Prodrive P25: In-Depth First Look | Catchpole on Carfection

Опубликовано 24 июня 2022, 15:02

The Prodrive P25 might cost a huge amount for what is a Subaru restomod, but Henry Catchpole finds out why it might be worth it.
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While it seems like the values on all enthusiast-minded cars have been going through the roof of late, prices on Subaru Impreza coupes have been particularly wild. I know this because I've been in the market for one, and Prodrive just revealed the details on what might be the greatest GC ever created.

It's the Prodrive P25, a throwback to Prodrive's rally heritage and the ultimate blend of old and new. Prodrive is the company that built the WRC Imprezas for Subaru's competition use, and it's drawing on that expertise to create just 25 models of this all-wheel-drive, 400-horsepower, 443 pound-feet of torque monster.

The P25 has an original Subaru Impreza WRX chassis at its core, from the GC generation that lasted from the mid-'90s until the so-called "Bug Eye" Impreza was introduced in 2000. In the eyes of many Subaru enthusiasts, this is the purest generation of Impreza, the ultimate being the 22B, a limited-edition model that produced 276 hp from a 2.2-liter engine.

The P25 relies on Subaru's more modern 2.5-liter engine, here rebuilt with custom internals and variable cam timing to produce that 400 hp figure. That's mated with a six-speed, automated sequential manual transmission much like those used on WRC cars, capable of automatic upshifting at launches, driving the car to 100 kph (62 mph) from a standing start in just 3.5 seconds. Power goes to all four wheels through an active center differential and limited-slip diffs front and rear. WRC-style anti-lag is here, too.

Front view of the P25, showing off the cropped WRC-style mirrors and the iconic GC face.

The bodywork follows the style of the Subaru 22B, with swollen fenders and a big ol' wing out back, but here those panels are mostly carbon fiber -- lightweight and also extremely hard to damage. That, plus a stripped interior, lightweight racing seats, titanium exhaust and lithium-ion battery means the P25 weighs somewhere less than 1,200 kg, or 2,645 pounds. That's roughly 200 pounds less than the 22B.

The Prodrive P25 will make its official debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed this Thursday. Pricing is set at £460,000 in the UK, or just over $560,000 at current exchange rates. That's a wildly high premium, but I'm guessing the company won't have a problem finding 25 buyers. It looks amazing, but to my eye there's one glaring problem: The wheels aren't gold! Thankfully, that's an easy fix.

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