The 1998 Subaru Impreza 22B STi is one of the most sought-after vehicles to come out of Japan. Only 424 examples were built, as well as three identical prototypes. All three of those machines were gifted to Subaru rally stars in celebration of the brand’s third straight WRC title. This particular car belonged to none other than Colin McRae, and now you have a chance to take it home by way of Silverstone Auctions.
The Impreza 22B STi was a genuine celebratory effort from within Subaru, arriving just in time to celebrate the brand’s 40th anniversary. The limited production model was intended to be a road-going tribute to the brand’s two-door WRC racer, which had already earned a spot in rally history by the time 1998 rolled around. While not a genuine homologation special in the way that previous rally cars for the road were, the 22B does a great job bringing the look and feel of the racer to the street. That starts with the WRC-inspired bodyshell, which comes seam welded for extra strength and rigidity. The bodywork brings over three inches of extra width to the car, and hides unique suspension bits like forged-aluminum lower links and rose-joined transverse links. Under the hood sits a unique EJ22 2.2-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, often mistaken as the car’s namesake. The name actually comes from Subaru’s “555” WRC sponsorship deal, as that figure is represented as 22B in the hexadecimal numeral system. Computers were all the rage in the late 1990s, but you’d be forgiven for missing out on that bit of coding trivia.
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Other performance tweaks to the 22B include a bespoke 4.444 gear ratio, upsized rear spoiler, driver-adjustable differentials at both ends, better brakes, and beefier prop and driveshafts. The suspension setup also benefits from Bilstein dampers and Eibach springs. A classic set of gold BBS wheels complete the WRC impression.
This particular car is one of three prototype models, all of which carry the same #000/400 VIN plate. David Lapworth of Prodrive and McRae co-driver Nicky Grist received the other two cars as thanks for their WRC efforts. McRae’s car has done less than 12,000 kilometers since new, with the only modifications coming by way of new tires and a different exhaust. The original components will be included alongside the car at the time of the sale for the originality-minded collector. Of course, the next owner is going to need to pay up for the privilege of owning such a historically important car. Silverstone Auctions currently lists the guide price for this machine at over half a million bucks, which doesn’t seem that off for a rare car with this provenance. That said, you could surely get a ton of rally-prepped Imprezas for that amount of change.
The car will cross the auction block on August 26, 2023 at 12:00 p.m. BST.
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Lucas Bell
Born and raised in Metro Detroit, associate editor Lucas Bell has spent his entire life surrounded by the automotive industry. He may daily drive an aging Mustang, but his Porsche 944 and NB Miata both take up most of his free time.
Keyword: McRae's Subaru Impreza 22B STi Heads to Auction