A virtually new Subaru Impreza 22B is heading to the auction block, giving the opportunity to a Scooby lover with deep pockets to realize his dream.
If you had to choose which one of the Impreza’s numerous limited editions is the most special, it has to be the 22B.
Built to celebrate Subaru’s 40th anniversary and their third consecutive World Rally championship, the 22B is seen as the pinnacle in the Impreza family and one of the most sought-after Japanese sports cars.
Subaru made just 400 of these babies which in turn were sold out in just 30 minutes according to the lore, adding massively to the collector status of the wide-bodied two-door Impreza. Many people believe that Subaru never really reached the original’s level of greatness with the generations of the Impreza that followed.
The 22B is powered by a 2.2-litre E22 flat-four engine that came with forged pistons, producing 280hp which allowed it to catapult itself from nought to 62mph (100km/h) in around 4.5 seconds. The suspension bits came from Bilstein, the brakes from Brembo and the clutch was a twin-plate unit with ceramic discs revealing just how focused these machines used to be.
The specific car has clocked just 2,500 miles and has only one and famous owner since new, British boxer Prince Naseem Hamed who had his name stitched on the seats.
“These Imprezas come to market exceptionally infrequently and very few exist in the UK,” said Nick Whale, managing director of Silverstone Auctions. “The lucky new owner will have a lot of fun driving it as well as a very secure investment.”
As you may have already guessed, this one will demand some good money to get, with the estimated price set between £60,000 and £70,000 ($87,000-$101,000 in current exchange rates). The event will take place at the Silverstone circuit in the UK on May 20.
It’s always a bit frustrating to see a machine like this not being used as intended and we only hope this one goes to a real enthusiast who is going to drive it. It may represent a good investment but this is still a road version of a friggin’ rally car.
PHOTO GALLERY
