2000 | Subaru Impreza Prodrive P1

There have been seven noted versions of the Subaru Impreza WRX dating back from Subaru's original World Rally Cross staging vehicles. Subaru adopted the name WRX to stand for 'World Rally eXperimental', as all WRX versions feature rally inspired technology, including all-wheel drive, stiffened suspensions and turbocharged four-cylinder engines. In 1994, Subaru introduced Subaru Tecnica International (STI) versions of the WRX in Japan. These models were upgraded from the standard WRX in many categories, including blueprinted performance-tuned engines, transmissions, and suspension. The STI versions of the WRX were immensely successful in rallies and popular among street racers but were only sold in the Japanese market. Compared to the WRX, the STI had mostly mechanical modifications. To counter the grey imports of high-performance Japanese STI variants, Subaru UK commissioned Prodrive to produce a limited edition of 1,000 two-door cars in Sonic Blue, called the WRX 'P1'. Released in March 2000, they were taken from the two-door STI Type-R production lines and used for the P1. Styling tweaks by McLaren F1 designer Peter Stevens added aggression and reduced drag. A reinforced bodyshell and bespoke suspension were designed by Prodrive to dispatch of UK A and B roads with perfect balance and composure at speed over undulations.

This truly stunning example has been subjected to a virtually nut and bolt restoration by our vendor over the past few years and the result is a car which wants for almost nothing and is ready to be taken to shows and enjoyed by its next custodian. When the car was purchased, like many Subaru's, it had suffered from corrosion in the sills and underside, so it was fully stripped down to a bare shell and every single bit underneath the car was either replaced or restored. The underside now looks like a new car, and the bodywork is the same, the paint has been finished to a very high standard and detailed so that it looks factory fresh. The engine was found to need a rebuild, the engine blocks in these cars can suffer, so the decision was made to fully rebuild the engine using a brand-new block purchased from Subaru in order to future proof the car for many years to come. The interior was mostly left alone, as it did not require restoration and it would have been a shame to throw away the original trim, so it has just been cleaned and the steering wheel and gearknob were both retrimmed. With values of low mileage, low owner, car skyrocketing, this example represents excellent value considering all the time and money that has been poured into it, with virtually no miles covered since. Interested parties should note, the car was recorded as a Category D in 2008, when values of these cars were much lower and something very trivial would have warranted a 'write off'. We don't know the exact details of what happened, but Category D was the most minimal designation given to cars with an insurance claim against them and it could have been something as small as a break in. Regardless, this example could quite easily pass as a car with only 10,000 miles on it and our vendor will be very sad to see it go, but other projects mean it's time for someone else to enjoy the fruits of his labour. Consigned by Fraser Smith

Lot details
Year: 2000
Make: Subaru
Model: Impreza P1
Registration: P1 FCU
Chassis No: JF1GM8KDGYG002659
Odometer: 102,557


* Subject of a virtually nut and bolt restoration over the past few years

* Completely restored underside

* Number 146 of just 1,000 cars built by Prodrive