still feels potent. And it revs too, if not with quite the manic enthusiasm of some JDM versions.

But it feels really light and responsive. Modern hot hatches may boast similar power outputs, but many are also carrying another couple of hundred kilos over the P1's 1,275kg and you really feel it in the way the Impreza bounds along, eager to carve up the kind of B-roads cars like this were built for. And it feels really compact compared with more modern cars, this and the superb visibility giving you bags of confidence.


Like any classic Impreza, you want to get it turned in before you really get on the power and, though fast enough to respond, the front end has never been the old Scooby's strongest point. Once pointing the right direction you can really lean on it hard and a settled Subaru is a very, very rapid one.

The P1 ran 20mm lower than standard Turbos on Eibach springs, STI dampers and standard Turbo anti-roll bars and Prodrive's influence means it rides well over the lumps and bumps of yer typical British B-road. Only the brakes let it down a little, recognised by the fact Prodrive also offered an AP big brake kit as an option and later included it on the uprated WR version.

It's not how fast you go, it's how quick you get there
Topping out at 155mph, the P1 isn't about top-end bragging rights. Focus more on that 4.7-second 0-60 time and you see where this car's talents lie - on the road the P1's pace is right where you want it. It's the kind of car you strike up a rhythm with; perhaps not the manic, frenzied attack of an Evo but a slightly more nuanced approach, working with the terrain rather than just pummelling it into quivering submission. It may be feeling its age, but a P1 and a twisty backroad are still a pretty compelling combination.


Which goes to explain why they still command a healthy premium over 'lesser' classic Imprezas. Crossroads Subaru, agents for this particular car, say you can pick them up for six grand or so now but wouldn't advise it. A low mileage, original one like this could cost double that, though, and the mintest of the mint could cost up to £15K, so it remains a reasonably committed purchase.

Though true fans like Crossroads are still flying the flag for the hot Subaru , it's hard to avoid the sense the world has moved on slightly from glory days in which the P1 was conceived.

That's fine - fashions change after all. But the concept of the P1 remains as valid as it ever was and the things we always loved about the classic Impreza - its charisma, its unique character, its appropriateness to UK driving conditions - are still as relevant today as they ever were.

Which is why, if you're going to pin your colours to one mast in the Impreza world, the P1 makes as good a case as any. And remains a worthy PH hero.

Thanks to Crossroads Subaru
Photos: Antony Fraser



SUBARU IMPREZA P1
Engine
: 1,994cc flat-4
Transmission: 5-speed manual, four-wheel drive
Power (hp): 280@6,500rpm
Torque (lb ft): 260@4,000rpm
0-60mph: 4.7 sec
Top speed: 155mph
Weight: 1,275kg
MPG: N/A
CO2: N/A
Price: £31,495 (new)

Relevant links:
Original PH Heroes piece on the Impreza


Subaru Imprezas in the PH classifieds

STIs in the classifieds

WRXs in the classifieds





Author
Discussion

Dagnut

Original Poster:

3,515 posts

192 months

Tuesday 27th March 2012
quotequote all
Never understood why they dropped the DCCD from the TypeR

C2james

4,685 posts

164 months

Tuesday 27th March 2012
quotequote all
That is a really nice example.

MattDell

3,239 posts

154 months

Tuesday 27th March 2012
quotequote all
PistonHeads should definitely have a P1 as a long-termer. cloud9

Dave Hedgehog

14,541 posts

203 months

Tuesday 27th March 2012
quotequote all
legend biggrin

Riggers

1,859 posts

177 months

Tuesday 27th March 2012
quotequote all
MattDell said:
PistonHeads should definitely have a P1 as a long-termer. cloud9
+1. Not sure how, but definitely +1

PaperCut

640 posts

146 months

Tuesday 27th March 2012
quotequote all
Despite them being rare, i've actually driven two different examples of the P1....didn't own either of them, but still, it's a mega car!

cagedmini

781 posts

145 months

Tuesday 27th March 2012
quotequote all
P1 was always my favourite when i did my apprentiship at Subaru

Ved

3,825 posts

174 months

Tuesday 27th March 2012
quotequote all
What what new Subaru are you driving soon then??

davidcharles

400 posts

193 months

Tuesday 27th March 2012
quotequote all
if i think of a classic Impreza in my head i always see a P1...great car, will become more collectable as well.

how's about an EVO 6, P1, Uk Spec R33 GTR, Uk Spec Supra and a DC2 Integra for the ultimate Jap garage..!!

p1doc

3,108 posts

183 months

Tuesday 27th March 2012
quotequote all
superb car-hence my username,on a private road mine did an indicated 165mph at 6200rpm mmm,mine had prodrive exhaust rather than sti branded onelovely and crackly with alcon upgraded brakes after a hectic knockhill session
prodrive wr model included electic recaros exhaust alcon rather than ap brakes and gas discharge spotlights(always good when label on covers says remove before use as will melt lol)-one of my favourite cars
martin

Turbo Harry

5,187 posts

236 months

Tuesday 27th March 2012
quotequote all
Ved said:
What what new Subaru are you driving soon then??
One with a couple fewer driven wheels maybe?

Jibber Jabber

1,034 posts

205 months

Tuesday 27th March 2012
quotequote all
My thread has arrived.

Been looking at a P1 as my next car. Anyone with any knowledge able to tell me if a rebuilt engine is as likely to go pop as an original? Assuming they are run properly (99 Ron, warmed up etc.). Are the rebuilds using improved components etc or are they all different?

I don't fancy buying a one that has been rebuilt once and will go bang later on in it's life with the same issues.

Thanks.

Edited to add...

Why wouldn't a £6k version be a wise option?

Edited by Jibber Jabber on Tuesday 27th March 16:28

Baryonyx

17,988 posts

158 months

Tuesday 27th March 2012
quotequote all
What a stunning car. The world may have moved on from the era of fast Japanese rally reps but I am sure any petrolhead will agree we are not better off for it now!

I'm a big Subaru fan, I've had my Impreza GX for a couple of months now and it is just great. Simple engineering executed superbly. Thats what Imprezas have always been about for me, no gadgets, no toys, no bloated excess. Just refined tools for the road; sharp driving machines that feel mechanical and pure in a way that few cars do now.

Alex

9,975 posts

283 months

Tuesday 27th March 2012
quotequote all
davidcharles said:
if i think of a classic Impreza in my head i always see a P1...great car, will become more collectable as well.

how's about an EVO 6, P1, Uk Spec R33 GTR, Uk Spec Supra and a DC2 Integra for the ultimate Jap garage..!!
Well, I already have a P1 and a DC2!

cerb4.5lee

30,041 posts

179 months

Tuesday 27th March 2012
quotequote all
Totally wonderful, its always been my favourite scooby with the 22b a close second.

I have driven 3 different scoobys but never owned one, great allround cars especially this shape, always hankered after a P1, one day.

Alex

9,975 posts

283 months

Tuesday 27th March 2012
quotequote all
Jibber Jabber said:
My thread has arrived.

Been looking at a P1 as my next car. Anyone with any knowledge able to tell me if a rebuilt engine is as likely to go pop as an original? Assuming they are run properly (99 Ron, warmed up etc.). Are the rebuilds using improved components etc or are they all different?

I don't fancy buying a one that has been rebuilt once and will go bang later on in it's life with the same issues.

Thanks.

Edited to add...

Why wouldn't a £6k version be a wise option?

Edited by Jibber Jabber on Tuesday 27th March 16:28
It depends on the quality of the rebuild, but a rebuilt engine should be less likely to go pop. I recently had mine rebuilt by Dan Charman at Surrey Subaru Specialists, and he used an uprated RCM oil pump, with racing bearings. He reckons it should last 100k easily.

I paid £4,950 for my P1, but there is a story behind that...

kev b

2,707 posts

165 months

Tuesday 27th March 2012
quotequote all
I've got one for sale,full Subaru history lowish mileage. If anyone is interested I will be back at 11 pm.

Alex

9,975 posts

283 months

Tuesday 27th March 2012
quotequote all

Skullfudge

18 posts

194 months

Tuesday 27th March 2012
quotequote all
I've owned 39 cars and always been a PH ( still am wink and currently own a P1.

It's current spec is a little higher than OE but when I collected the car 6 years ago at 300 bhp it was the most solid car I had driven.

Rather than rant on how good they are I recommend you drive one and see for yourselves.


tommy vercetti

11,486 posts

162 months

Tuesday 27th March 2012
quotequote all
Lovely cars, but the 22B will always be my favourite scooby