From the Beginning

1993 – Subaru Impreza 555
The production Impreza was launched in 1993, quickly followed by a SWRT-designed rally version named the Impreza 555. This Impreza assumed the Legacy’s mantle as Subaru’s Group A rallying challenger after the latter’s maiden win on Rally New Zealand in August of that year. Fewer than two weeks later, the Subaru 555 team arrived in Finland with a brand new car, totally different in appearance to the Legacy with which Subaru caught the rallying bug on a global scale.

Mechanically the Impreza and the outgoing Legacy were very similar. The Impreza retained the Legacy’s compact, lightweight and trademark boxer engine, advanced symmetrical four-wheel drive and strut-type suspension all round but it was made smaller and more manoeuvrable. It was designed to be rallied from the start: as early as 1990 at the design stage SWRT was invited to suggest ideas to make the car more suitable for the stages.

1994 – Subaru Impreza 555
With Colin McRae and double world champion Carlos Sainz on board, a third place, second place and the inevitable maiden victory soon followed on the Acropolis Rally.

The car’s front differential was changed to a hydraulic item, adjustable by the driver from within the cockpit, as opposed the mechanical setup used by its predecessor.

Mimicking development of the differentials, work continued on the automated gearchange system which used an early form of steering-wheel mounted paddles. It enabled the driver to keep their hands on the wheel when changing gear, although the standard gear lever was retained.

1995 – Subaru Impreza 555
The 1995 season began with a change to the regulations. To restrain vehicle power the diameter of the turbo’s air restrictor was reduced to 34mm. To counteract the substantial reduction in power, the Subaru engine underwent significant development.

With a new camshaft design, compression ratios and a revised engine map, the modifications worked and Subaru’s boxer engine retained a similar level of performance as pre-regulation change. SWRT’s work was rewarded when Carlos Sainz took victory on the season opener in Monte Carlo.

1996 – Subaru Impreza 555
Development on the Championship-winning car of the previous year was limited as efforts and resource were focused on the new World Rally Car for the following year.

As technological advancement of the cars grew, on all but the Safari rally the previously hydraulic front and centre differentials were replaced with more responsive active units.

A change in the regulations mandated that the minimum weight for all Group A cars was increased by 30kg to 1230kg, at the same time as it was mandated that on the majority of events top-seeded drivers could only carry one spare wheel.

1997 – Subaru Impreza WRC97
From 1997 there was a new look to the specifications of cars competing in the newly-formed World Rally Championship, and a new breed of cars was created to the revised WRC regulations.
The 555 Subaru World Rally Team were the first to test and launch a World Rally Car in the shape of the Impreza WRC97. The engine in the latest variant was placed further back for more central weight distribution, and for many rallies the track width was increased to boost stability.

Based heavily on the superseded Group A Impreza, the WRC97 is perhaps the most iconic of all time, setting the visual standard by which other entries were judged. Renowned auto stylist Peter Stevens was brought in to extract the most from the new aerodynamic opportunities.

Continuing its tradition, the Impreza WRC97 became the only car in the WRC to still use the Prodrive-built H-pattern gearbox layout.

1998 – Subaru Impreza WRC98
The Impreza WRC98 was the only car in the WRC to be newly homologated for the 1998 season, and whilst it looked the same, it featured many new developments to further refine the Impreza such as a revised differential layout and further engine tweaks.

One of the more substantial changes was the shift to a fully active differential setup, replacing the mechanical rear differential used in the WRC97.

There were plans to install a Prodrive-built sequential gearbox for the first time, but these were scrapped in favour of retaining the traditional H-pattern item, albeit a further revised and refined version.

1999 – Subaru Impreza WRC99
The WRC99 didn’t necessitate a new homologation but under the skin was very different to its predecessor. In the age of blossoming technology, this was a very cutting-edge car and most of the development work reflected this, focussing on the interaction and endlessly adjustable parameters of the automatically controlled systems in use.

The semi-automatic H-pattern gearbox came into its own this year. While it had been used in one form or other since 1994, this was the first year in which the standard manual gear lever was removed from the car. Instead, the driver changed car by pushing or pulling a paddle behind the steering wheel, and a complex series or hydraulic actuators and electronics changed gear.

The Impreza WRC99 also incorporated a fly-by-wire throttle for the first time, pioneered by Subaru and SWRT. This meant that there was no throttle cable or linkage to the pedal, but that it was all electronically controlled. Demonstrating the complexities of interrelated systems, this was tied to the gearshift systems to allow the driver to change gear without lifting his foot from the pedal.

2000 – Subaru Impreza WRC2000
The last of the classic shape Imprezas, it drew upon the knowledge amassed by Subaru and SWRT since the early days of the Legacy for a complete redesign, as opposed the incremental developments that had gone before it.

Every component on the rally car was examined for possible improvement and although the end product looked similar in external appearance to the WRC99, underneath that familiar skin around 80 percent of the car was new.

Fundamental changes were implemented to increase stiffness: the rollcage was joined directly to the suspension points for maximum strength, and it was the first time that a team had used the rear differential as an integral part of the rear suspension.

Centre of gravity again ruled supreme: the pedal box was the only item of its kind in the WRC to be floor mounted, to keep the pedal pivots closer to the floor, and even the turbocharger was lowered by 10mm for this end.

2001 – Subaru Impreza WRC2001
In contrast to the incremental body-styling changes of recent years, the WRC2001 represented a significant visual change for Subaru, not least the return to a four door platform that resulted from the parallel development of the road and rally variants.

The four-door bodyshell, which shared an intentional striking similarity to the STI roadcar launched that year, was an impressive 250 per cent stiffer than its predecessor.

2002 – Subaru Impreza WRC2002
A progressive development of the WRC2001, changes focused on a revised turbocharger housing in accordance with regulation changes, and revised flywheel, exhaust manifold and water injection systems.

The net result of the changes was that torque was boosted considerably whilst power stayed capped at the regulation 300 horsepower.

2003 – Subaru Impreza WRC2003
The 2003 season saw Subaru launch another new-look Impreza, marked by a more visible focus on aerodynamic aspects of the body and a re-styled front end, most identifiable by the change of headlamp shape.

Aerodynamics played a big part, and the new rear wing with its carefully sculpted vertical vanes were an example of design details that were evolved and perfected through advanced simulation programmes rather than the traditional method of testing.

2004 – Subaru Impreza WRC2004
The new variant looked largely the same as its predecessor, but the few incremental changes made were concentrated under the skin and in the materials used as technology moved on.

In a period in which the technical regulations were changing quite rapidly, the team made the most of development opportunities within the rules, but the car was inevitably an interim design solution at a time of turbulence and uncertainty.

2005 – Subaru Impreza WRC2005
The Impreza WRC2005 was the last in the line of the so-called ‘blob-eye’ Imprezas and was subject only to further incremental changes.

Components were lightened where possible, including the front and rear bumpers which were produced from composite material rather than metal for the first time.

A semi-automatic six-speed H-pattern gearbox was built by Prodrive in conjunction with Xtrac. It remained the only H-pattern gearbox in the WRC.

2006 – Subaru Impreza WRC2006
In 2006 Subaru launched a newly-styled Impreza amid a number of changes to the WRC regulations. It was to be the last restyle before the radically new WRC2008.

Safety also became more of an issue for the start of the year and changes to seats, belts and rollcages made the cars safer for driver and co-driver and more resilient to impacts. The revised rollcage bars were also designed to hold the spare wheel more centrally in the car to aid weight distribution.

2007 – Subaru Impreza WRC2007
Designed to be an interim iteration before the launch of the completely new WRC2008, the car was identical visually. It nevertheless demonstrated many key developments such as a revised intercooler and radiator, and an air intake that returned to the iconic and stereotypically-Subaru bonnet scoop.

The spare wheel was moved from the boot into the cockpit of the car, where it was further away from the heat of the exhaust and more accessible to the drivers.

It was the last year for the traditional saloon-shaped Impreza, marking the end of an era and the very exciting start of another.

2008 – Subaru Impreza WRC2008
Subaru’s most radically different and restyled Impreza since the iconic model was first launched in 1993, the WRC2008 represents an entirely new direction for both Subaru and the Subaru World Rally Team.

Not least the first Impreza to sport a five door body, it is the first Subaru World Rally Car to be fully designed using computational fluid dynamics and was a compete redesign of every element of the car, starting from a blank sheet of paper.

It sports a radical new livery, retaining the iconic blue that harks to the roots of the Impreza in 1993, whilst also incorporating two of Subaru’s other corporate colours – white and silver.