A WRC car for the road? Driving Prodrive's P25 Subaru Impreza | Henry Catchpole - The Driver’s Seat

Video Description

Back in 1997, Prodrive built the first Subaru Impreza of the WRC era that took over from Group A in the World Rally Championship. Now, to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the WRC97 that Colin McRae, Piero Liatti and Kenneth Eriksson all drove to the 1997 Manufacturers’ title, the same company in Banbury has produced what it claims is a road-going version of a WRC Impreza and it’s called the P25. Some have suggested that the P25 is a restomod of a 22B (or P1), but although it looks very similar, it is quite a different car under the skin. In fact the skin itself is different, because almost all the P25’s bodywork is made of carbon fibre. In lightest, pared-back track spec it weighs just 1150kg. The EJ25 Engine is also substantially upgraded and produces 450bhp and 442lb ft of torque, meaning a 0-60mph time of under three seconds. Sport Plus mode also brings Anti-Lag to the party, which does nothing for fuel economy and everything for response and entertainment. There is also bespoke suspension, a new interior by Callum Designs (with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto), AP Racing pedals and brakes, a choice of seats and a hydraulic handbrake in addition to the electric parking brake. But perhaps the centrepiece of the whole car is the gearbox; a Prodrive six-speed sequential with helical cut dog gears. It’s operated by a single paddle that you pull towards you to change up and push away to change down. There is also a fly-by-wire clutch that you don’t need to touch at all when you engage the rather spectacular launch control. Sadly only 25 P25s are being produced and each one starts at £552,000. It also won’t be for everyone as it is undoubtedly a pretty focused and at times raw experience. But it is also hugely involving and exciting and lives up to those claims of being a WRC car for the road. As with the other, very different, rally restomod that I drove earlier this year, the Kimera EVO37, the world is a slightly brighter place for it existing. There is also a suggestion that this could just be the start for a new road car arm of Prodrive, so watch this space. I’m hoping for an older four-door Impreza next with a manual and unequal length headers. And to be able to take it to a track. We hope you enjoy the film. As ever, the main man behind the scenes is Glenn Winhall and he was ably assisted on this shoot by Benjamin Cornish. If you would like to help support these shows, then please do think about taking out a subscription to the Hagerty Drivers Club - https://bit.ly/Join-HDC-Henry - or perhaps topping up with some Mobil 1 next time you’re in need. A like and a share would also be hugely appreciated. Many thanks. #TheDriversSeat #HenryCatchpole #NeverStopDriving #hagertydriversclub Subscribe to our channel and turn on notifications! http://bit.ly/HagertyYouTube Visit our website for daily automotive news, cars stories, reviews, and opinion: https://www.hagerty.com/media Stay up to date by signing up for our email newsletters here: https://www.hagerty.com/media/newsletter/ Follow us on social media: Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/Hagerty Instagram | https://instagram.com/Hagerty Twitter | https://twitter.com/Hagerty If you love cars, you belong with us. Hagerty Drivers Club is the world’s largest community for automotive enthusiasts. Members enjoy valuable automotive discounts, exclusive events and experiences, roadside service created specifically for collector vehicles, and a subscription to the bimonthly Hagerty Drivers Club magazine. Join Hagerty Drivers Club here: https://www.hagerty.com/drivers-club Like what you see? Watch our other series including: Redline Rebuilds | Time-lapse engine rebuilds from start to finish http://bit.ly/RedlineRebuild Barn Find Hunter | Tom Cotter searches the country for abandoned cars http://bit.ly/BarnFIndHunter Jason Cammisa on the Icons | The definitive car review https://bit.ly/JasonCammisaICONS Revelations | Untold Stories About Automotive Legends with Jason Cammisa https://bit.ly/JasonCammisaRevelations Contact us: Suggestions and feedback - [email protected] Press inquiries - [email protected] Partnership requests - [email protected]