The 22B—the Rowdiest Factory Subie Ever—Just Turned 21!
1:18 | $222
Well before the WRX became the standard for Subaru’s performance flagship, the marque was stamping its name in motorsports record books with turbocharged Impreza models in the World Rally Championship (WRC), claiming three consecutive manufacturer’s titles in 1995, ’96, and ’97. For 1998, the company wanted to celebrate with something truly special, and the result was the closest thing to a street-legal WRC racer ever sold to the public. Unlike the more familiar WRX, the 22B was loosely based on a 2-door Impreza but fitted with special widebody fenders to clear the adjustable Bilstein suspension and larger tires. The “22” refers to the engine displacement—taking the stock 2.0L flat-4 up to 2.2L, with a closed-deck block and metal gaskets to withstand more boost and the 7,900rpm. At the time, Japanese manufacturers had agreed to “officially” limit domestic horsepower to 280, so that’s the rating the 22B got, but the reality was probably closer to 350hp that was put to the wheels through a ceramic twin-disc clutch. Weighing 700 pounds less than the current WRX, the 22B’s performance was astonishing, equaling many of the supercars of the day. Just 400 22Bs were built; most were sold domestically in Japan, but a few dozen found their way to Australia and Britain. This most prestigious Subie is being replicated in 1:18 as part of Kyosho’s Samurai series of sealed-body resin models.