Subaru Impreza Turbo | Spotted
The rally icon is 30 years old now, and this one 25 - who fancies stepping back in time?
We write about Subaru Imprezas quite a lot on PH. There were quite a lot of them made over a good few years, after all, and a GB270 is quite a bit different to an RB320 - even if it’s all the same thing to most folk. Over 25 years or so, the Subaru Impreza (or just WRX STI, in the later years) became such a hero car for so many that its influence remains hard to understate. Don’t forget, either, that the modern super-hatch - 2.0-litre turbo, four-wheel drive, clever diffs and compact dimensions - was previewed by the five-door Impreza 15 years ago.
In 2022, it’s the ultimate Imprezas that get all the attention. It seems barely a month goes by without a new record sale price for a 22B, RB5 or P1 being set, and the numbers get scarier each time. It could well be argued, though, that the most significant version of all was the plain old Turbo. That was the car that revolutionised fast cars in Britain, after all, and formed the basis of the rally car. With around 200hp and weighing 1,200kg, the first Impreza Turbo would still be brisk today - it’s Fiesta ST power and weight - so it must have seemed absolutely berserk 30 years ago. Back in 1992, the Golf GTI Mk3 had just launched with 115hp - the Subaru was on another planet, for £17,499.
And while memories of the Max Power era have left an indelible mark, the reputation was made by the standard car. It was perfectly suited to what the British enthusiast needed: it was quick, compact, and practical, with a chassis that devoured B-roads like it was built for nowhere else. Then Colin drove one, and the legend was assured. The look and the sound of an Impreza Turbo would forever be iconic.
As a result, prices have been climbing of late, but there are still some smart buys out there. (Or the world of £50k RB5s and £200k 22Bs has made anything else look eminently reasonable.) Either way, this one is on offer at £12,995; more than might have been paid for a 1997 Turbo a little while ago, if some way from the most expensive 90s’ Subaru out there.
It’s a fine example, too, with just 78,000 miles on the clock and not a single modification. Look, it’s the truth - minicab interior, modest twin exhaust and standard bonnet scoop present and correct. This Impreza has recently been brought out of storage (which will help explain the low mileage) and treated to a thorough refresh - cambelt, water pump, radiator, discs and pads - ahead of a new MOT, so it should be ready to roll for a new owner. There’s a stack of history from before it was stored, too.
Downsides? It’s hard to think of many. There are probably as many people who like red for being rare as there are buyers wishing it was blue and gold. And the drive may not be quite as feverishly quick as memory suggests - but remembering that this is a 25-year-old car now should stand you in good stead. Carnoustie could be tricky to reach for some as well. But if ever a car looked worth the effort, the little red Japanese saloon may well be it.
SPECIFICATION | SUBARU IMPREZA TURBO
Engine: 1,994cc, flat-four turbo
Transmission: 5-speed manual, four-wheel drive
Power (hp): 210@5,600rpm
Torque (lb ft): 214@4,000rpm
MPG: 29
CO2: 239g/km
Year registered: 1997
Recorded mileage: 78,000
Price new: £19,740 (1997)
Yours for: £12,995
The interior was typically Japanese crap though, but in fairness I've got used to that now having had a S14 200SX and I've now got a 370Z.
I also remember a very quick journey down to Newquay in it for a stag weekend, and my mate got flashed twice by 2 speed cameras on the way down!
Thicker rear ARB, better brakes, exhaust and a chipped ECU makes the world of difference.
Unfortunately the UK car’s turbo can only muster 280 bhp at best, so it gets more expensive after that. But that’s still a decent figure for the road in something this light.
Had a couple of Imprezas of my own since then.
I’d only known her a few weeks when she said she needed to take her daughter over to grandmas (so from near Mansfield to Mablethorpe area, around 75 miles)
As a true gent I offered her the use of my Impreza and off she toddled.
Just over an hour later my phone rang to hear here say
“I’m here”
Perplexed I jumped up from my settle and looked out of the window
“No you’re not”
“Yes, I am!”
Looking again I can’t see hide nor hair of anything resembling a Mica Blue Impreza, so replied again that she wasn’t there
“Just a minute..” she said and then put her mum on the phone
After a few minutes, (which actually felt like a lifetime) talking to future mother in law, she come back on the phone
“Er, it’s taken you just over an hour to get there, how on earth did you manage that?”
“Well I do ride a Yamaha R6 so I drove like I ride, needle on the red line as much as possible!
Oh, and I’ve used 3/4 tank of petrol….”
Three quarters of a tank of fuel to do 75 miles on some A roads but mostly B roads….. legend. Guess that’s why I married her.
I remember when my Brother got one in circa 1995. It blew my mind, it was so much faster (in a straight line, and around corners) than anything else I'd been in.
This red one has already sold - classic shape Impreza's are well on their way to Cosworth values IMHO.
I’d only known her a few weeks when she said she needed to take her daughter over to grandmas (so from near Mansfield to Mablethorpe area, around 75 miles)
As a true gent I offered her the use of my Impreza and off she toddled.
Just over an hour later my phone rang to hear here say
“I’m here”
Perplexed I jumped up from my settle and looked out of the window
“No you’re not”
“Yes, I am!”
Looking again I can’t see hide nor hair of anything resembling a Mica Blue Impreza, so replied again that she wasn’t there
“Just a minute..” she said and then put her mum on the phone
After a few minutes, (which actually felt like a lifetime) talking to future mother in law, she come back on the phone
“Er, it’s taken you just over an hour to get there, how on earth did you manage that?”
“Well I do ride a Yamaha R6 so I drove like I ride, needle on the red line as much as possible!
Oh, and I’ve used 3/4 tank of petrol….”
Three quarters of a tank of fuel to do 75 miles on some A roads but mostly B roads….. legend. Guess that’s why I married her.
The fuel consumption was something that I was also very shocked at when we went down to Newquay from Mansfield too. It properly drank fuel when you were tanking in it for sure.
Good memories.
I’d only known her a few weeks when she said she needed to take her daughter over to grandmas (so from near Mansfield to Mablethorpe area, around 75 miles)
As a true gent I offered her the use of my Impreza and off she toddled.
Just over an hour later my phone rang to hear here say
“I’m here”
Perplexed I jumped up from my settle and looked out of the window
“No you’re not”
“Yes, I am!”
Looking again I can’t see hide nor hair of anything resembling a Mica Blue Impreza, so replied again that she wasn’t there
“Just a minute..” she said and then put her mum on the phone
After a few minutes, (which actually felt like a lifetime) talking to future mother in law, she come back on the phone
“Er, it’s taken you just over an hour to get there, how on earth did you manage that?”
“Well I do ride a Yamaha R6 so I drove like I ride, needle on the red line as much as possible!
Oh, and I’ve used 3/4 tank of petrol….”
Three quarters of a tank of fuel to do 75 miles on some A roads but mostly B roads….. legend. Guess that’s why I married her.
However, the fuel economy was awful, it understeered more than I expected (may have been my driving style), the turbo lag coming from a modern VAG TDI was surprising (not much below 3000 RPM), the interior just a horrible place to spend time and in the end the engine went kupput thanks to the infamous bottom end bearing problem which affected 1998 cars (I didn't know this when I bought it).
I then bought a CAT D Ford Focus MK1 Zetec 1.6 which was dog slow by comparison, but weirdly actually was more fun to drive and own on a day-by-day basis and obviously much cheaper to run!
So, I would say these are great cars on the right road but proceed with caution if you want to buy one! Bullet proof they are not!
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