2000 Subaru Impreza P1 *Sold £38,000*

Description

• The ultimate highly collectable Subaru Impreza P1
• Recent restoration
• Cambelt replaced 7k miles ago
• Upgraded official Prodrive Wheels, brakes & seats
• One previous owner
• An absolutely stunning example that wants for nothing

The Subaru Impreza P1 was a car that was designed for UK tarmac to be as close to the WRC rally car than ever before.  A collaboration of Subaru UK, Prodrive, Subaru Japan and Subaru Tecnica International, (STI).  Prodrive—the outfit responsible for race-prepping Subaru’s championship winning rally cars—was brought in to specially develop said cars. Only 1,000 were ever built, all in Sonic Blue. Upon release the P1 was an instant hit, Richard Burns the British rally driver who won the 2001 World Rally Championship, is quoted in the sales brochure as saying, ‘…weight and feel is better even than the RB5…straight line as quick as a rally car… turn in is sharper, but there’s no hint of twitchiness’. A very important piece of Subaru history and UK Special Editions.

This particular Subaru Impreza P1 was purchased by our vendor from it’s single previous owner. That previous owner was the son of a prominent Subaru dealer and during his ownership, he had only managed to put 1700 miles on the car from new. Our vendor couldn’t say no when offered this highly sought after example.  With official Prodrive upgrades fitted at build including the upgraded Prodrive seats, 18 inch wheels and upgraded brakes, it was an easy decision to hand his car back and pick up this beauty.

With 54,000 warranted miles, two keys, all the manuals present including a fully stamped service book up to 2010 (see our Image Gallery) plus every MOT (barring the restoration years). More recently the P1 has been serviced by a Specialist technician at the same time as the MOTs and has also had a cambelt change 7k miles ago in 2017, we doubt there is a better example on the market. Some invoices of work undertaken since 2010 are also included in the gallery.

Exterior

The striking Sonic Blue paintwork has been refreshed so is absolutely stunning.  Spending the covid years being refurbished with the usual sill and lower front wings being checked for the dreaded rust, our vendor being extremely pedantic found that the reported “ever so slight bubbling” in this area was unacceptable and therefore commissioned the restorer to “sort everything”.  Not prepared to skimp and save, the two front wings were replaced with official factory parts and a full respray was carried out to the tune of £10k.

From the McLaren F1 to the Subaru WRC car, the Peter Stevens design credentials are timeless, purposeful and an instant hit from all angles. With the bodywork being refreshed it really is an immaculate example, with the only blemish being the missing front tow eye cover, unfortunately this was not fitted correctly so fell off during the P1’s last trip to the MOT station.

As you can see from the images and from the vendor’s video, this P1 has benefitted from such a pampered life, with covered indoor storage and never having seen rain it genuinely is the real deal.

Interior

Opening the drivers door and lowering yourself into the upgraded, wing-backed Prodrive branded sports bucket seats then grabbing the Momo steering wheel, you immediately transfer into a world rally driver, well we would like to think so anyway!

Our vendor is proud to share that the P1 has never been smoked in and the interior has been treated just as well as the exterior. In fact, the inside is about as close to factory fresh as feasibly possible – considering it is 23 years since it rolled off the production line.  As you would expect from such a low mileage, pampered example everything works as it should and is showing hardly any signs of wear and tear.  It genuinely is quite possibly the ultimate Subaru Impreza P1.

Engine

Open the scooped bonnet and marvel at what is one of the most iconic engines ever produced, let alone with Prodrive upgrading to boot.  The upgrades were extensive over the other lesser Imprezas, namely a new ECU that increased power from the 2.0-litre flat-four engine to 280hp and 253lb ft of torque. Performance is blistering, especially with the P1 weighing as little as 1,295kg, meaning 0-60mph time of 4.6 seconds was possible.

Our superb example, presented with a very clean engine bay is completely standard since leaving Prodrive, none of those garish blue pipes and oversize intercoolers. Our vendor knew what he was doing when he bought this iconic car.  He chose wisely not to mess about with what is already perfection.

With the knowledge that the cambelt was replaced 7,000 miles ago, and the P1 being serviced straight after the respray, our winning bidder can feel safe in the knowledge that it will run just as smoothly as the video shows. Just enjoy how smooth that flat four is running.

Wheels Tyres Suspension and other

We don’t actually know which part of the P1 is best, that stonkingly good engine or the way it sticks to the road, arguably better than any car that we have driven.  Clearly, Prodrive put the work in to set the P1 up for the UK’s poor roads, with some suggesting it’s more cosseting than the ridiculous 22B. That being said, the P1 is still a fair bit firmer than the base Impreza. Stiffer springs and dampers were fitted to improve body control, as were anti-roll bars lifted from European-spec Impreza Turbos.

Subaru also chose to chuck in ABS, and Prodrive saw fit to supply the P1 with those iconic titanium coloured Prodrive OZ wheels, which were upgraded to the 18 inch version.  As with the pattern you must be seeing, our vendor has had these refurbished at the same time as the bodywork and they are as immaculate as everything else on this car.

This P1 runs on 20mm lower than standard Turbos on Eibach springs and STI dampers and this example is factory correct in that respect, it was also spec’ed with upgraded brakes to fit in those larger wheels. Even these were replaced with exact replacements from Prodrive in 2018, just to be sure everything was up to scratch.  Our vendor also saw fit to replace the crossmember, again predominantly due to his OCD and the minor surface rust that appeared over the last 20 or so years.

The only other thing to mention is the new Cobra Alarm that has been fitted to satisfy any insurance or personal concerns with such a desirable car.

Our view

This Subaru Impreza P1 is a remarkable example of the breed, boasting a recent and extensive restoration, and those perfect upgrades to the original Prodrive specification. It will always draw a crowd at shows or petrol stations, and of course remains great fun to drive down a fast B-road.

An iconic modern classic presented in cosmetic and mechanical condition that we believe will be impossible to beat, this P1 is a credit to its current owner and will undoubtedly delight its next one. Good luck bidding.

Please remember, our site uses anti-sniping software which ensures fairness to all bidders. So, if a bid for a lot is received in the last minute, the auction will go into a 2-minute overtime period for each subsequent bid.

Vehicle Location: Bedford, Beds MK43– it’s the responsibility of the buyer to make collection / transportation arrangements directly with the vendor.

Have a question about this Subaru Impreza P1? Please contact the Evoke team at auction@evoke-classics.com and we will speak to the vendor on your behalf.

Guide Prices?

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Well, everyone knows the broad value of classic, let’s all be honest. So we don’t need to tell you what you already know, do we.

The ‘market’ decides and the old cliché that ‘it’s worth what someone wants to pay’ is no less true. So why kid everyone!

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Tedious but it’s vital you read this, please.

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