What at first glance looks like a test drive of a classic car is actually one of the highlights of our motoring year: the Prodrive P25 reinterprets the racing car with which Colin McRae made his World Championship legend Rallies.
With the WRX and Colin McRae, Prodrive made WRC history
Born in 1983, it was in the mid to late 90s that I became a rally enthusiast. I remember like it was yesterday when Carlos Sainz's co-driver, Luis Moya, threw his helmet out the back window of his Corolla WRC because the car broke down 100 meters from the finish line due to of an engine problem. If they had simply driven to the line, the duo would have been world champions for the third time.
This is how the Finn Tommi Mรคkinen inherited his third title, after having beaten the Scot Colin McRae the two previous years. And it is here, after a long journey in the world of rallying, that we come to our candidate of the day, because Colin McRae left his mark from 1995 to 1997 with a factory Subaru prepared by Prodrive. Ten victories, the 1995 world championship and two vice-championships were his record.
The 25 cars sold in a day and a half
But more than that, fans particularly remember the car itself. This dark blue Impreza with its gold rims is still one of the most iconic designs in motorsport history. And this is precisely what motivated Prodrive to launch, 25 years after the golden age, a modern version of this rally machine.
The name, of course, is P25, and the prototype was presented to the public for the first time at the 2022 Goodwood Festival of Speed. Fan reactions have been euphoric, to say the least. Despite a base price which seemed dissuasive at first glance (460,000 pounds sterling, approximately 535,000 euros at the exchange rate at the time), the planned 25 copies sold out in about a day and a half.
A specially developed engine based on an EJ25 block
But why pay so much money for an old Subaru? Very simple: because it's not an old Subaru. Although the logo is visible on the grille, Prodrive does not benefit from official support from the manufacturer.
The team led by company founder David Richards and development manager David Lapworth purchased 26 three-door Imprezas (the development unit plus 25 customer vehicles) and removed all structures at the except for the chassis. So the P25s still have the original Subaru chassis number and, logically, the factory emblem.
The rest of the P25 is completely new, starting with the engine: instead of the old 2.2, Prodrive uses the 2.5 liter EJ25 block as a basis. Before the new engine was installed in the car, all the innards had to be removed, as Prodrive set itself the task of developing the P25's engine with the same meticulousness as in the WRC days.
Pure driving, emotions at all levels
This level of quality translates to forged pistons, specially designed manifolds, new camshafts, special valve springs and much more. At the other end of this pleasure machine is a competition exhaust with a bypass system from specialist Akrapovic, made among other things from Inconel and titanium.
On the other hand, the Bilstein suspension is adaptive, the springs and stabilizer bars are interchangeable according to needs. The sports braking system is by AP Racing, with six-piston calipers biting 380mm discs at the front, and 350mm discs in a four-piston system at the rear.
However, the brake pressure point is exceptionally sporty for a driver not used to racing, as we would later discover. The bodywork, of course, is inspired by the WRC97, but almost in every respect reinterpreted in a modern way and made of carbon fiber.
The rest of the test is pure driving, emotions at all levels. And this immediately justifies its excessive price. How much does it cost to feel exactly like Colin McRae himself did when he was winning races with all his might? It's difficult to put a monetary value on.
The credit goes to Prodrive, one of those small manufacturers who, with great passion, build driving machines for enthusiasts. A much needed endangered species.
Prodrive P25: the resurrection of Colin McRae's Subaru Impreza WRX!
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