WhichCar
motor

Sweet Dream: Subaru WRX STi 23B

New STI? Nah. Subaru, it’s time you built an Impreza more like this

Sweet Dream Subaru WRX STi 23B
Gallery1

Subaru deserve credit for creating its WRX STI NR4 road-racer, but we're still not quite satisfied.

Call us greedy, but we're keen to see a recreation of arguably the greatest Subaru of all, the limited-edition 22B.

Made in 1998 to celebrate Subaru’s 40th anniversary and recent trio of WRC manufacturer titles (1995-’97), while also tipping its hat to the end of Group A homologation, it was the closest thing to a road-going rally car.

We’ve exhumed the legend, designated as the 23B (its moniker being a nod to its new capacity engine) to illustrate how we’d envisage the current STi would play out as a limited-run special. But rather than build it as an interpretation of WRC competition, we simply went for the ultimate in a road-performance STi.

It wouldn’t be too hard for Subaru to raid the parts bin, commission a small run of parts used in its endurance and Super GT series racecar, and bolt together 1000 AMG-eaters, with a big handful of 100 units (rather than the original five 22Bs) destined for Oz and New Zealand – where many of Subaru’s original loyalists reside.

Unfortunately, the lack of a suitable donor two-door bodyshell may be the nail in its hypothetical coffin, but it’s still one bloody sweet dream.

Engine: Uses a closed-deck US-spec EJ25 to retain the essence of the 22B’s torque-rich and quick spool engine, but uses a 75mm 2.0-litre crank from the Jap-only WRX STi to effectively de-stroke the engine to 2.3 litres and give it excellent rev-capabilities. Good for 9000rpm.

Twin-scroll, ceramic turbine, IHI turbo would be low-mounted, near the radiator, like in the third-gen Legacy and current Forester, for less lag and better throttle response. High-boost tune yields 270kW/500Nm.

Brakes: Accompanying vents on the front bar would feed air to the car’s huge front six-pot Brembo one-piece calipers, and two-piece rotors, as used on the recent 2013 WRX STI Type RA.

Suspension: Like the original 1998 car, the 23B would use special Bilstein suspension, like DFV (dual-flow) coilovers matched with iconic STi pink springs. Wheels are from BBS finished in traditional gold. Of course.

Body: Uses the carbon-roof tech learnt from the R205 special-edition WRX STI, to lower the centre of gravity and overall weight, and 2007 Spec C’s roof scoop when the car’s doing track time without A/C.

While the carbon side-skirts are bespoke, the front lip and winglets would be borrowed from the current endurance race car, and the dry-carbon rear wing from the recent super-special 2013 WRX STi Type RA.

MOTOR staff
Brendon Wise

COMMENTS

Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.