McRaes 1997 Subaru Impreza WRC for sale

Subaru WRX STI 22B owners might want to clear a neighbouring spot in their garages.

That's because the actual race going version of that homolgation car, Subaru’s 1997 World Rally Championship contender, has popped up for sale. And if that information doesn't raise an eyebrow, take stock that this example happens to be one piloted by the legendary Colin McRae.

Although chassis #3 helped Subaru claim its third constructor’s championship that year, McRae narrowly missed out the driver’s gong. He certainly wasn’t helped by the car’s first appearance at rally Monte Carlo, where he grappled with conditions before meeting a tree sideways and taking out the car’s left rear wheel.

The car found form for the rest of the year, putting McRae one point behind Tommi Makinen in the final driver’s standings in 1997. Krzysztof Holowczyc commanded the driver's seat in 1998, a Polish driver, during the Portugal, Agrentina, SanRemo, and Spain WRC rounds.

According to a translated sales description, Subaru’s factory team released it to private hands in 1999, where it lived out retirement on European and World championship rallies for the following nine years. It was then overhauled in 2009, restored to the dress it wore during 1997’s WRC Monte Carlo round.

It’s remained in perfect condition since, only used for short tests, and finds itself today in Böblingen, Germany, awaiting purchase.

You’ll need AU$416,711 to snatch the Impreza WRC from its minders, but if you plan on using it as it was intended; spare bits for its suspension, brakes, and transmissions are available at an extra cost – which you might need plenty of if you plan any of the below.

Pic credit: Mohr-klassik