2000 Subaru Impreza P1

• Number 428 out of the limited run of 1,000 Prodrive One (P1) cars. First registered on the 20th June 2000
• Building upon the Impreza’s iconic rally pedigree, the P1 was fitted with a revised version of the competition engine
• 280bhp mated to a 5-speed gearbox with quick-shift gear linkage offering 0-60mph in 4.6 seconds
• Offered as a two-door saloon with rally proven suspension and big bore exhaust, the P1 had more in common with the 22B than its four-door WRX siblings
• The history file includes reams of invoices and the most recent stamp in the service book was added in September 2021 at 78,313 miles
• With its freshly refurbished Prodrive alloy wheels and advisory free MOT valid until August 2022, this car is ready for its next enthusiast owner-driver.

Developed especially for British roads by Provide, the company which helped Colin McRae, Richard Burns and Petter Solberg become World Rally Champions. Aerodynamically honed by Peter Stevens of McLaren F1 fame and based around a lighter and stiffer two-door bodyshell, the limited edition Prodrive One, abbreviated to P1, had more in common with the legendary 22B than its lesser four-door Subaru Impreza WRX siblings.

All were painted in Sonic Blue and using the WRX STi Type R as a base, Prodrive engineers installed the anti-roll bars from the European-specification Impreza Turbo, along with firmer springs and shock absorbers, to deliver a suspension setup better suited to continental roads. The cars also featured ABS, as well as the Peter Stevens-designed anthracite OZ Racing wheels, front spoiler and rear wing.

The car is powered by a revised version of the rally engine with re-calibrated electronics and developing no less than 280bhp, 69bhp more than the standard Impreza Turbo. With a big-bore exhaust, quick-shift gear linkage, 17” titanium-finish alloy wheels and a rally proven suspension set-up, the Impreza P1 limited run of 1,000 examples gained an instant cult following. As an eminently drivable sports-saloon very few examples of the P1 are available in today’s market that do not have six-figure odometer readings, crash damage or heavy modifications.

First registered on the 20th June 2000, #428 presents very well, standing four-square on recently powder-coated Prodrive alloy wheels. The history file includes reams of past invoices and the service book is stamped in line with usage during the car’s early life. The MOT history records the incremental mileages increases of the past decade, showing just 8,000 miles or so travelled over the last 10 years. The cambelt was changed at 76,000 miles and the latest service stamp was added to the book on 5th September 2021, with the car benefitting from WaxOyl treatment to the underside. It further benefits from an STI air-intake from a later model and is fitted with DCCD, enabling the driver to choose between two or four-wheel drive.

We note that this car featured on 'Drive Tribe', the Clarkson, Hammond and May backed motoring website, in an online article showcasing the model’s strengths and, interestingly, it is the first car to appear on internet search engine results for the P1, a modicum of fame that the car rightly deserves. The advisory free MOT was issued on the 11th August 2021. With its driver’s mileage of 78,313 miles, at the time of cataloguing, this car is eminently suitable for spirited B-road jaunts and local car shows.