RE: Subaru Impreza WRX STI Spec C RA-R: Spotted

RE: Subaru Impreza WRX STI Spec C RA-R: Spotted

Thursday 6th April 2017

Subaru Impreza WRX STI Spec C RA-R: Spotted

With the £100K 22B now a reality, a £25K RA-R is looking even more tempting



Theory goes that the more numbers and letters after your JDM special, the more exciting the car they're attached to. Put an 'RS' after 'Mitsubishi', 'Evo' plus any number of roman numerals and you're onto a winner; add 'Spirit R' onto an RX-7 and, while it may sound like an air freshener, the result is awesome. And the 'V' in 'V-Spec' sounds for victory - who wouldn't want that?

An Impreza to most, but you know better...
An Impreza to most, but you know better...
Nowhere is that theory more strongly supported than with Subaru Imprezas. A WRX STI is an interesting car. A Spec C is a bit special. But a WRX STI Spec C RA-R? Now we're talking, if you can actually say it.

This car was the last fast Impreza saloon, what with cars now simply badged 'WRX STI'. But it's far, far more special than simply being the end of the line. This was STI showing exactly what could be done with an Impreza, and the end result was spectacular. The 2.0-litre engine as used in the JDM Imprezas was fully blueprinted and used a new twin-scroll turbo, revised intake and new exhaust to make 320hp, this in addition to the more aggressive cams, uprated pistons and stronger con-rods used in the Japanese cars that the British ones didn't have.

It was 70kg lighter than a WRX STI thanks to reduced soundproofing, thinner glass, a lighter battery and even a thinner roof. The steering was quickened. The brakes were made bigger with huge Brembo six-piston calipers. The suspension was overhauled too, lower than a Spec C and with 'STI aluminium pillowball lateral links with bushings'. Which sound fancy. Everything was ramped up to make this the most intense and rewarding Impreza ever. Sounds like quite the car, doesn't it?

Trick internals, revs to eight and goes fast - good
Trick internals, revs to eight and goes fast - good
Just 300 were made for Japan, so to find one in the UK is rare. To find one in white - of which just 125 were made - is even more notable. This car was imported just last year, has less than 60,000 miles recorded and will be sold with a fresh cambelt. It has been modified, which initially sounds concerning, but is nothing more drastic than a tad more power, a couple of tweaks inside and some different brake pads. Nothing has been fundamentally altered, it would appear.

The advert is knowledgeable, the seller is clearly a fan (he's had a Spec C Type RA at the same time, and is selling to buy a GT-R) and it's MoT'd until the end of the year. You will never be spoilt for choice of RA-R Imprezas, but this one looks particularly nice. To some £24K for a 10-year-old Impreza will look ludicrous; to others it will be one of the most thrilling cars to ever come out of Japan and, in a world of the £100K 22B, the £50K Evo VI and the £85K GT-R Nur, perhaps not all that excessive.

Just as a final point, here's a Tsukuba Best Motoring vid from when the RA-R. In it the Impreza posts a best lap three tenths off an NSX-R and makes mincemeat of the other assembled Japanese metal. It's that good!


SUBARU IMPREZA RA-R
Engine
: 1,994cc, turbocharged 4-cyl boxer
Transmission: 6-speed manual, all-wheel drive
Power (hp): 324@6,200rpm
Torque (lb ft): 319@4,400rpm
MPG: N/A
CO2: N/A
Recorded mileage: 58,000 miles
Year registered: 2006
Price new: 4,284,000 Yen
Price now: £23,950

See the original advert here

 

 

 

 

Author
Discussion

leef44

Original Poster:

4,359 posts

152 months

Thursday 6th April 2017
quotequote all
Wow, this car is spot on. It would be my perfect Impreza had I been in the market for one. I like the honesty of the owner in terms of having bought it originally for investment purpose but I would want to really use it. Difficult to gauge the price but I guess it's what it is due to exclusivity.

Guvernator

13,105 posts

164 months

Thursday 6th April 2017
quotequote all
I'm usually an Impreza fan, I owned one after all but this one isn't for me I'm afraid. Sure it's got lots of lovely trick bits and it's quite rare but this shape never really did anything for me. In fact if pushed I'd say both the Subaru and it's rival Evo peaked at the classic shape\Evo 6 and the subsequent versions seem to have got steadily worse.

The market tends to do a pretty good job of sorting out the desirable cars from the not so desirable over time and there is a reason why a 22b is now worth £100k and a clean Evo 6 is worth £50k. . If I wanted a car to actually drive and enjoy I'd pickup a 2 door, classic Type R\P1 over this and save myself a good £10k.

ZX10R NIN

27,494 posts

124 months

Thursday 6th April 2017
quotequote all
I really like these, I've had a ride in a Spec C (with 400bhp) which was intense fun. I like the look of these I want to get into a JDM car at some point.

bloomen

6,854 posts

158 months

Thursday 6th April 2017
quotequote all
There's far too many iterations of Impreza for something like this to become iconic in the same way a 22B or Nismo GT-r is. It's one of countless versions, albeit a very tasty one.

rossub

4,400 posts

189 months

Thursday 6th April 2017
quotequote all
bloomen said:
There's far too many iterations of Impreza for something like this to become iconic in the same way a 22B or Nismo GT-r is. It's one of countless versions, albeit a very tasty one.
Totally and utterly wrong. This is the closest you can get to a 'Newage' 22B and is the most sought after of the post Classic Imprezas.

I have it's slightly lesser companion - the Spec C RA and while I would love one of these, I'd be scared to drive it every day for fear of putting too much miles on it.


I said this on Scoobynet about a 22B in May 2015:

"In the not too distant future £50k will seem like a bargain for this and a lot of people will be kicking themselves.

I know I keep saying it, but it's so flipping obvious. The whole petrol head world knows what these are and they only ever made 400.

Prices are comparable with Sierra RS500s at the moment, but the Far East and USA don't know what the hell those are - they know full well what a 22B is.

Just wait until the US 25 year rule kicks in for these!

Just wish I had a spare £50k - I wouldn't even haggle."

I'm the Nostradamus of the Impreza world laugh


Edited by rossub on Thursday 6th April 19:39

MDMA .

8,849 posts

100 months

Thursday 6th April 2017
quotequote all
ZX10R NIN said:
I really like these, I've had a ride in a Spec C (with 400bhp) which was intense fun. I like the look of these I want to get into a JDM car at some point.
One for you here. Earlier (if slightly better version) -
http://www.classicandsportscar.com/classifieds/cla...

lewis87

361 posts

202 months

Thursday 6th April 2017
quotequote all
I saw a white RA-R at a local car show last year and it was a stunning looking thing. Saw it on ebay not long after for around 26k I think? Didn't seem to hang around at that price either.

big_rob_sydney

3,394 posts

193 months

Thursday 6th April 2017
quotequote all
Hmm, I owned a 22B for 7 years, and sold mine in late 2014 in Australia. I really loved that car, but put the money into a property.

Sold the property, and have enough to buy a few 22B's; would I buy another? Hell yes. But not at the £100k people are talking about. I think the one that sold was a prototype with some provenance. There may be the odd one for sale at that price, but they're asking prices only. It doesnt mean the same as a sale price. I don't believe an "average" 22B is worth anywhere near £100k at the present moment in time.

As far as the new age cars go, the RA-R is the one I would look at first.

Escy

3,907 posts

148 months

Thursday 6th April 2017
quotequote all
Guvernator said:
a clean Evo 6 is worth £50k.
What's your definition of clean? You can pick up a TME edition for less than 20k.

Guvernator

13,105 posts

164 months

Friday 7th April 2017
quotequote all
Escy said:
Guvernator said:
a clean Evo 6 is worth £50k.
What's your definition of clean? You can pick up a TME edition for less than 20k.
I was referring to the one linked in the article. Also it might be an outlier now but I predict that price won't look so silly pretty soon.

Oliver-2optb

29 posts

101 months

Friday 7th April 2017
quotequote all
Only for driving at 8/10ths or above, Hard to live unless you like working manually all the time.
Anyway take a JDM twinscroll and ,make the mods yourself, save a shed load.

405dogvan

5,326 posts

264 months

Saturday 8th April 2017
quotequote all
The £100K 22B is just a chancer price - Prince Naseem's car sold for £70K-odd but cars with famous owners often attract stupid bids AND it was basically unused, there can't be many more out there like that!?

Plenty of cars for-sale right now with looney pricetags - until they SELL tho, that's all they are - pricetags - I think the market is mostly smoke with the odd mirror...

I know people who've kept and cared for McRaes, Makinnens, WR1s etc. and whilst their cars didn't plummet in value, they didn't leap up either (not as much as they cost to keep in decent order!!)

I think the sheer number of 'special' Imprezas and Evos - added to the fact almost all cars have some mods and other work done - makes the market a bit of a minefield and whilst the odd 'gem' might appear, most of the cars will end-up costing FAR more than you'll ever make from them (because that's what cars do!)

Fortunately, being a DRIVING forum, we'll buy them to drive and not to stare at whilst hoping they make us rich?



Edited by 405dogvan on Saturday 8th April 23:54

Guvernator

13,105 posts

164 months

Monday 10th April 2017
quotequote all
405dogvan said:
Fortunately, being a DRIVING forum, we'll buy them to drive and not to stare at whilst hoping they make us rich?
Careful saying things like that on here, you'll get accused of sour grapes. rolleyes

Iceicebaby1980

101 posts

97 months

Sunday 9th July 2017
quotequote all
I sold my e90 m3. Looking at getting a limited jdm Impreza. If I get one it will be getting used parked on the drive not in garage. Only time I wouldn't use it would be bad weather when gritters have been out. If I get lucky might get my money back when it's time to sell. Every car I've owned I end up losing 5k lol. I buy cars for fun not to make money.