Friday 11th September 2015

Shed Of The Week: Subaru Impreza WRX Turbo

This week's Shed is the Gravel Express, two-tone paint and boxer engine included

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What's that noise? That low rumble accompanied by the sound of pebble-dashing and the occasional loud backfire?

If you were Shed listening to Mrs Shed's morning wake-up routine, you'd be grimly familiar with it. But what we're actually talking about here is this rather interesting first-generation Impreza Sport Wagon.

What it could look like with a Bull-Bar

It's interesting because it's not just any old Sport Wagon, or Outback Sport as they are sometimes also known. The vendor refers to it as a Gravel Edition, but after a bit of beard-scratching Shed thinks the correct appelation for this one is Gravel Express, from the true glory days of Jenglish JDM model-naming.

Built in year three of the Gen-1's seven-year production run, this is an honest-looking example of a machine that in the domestic market at least could be had with an enormous bull-bar arrangement bearing the heroic Gravel Express legend. Sadly, as our pic shows, that was not in reverse script, though by all that's holy it should have been.

The Gravel Express sported a jauntily raised ride height and Subaru's famous turbocharged 2.0-litre flat-four. Officially, the beauty of the 'boxer' engine is that it keeps the centre of gravity nice and low for enhanced handle-arama. The real beauty of it of course is the sound it makes. Unfortunately, in the UK at least, that distinctive woofle will forever be associated with daft chavvy types roosting noisily around car parks, housing estates and other areas of urban desolation.

That's a shame but don't let it put you off what is a very capable car. Four-wheel drive plus (in this iteration) 208hp in a nicely wieldy and practical five-door hatch/estate is a tempting recipe. This is a well-timed ad too, what with the clocks going back shortly, the minced pie ads already starting to appear and the prospect of several months' worth of slushy misery on the roads.

The hood scoop is for show but this car has a A'PEXi exhaust, which is a nice touch. A'PEXi was set up in Japan in 1992 but five years later moved to the States where they have established themselves as a reputable outfit. A field of tiny sponsor stickers on each front door as beloved by the Fast and Furious brigade adds that welcome extra soupcon of Japanese intrigue.

If you want to know what might go wrong with one of these, ask our Dan. He can tell you a tale or three. Basically, it's a lot, but the presence of a new gearbox is heartening, as is the low mileage. Anyone who has ever been to Japan will know that most folk over there drive with a considerable degree of care, not to say wimpiness. That should surely mean some reserve of mechanical good will for the next owner to exploit. Perhaps.

For some reason the fist-sized patch of rust on our Shed's boot lid is not shown, but at least it's been admitted to in the text and it wouldn't be too difficult for interested parties to secure a few supplementary pics via the twin miracles of a smartphone and the internet.

In the ad there's a picture of the dash, which as you'd expect includes the fuel gauge. The ignition is off, so the gauge needle is resting on the 'E' mark. Get used to that sight. This is not a car for anyone who is even vaguely interested in the state of our planet. The spec panel on a PH ad allows a vendor to auto-fill lots of info, including their pride and joy's fuel consumption. For some reason it's been left out but it doesn't take a genius to know that the mpg figure will start with a two, even on a good day. The thing being that a good day in an WRX is one in which you are happily caning the life out of it.

Here's the ad.

Hi there Guys,
Here we have a Subaru Impreza Gravel Edition for sale as a baby is now on the way and a slightly more practical day to day car is now required. The car is solid, a great runner and hasn't let me down in the months that it has been owned. It grips the road like a Subaru should and handles beautifully. Below are a few specifics on the car.
- 124,657 K/M, which roughly translates to 77,500 miles. (very low milage)
- Apexi Exhaust system
- Replacement gear box just installed
- Rear passenger wheel bearing just done
- Full service
- Clean interior
- Nardi Steering Wheel
- CD player
- Electric Windows
- Huge boot space (estate)
The only areas of the car which need a little bit of love is the body work. The car has lived a short stint in Italy, and due to the hot weather has suffered some lacquer peel on the bonnet and roof, but all quite cheap to sort. Also, you will notice that on the front bumper there are some scuffs and marks, this is from whee the car was shipped over in a container and someone has rested their bicycle against the front of the car and its chewed the bumper up a little. Theres a small patch of rust on the boot lid thats about the size of a fist, however we found a replacement one a while back for £80 so this has been reflected in the price. You may also notice the front left fog light isn't on the car, but it is provided (haven't got time to stick it back on). So other than those small issues, the car is great.
It is waiting for the right person to come along and show some TLC as it has the potential to be a mint car.
Thanks for looking, please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.
I am selling on behalf of my brother as he is currently working away.
Thanks
Phil

[Nik Attard]

Sorry about the delay in Shed going live this morning.

Luckily, no-one has turned up at PH towers with pitchforks calling for our heads on the end of a stake.

Normal service will resume from now on.

Nik