The Impreza is, in large part, responsible for the boom in younger people in the early 2000s getting into JDM (Japanese Domestic Market) cars. It was the first highly desired JDM car to be sold here and it caused other manufacturers like Mitsubishi to follow suit and start offering similarly equipped vehicles.
Since those early days, the Impreza has spawned almost nothing but excellent editions that allow you to enjoy speed and handling at a lower price than its competition. There's a great chance that little things may have slipped your mind about the Impreza though and as a WRX owner, I can tell you that I've personally forgotten more about my car than I remember.
Let's take a look at 15 things about the Impreza that you've probably forgotten or maybe, never even knew to begin with.
15 It's Not Very Old
The First Impreza didn't come out until 1992. That's less than 30 years ago. Back then you could actually buy one with just front-wheel-drive. They were cheap cars that didn't have much in the way of amenities but it allowed owners to get around reliably and it offered some extra fun trim levels.
14 The WRX Was Released The Same Year
WRX stands for World Rally eXperimental. They took the technology they had been using in rally cars and installed some of the most reliable bits on their road cars. We didn't get the WRX here but that didn't stop folks from tuning their cars to mimic that same performance.
13 It Cemented The Boxer As Subaru's Hallmark
The success of the WRX gave Subaru the impetus to continue using their favorite version of an engine, the boxer configuration. They considered other options, but when the WRX did well, they stuck with it. They touted its lower center of gravity and better overall balance as a reason to stick with it.
12 They Sold A WRX Type RA
Early on, they actually sold a hopped-up version of the WRX called the Type RA before the STi came out. It was so heavily modified that many people just took these straight to race competitions and did well with them. It set a new standard for a car that could do it all.
When we look at the super SUVs of today, like the Porsche Macan, we can thank Subaru for being one of the first cars that could similarly wear many hats with just one suit.
11 In 94' The STi Arrived
2 years later, in 1994, Subaru let their rally engineers at STI, or Subaru Tecnica International, off the chain to do their worst to the WRX. They released the fastest WRX to date, with the four-cylinder motor producing 250 horsepower, a shorter geared transmission, and suspension adjustments to better handle rough roads.
10 It Has An Intercooler Sprayer
Almost every STI has a button on the interior that allows you to manually spray cool water on the intercooler. It might sound strange, but it boosts power by lowering the intake temperatures quickly. In some models, you can make this an automatic feature that activates when the car senses it could use a few fewer degrees in the engine.
9 Older Imprezas Have A Wink Feature
The earlier cars have a special little space between the normal position and the full-bright position on the headlight stalk. If you pull the stalk to this middle position and hold it there, it will cause just one of the headlights to blink. Very few people know about this but if you ever see two Subaru drivers across a traffic interchange you'll likely see them exchange winks.
8 Colin McRaes First WRC Win Was In 95
Before the Impreza, Subaru actually used the Legacy as their rally car. When 92 hit, they started to see more success, but couldn't manage an overall win until Colin McRae took it to that step on the platform in 1995.
The car you see above is considered one of the greatest rally cars ever produced and it's the reason you see so many Subarus it blue and yellow livery. He took it on to win for the next 2 years too.
7 The 22B Sold Out In 30 Minutes
The 22B was a very special edition of the WRX STI that won the rally championship and it was sold in very low numbers. 424 examples to be exact, all but 24 built for the Japanese market specifically. Those 400 sold out in just 30 minutes. The rest found their way to other areas, but none were built for the US market.
6 Its Engine Was Handbuilt
Part of what made the 22B so special was that the engine was a stroked version of the 2.0 found in the WRX that came out to 2.2 liters. It was also hand-built like any other supercar is today. A fitting tribute to how much Subaru cared about this car and building it just right.
5 We Didn't Get The Car In The States Until '02
We finally got the WRX here in 2002. It came with a 227 horsepower engine, full-time all-wheel-drive and the same suspension modifications that the JDM car received. They were reliable too.
The car you see above is my personal WRX built for rallycross and autocross and it's been racing for over a decade now with replacement parts only being needed after serious abuse. We've been putting nearly 400 horsepower through it the whole time and the only time we've replaced big parts like the engine is when other accidents have befallen it.
4 In 05 We Received The S203
The S203 was the first time American buyers got the chance to buy one of the famous S models of the WRX. S models feature race-focused parts that no other Subaru will receive the same model year. They are limited in numbers and hold their value even better than the already good WRX STI.
3 The 08 Car Was A Flop
In 2008 Subaru tried to reach older buyers (something very few makers attempt) by selling a far more sedate designed WRX. It is by far the easiest way to get into the WRX game if you want to buy-in. However be aware, many of these have had oil consumption issues all the way up into 2013, so look for one that's had Subaru address the issue.
2 They Figured It Out By 2010
By 2010, they realized that they needed the car to look far more aggressive so any car you buy from that year and after tends to look far better. The standard Impreza still is pretty docile but the WRX and STI both look fantastic.
Again, eating oil continued to be a problem till 2014 so keep that in mind, but frankly, these cars are so good if you can find one that's been cared for, then I can't help but recommend them.
1 Cosworth Teamed Up With Subaru
Cosworth and Subaru teamed up in 2013 to build what is considered to be one of, if not the best STI ever built. These cars had 395 horsepower and could manage 60 mph from a dead stop in just 3.5 seconds. That's supercar speed with four doors and inexpensive parts aside from the drivetrain.
There's no doubt that if you have entry-level Ferrari or Lamborghini money but want something less difficult to maintain and just as fast, this is a killer buy.