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Slide show: Subaru Impreza
25 September 2007 The third generation Subaru Impreza was launched earlier this month. We take a look at the evolution of the rally legend and how it played into the hearts of gamers across the world. With Subaru’s famous boxer engine and, as standard from 1996 onwards, all-wheel drive, the humble compact family saloon exploded onto the rally scene and into the collective psyche of a million race fans. When the Legacy puffed out its last breath, British engineering and motorsport firm Prodrive partnered Subaru in producing this –Ari Vatanen’s 1993 WRC Impreza. The car utilised the mighty 2-litre turbo engine and churned out 300bhp – allowing Vatanen and his team to finish second in the 1993 World Rally Championship, marking out the Impreza’s formidable debut in style. Subaru only had to wait a year before the Impreza rose to the top of the World Rally Championship, with Carlos Sainz at the helm of the WRC Impreza in 1994’s Acropolis Rally. The floodgates were open and the WRC Impreza took three consecutive World Rally Championships from 1995 to 1997, marking it out as one of the most consistent performers on the rally stage. Subaru was keen to commemorate the success of its drivers by introducing a host of low-production special editions – Petter Solberg steered his WRC Impreza to take the 2003 drivers title, with the late Colin McRae and Richard Burns doing the same in 1995 and 2001 respectively. The Gran Turismo series, along with a host of other games, popularised the car’s appeal to the gaming masses. McRae himself advised on the excellent Colin McRae Rally, which still stands today as one of the best rally games on the market. Auto Trader links: Subaru Impreza STI - first pic Supercar 60 years of Ferraris Convertible Motorsport Shows Geneva Motor Show TV Shows Events |
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